Activate Global Inc.

Activate Global Inc. is a non-profit organization based in Berkeley, California, that specializes in supporting early-stage startups and entrepreneurs with a focus on climate resilience and deep technology innovations. The organization serves the federal government by providing entrepreneurial training, fellowship programs, and commercialization support services designed to bridge the gap between laboratory research and market-ready solutions. Through a combination of federal contracts and grants from multiple agencies, Activate Global Inc. has established itself as a key player in the national innovation ecosystem, helping to advance cutting-edge technologies across critical sectors including semiconductors, artificial intelligence, energy, biotechnology, and ocean-based climate solutions.

Activate Global Inc. has provided contract services through a $130,000 firm fixed-price purchase order awarded by the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) in August 2024. This contract called for the organization to develop and deliver an entrepreneurial training workshop, which was scheduled for completion by August 13, 2025. The purchase order represented a straightforward engagement with no set-aside designation, allowing Activate Global Inc. to leverage its expertise in entrepreneurial education and workforce development to support ARPA's innovation objectives. This contract work aligns with the organization's core mission of providing training and support infrastructure for emerging entrepreneurs and innovators.

Activate Global Inc. has received substantial federal grant support through cooperative agreements from three major agencies: the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The largest grant award is a $14,978,985 NSF Cooperative Agreement under the Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships program (CFDA 47.084), effective from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2028, which funds two-year entrepreneurial fellowships targeting top scientists and engineers seeking to commercialize cutting-edge innovations in artificial intelligence, semiconductors, advanced manufacturing, energy technologies, advanced materials, and biotechnology. Additionally, Activate Global Inc. received a $5,000,000 NIST Cooperative Agreement under the CHIPS Research and Development program (CFDA 11.042), running from October 1, 2024 through May 31, 2028, to establish an Entrepreneurial Fellowship Pilot Program supporting up to ten early-stage companies developing semiconductor manufacturing technologies with non-dilutive funding, mentorship, prototyping capabilities, and facility access. The organization also received a Cooperative Agreement from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in March 2024 to deliver "Activate Oceans," a comprehensive program integrating its Activate Fellowship with the Propellers Ocean MBA to support approximately 100 ocean-climate startups over four years, focusing on technologies in ocean renewable energy, carbon sequestration monitoring, maritime decarbonization, and desalination. Finally, Activate Global Inc. has been operating under a NSF Cooperative Agreement since September 2022 through August 2027 to pilot and evaluate entrepreneurial fellowship approaches that support diverse scientists and engineers launching deep-technology ventures across sectors critical to national competitiveness, including agriculture, chemicals, computing, defense, electricity, manufacturing, and transportation.