2022 by the Numbers
By any measure, this year was Activate’s biggest yet. In our newly released 2022 Annual Report, we dive deep into how we’ve supported the next generation of science leaders, whose solutions are truly transforming the world for the better.
Here are some of 2022’s most significant wins.
“We couldn’t be more hopeful and determined.”
Record Funding
In terms of support for science, this year was one for the books. Alongside the greater science innovation ecosystem, we celebrated the passage of the CHIPS and Science and Inflation Reduction Acts, which will provide substantial funding for the innovations of tomorrow.
Beyond the public sector, climate-tech’s share of private investment hit an all-time high. Representing the incredible trend toward investment in climate-smart technologies, Activate Fellows and alumni raised over $332 million, bringing the cumulative total raised to over $1.1 billion, an astounding milestone. Beyond supporting R&D–for example, the 18 new prototypes fellows produced–fellows used these funds to grow their business operations and hire for over 650 jobs this year.
Fellows in the Spotlight
The media took notice of fellows’ success. From trade publications to Shark Tank, Activate Fellows were featured in 173 stories, articles, videos, and podcasts (700+ minutes worth!). They received 80 awards recognizing their contributions to their industries and our world. And they represented their companies and Activate at 72 speaking engagements across the globe.
Celebrating the graduating Cohort 2020 fellows at June’s Activate Summit.
Cohort Success
We graduated 27 fellows in Cohort 2020, sending them off with revelry and newfound community at the Activate Summit in June. We also welcomed our largest incoming cohort of fellows to date–the 39 Cohort 2022 fellows spanning across four communities. And with our most successful recruitment cycle to date, which brought in 674 applications from 819 applicants, we’re looking forward to welcoming Cohort 2023 in June.
Unparalleled Programming
Within our communities, fellows had access to new and expanded programming. In addition to the inaugural “Elements of Entrepreneurship” curriculum spearheaded by Program Continuum Director Sarah Morrill, we conducted over 100 hours of fellow programming. We hosted 23 workshops or panels, 18 founder talks with top hard-tech entrepreneurs, and quarterly executive problem-solving sessions. We also coordinated 275 collisions—what we call interactions we curate between fellows and the many investors, technologists, policy experts, and service providers that comprise Activate’s network.
Interested in joining our team? We’re hiring.
Expanded Leadership
This year, we were joined by two new managing directors, Hannah Murnen and Jill Fuss, to support fellows in the Activate Anywhere and Activate Berkeley communities, respectively. In addition to growing our community teams, we brought on 13 new staff members to support Activate operations, including Naomi Baer, our new COO. We were also lucky to welcome three new members to Activate’s board, which has played a crucial role in leading our search for a new CEO.
Interested in joining our team? We’re hiring.
New Partners
None of this would have been possible without our incredible partners. We were thrilled to announce a $20 million partnership with the National Science Foundation, which joined our list of 19 funding partners who will help us scale our operations to support 100 new fellows per year.
Interested in partnering with us in 2023? Reach out.
Increasing Our Impact
While 2022 was a success by all accounts, we’re looking ahead to what’s on the horizon. Over the next several years, Activate is planning to double our geographic footprint from four to eight communities and grow our reach from 40 to 100 fellows per year, and we’re looking for a new CEO to lead the organization as we scale to this next phase of growth. But as we move forward, our commitment remains singular.
