MITEI's Seed Innovation Fund Program supports innovative, early-stage research to develop technologies, processes, or analyses that advance the energy transition.
Since 2008, MITEI has provided more than $32 million to support 240 projects awarded through the Seed Innovation Fund. Every year MITEI’s Seed Innovation Fund makes five or more awards to sponsor exploratory clean energy projects that have the potential to produce high-impact results. Funded projects have invented technologies, discovered new processes, and created software packages.
Since the fund’s inception, winning proposals have come from principal investigators (PIs) representing 38 of MIT’s departments, labs, centers, and initiatives. Past Seed Innovation Fund projects have produced peer-reviewed publications, led to next-stage projects, or spawned startup companies.
Funding is provided through the MITEI Founding and Sustaining Members Program, as well as philanthropic support.
How to propose a project
The Seed Innovation Fund supports the development of new technologies, processes, and software that have high potential for contributing to the energy transition. The program is not intended to provide additional resources for projects that are already underway or that are incremental in nature. The Seed Innovation Fund program welcomes proposals from both well-established energy experts at MIT and PIs new to energy research.
The call for proposals is issued during the Fall semester, usually with a late fall due date for proposals. Decisions are usually announced in early May. Proposals must be submitted online using the MITEI Seed Innovation Fund application. Contact us to be added to our mailing list so you can be notified when the online application is available, or if you would like additional information.
Seed Innovation Fund companies
A number of startup companies have resulted from projects supported by the Seed Innovation Fund Program. These include:
Quaise Energy
Quaise Energy has developed a drilling technology that can be used to access superhot geothermal energy.
Nanoramic
Nanoramic has developed battery manufacturing technology that replaces limiting materials used in conventional lithium-ion battery manufacturing with safer, more environmentally friendly alternatives.
Via Separations
Via Separations has developed a membrane technology using significantly less energy than the filtration systems currently used in the manufacture of products, including chemicals, fuels, and more.
Projects
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