The journey from scientist to founder is well-trodden, but it’s far from easy. Many have attempted to smooth out this path for technical founders over the last decade. Two prominent programs, Activate and The Engine Accelerator, have now decided that they can offer an even greater advantage by teaming up.
A Partnership Born Out of Complementarity
For Emily Knight, CEO of The Engine Accelerator, the decision to partner with Activate was a natural one. "It felt like the closer we could get, the more work we could do together, the more we can feed into each other’s programs, and ultimately, see more throughput from these proto-founders to entrepreneurs," she told TechCrunch.
The two programs are complementary in many ways. The Engine works with scientists and engineers who are just beginning to explore commercializing their research, hence their status as ‘proto-founders.’ Activate steps in when founders have refined their ideas further and offers them two-year fellowships to get them ready for fundraising.
A Synergy of Success
Knight pointed out that a significant number of the proto-founders who completed The Engine’s recent Blueprint program ended up being awarded an Activate fellowship. "It’s not a universal truth, but what we see is Blueprint participants are better prepared for Activate," Cyrus Wadia, CEO of Activate, told TechCrunch. "My team was kind of like, can we get more of that?"
The partnership remains in its earliest phases. No money has changed hands, and it’s not at the point where the two are considering merging. "It’s too early to talk about that," Knight said.
Filling Gaps and Fostering Growth
For now, they are looking to trade notes on their curricula to see where they can fill in gaps. They’ll maintain separate application and admissions flows for the time being, though it’s possible something like the college "common app" might develop for founders who might find both programs useful.
Ultimately, both Knight and Wadia said that the alliance is an attempt to get more technical founders up and running quickly. "We’ve normalized a pace that’s too slow, especially when you’re talking about climate," Wadia said. "If we have a shot to move a scientist quicker down this pathway to further success, then that’s well worth the time and investment to do that."
Accelerating Climate Tech
The Engine and Activate’s partnership is particularly significant in the context of climate tech. As Knight noted, "We’ve normalized a pace that’s too slow," particularly when it comes to addressing pressing climate issues.
Wadia echoed this sentiment, saying, "If we have a shot to move a scientist quicker down this pathway to further success, then that’s well worth the time and investment to do that." The two programs are committed to streamlining the process of getting technical founders from idea to launch, with a focus on climate tech.
The Path Ahead
While the partnership is still in its early stages, it’s clear that both programs are committed to working together to support technical founders. As Knight said, "It’s too early to talk about merging," but the two will continue to trade notes and work together to fill gaps in their respective curricula.
In the long term, the possibility of a common app for founders who might find both programs useful is an exciting prospect. This could simplify the process of applying to multiple programs and help more founders access the resources they need to succeed.
Conclusion
The partnership between Activate and The Engine Accelerator is a significant development in the world of tech startups, particularly when it comes to climate tech. By working together, these two prominent programs are committed to supporting technical founders as they navigate the complex journey from scientist to founder.
As Wadia noted, "We’ve normalized a pace that’s too slow," and this partnership is an attempt to accelerate that process. With their combined expertise and resources, Activate and The Engine Accelerator are poised to make a meaningful impact in the world of climate tech.