*|MC:SUBJECT|*

Friends of Greentown Boston,

Today, we are excited to announce a new program to support early-stage founders as they bridge the critical gap between proof of concept and first prototype: the First Valley Fellowship.

Often referred to as the “First Valley of Death,” the period between early research and a demonstrated product can determine whether breakthrough technologies ever reach the market.

The First Valley Fellowship is built to help founders navigate this pivotal stage—offering early-access incubation, hands-on mentorship, mission-critical resources, and a high-touch community to accelerate progress from idea to investable venture.

For 15 years, Greentown has specialized in supporting startups through the “Second Valley of Death,” the capital-intensive transition from working prototype to first commercial pilot and early revenue. The First Valley Fellowship is a targeted pilot extension of that core focus.

By supporting founders earlier in their journey, this opportunity will reinforce a continuous pathway from lab breakthrough to commercial deployment.

FELLOWSHIP BENEFITS

Membership at Greentown Boston: Six months of coworking space and incubation at Greentown Boston, including curated programming like lunch and learns, workshops, and community-building events
Mission-critical Resources: Unlock over $1M of in-kind resources, including free and discounted software, legal services, business support, and access to specialized facilities
Fundraising Support: Receive ongoing support on fundraising, including coaching, visibility, and connections
Dedicated Mentorship: Match with dedicated mentors in areas pertinent to early-stage growth, such as go-to-market strategy, customer discovery, technical expertise, finance, legal/IP, business development, product design and prototyping, partnerships, communications, and more

ELIGIBILITY + WHO WE’RE LOOKING FOR

Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 2-4: startups at the concept to early prototype stage
Pre-funding or pre-seed startups that have raised less than $1M and are preparing to fundraise in the next 6-12 months
Boston-area founders who are ready to engage actively with the peers in their cohort
Technology innovations addressing a challenge in energy, the main greenhouse-gas-emitting sectors, or that are advancing climate resiliency and adaptation

LEARN MORE + APPLY BY MARCH 24

Know a graduate student, postdoc, research scientist, solo founder, or other early-stage team that might be a great fit? Share this opportunity and have them get in touch!

"Joining Greentown Labs while spinning out of the university was a game-changer for ATOM-X. Accessing the investor network and structured startup programs early on allowed us to establish our footing and move with a speed we couldn't have achieved alone.

The events and the community of fellow founders helped us identify and forge key partnerships to accelerate our path to commercialization. This new fellowship offering will undoubtedly help other founders bring innovations to market faster."

- Botao Huang, Co-Founder and CTO, ATOM-X

Introducing the First Valley Fellowship for Early-stage Founders