1517 Fund
Grants are non-dilutive; investments use company-specific terms · Global · Open now
1517 Fund backs dropouts, students, and renegade scientists through small cash grants, a global community, and angel-to-seed investing. The current official site offers a direct route to the team but does not publish one standard grant amount, investment check, equity instrument, or cohort deadline.
Tier 2 · ranked #11rollingmicro-grantdeep-tech
ApplyOfficial siteOpen in the live directory
Program intake
Applications are currently open according to the program's authoritative source.
What the source says“If you are interested in receiving a grant from 1517, we would love to hear from you.”
Key facts
| Check size | Cash grants plus angel-to-seed investment; no current standard amount published |
| Terms | Grants are non-dilutive; investments use company-specific terms |
| Stage | pre-idea to seed |
| Applications | Open now |
| Program dates | Rolling grants and investment conversations |
| Location | Global |
| Remote friendly | Yes |
| Warm intro needed | No — open application |
| Sectors | deep-tech, generalist |
| Status | open |
Always confirm on the official page before applying — dates and terms change.
Background
Michael Gibson and Danielle Strachman founded 1517 around the thesis that talented young builders and independent scientists should not need conventional academic credentials to access support. Its model spans early non-dilutive encouragement and later venture investment rather than one fixed accelerator class.
How the application really works
Use the public site to introduce the builder, research, or company. The team decides whether a grant, community relationship, or investment conversation is the appropriate route.
Tips
- Read the cited current official page before applying because program dates and terms are volatile.
- State fit with the documented stage, geography, and attendance model; do not rely on an aggregator's old terms.
- Ask for the complete investment, fee, and follow-on documents when the public page does not publish them.
Watch out for
- Cash grants are non-dilutive; venture investment terms are company-specific. Current standard amounts are not published.
- The current official site does not publish one standard grant or investment amount. Do not present older Invisible College figures as current terms.
Track record
- 1517 publishes founder stories across deep technology and unconventional education paths; the checked page does not provide a standardized realized-return statistic.
No application count or acceptance rate is published.
Frequently asked questions
- Is this program currently accepting applications?
- Use the public site to introduce the builder, research, or company. The team decides whether a grant, community relationship, or investment conversation is the appropriate route.
- What are the current economics?
- Cash grants are non-dilutive; venture investment terms are company-specific. Current standard amounts are not published.
- How large and long is the program?
- Rolling community and funding model; current annual grant and investment counts are not published. Rolling relationship-based grants, community support, and investment rather than a timed cohort.
- Can founders participate remotely?
- Global and remote-friendly; no general relocation requirement published.
- What happens after the program?
- Grant recipients may build a longer relationship that can lead to angel or seed investment, but follow-on is not automatic.
Related accelerators
Sources
- www.1517fund.com/medici — Specific official Medici $1k grant page; describes the grant path and what applicants should send. (checked 2026-08-21)
- www.1517fund.com — Current thesis, global community, grants, investment stages, founders, and contact route (checked 2026-08-10)
- www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2016-12-02/thiel-fellowship-spinoff-backs-new-breed-of-startups — Bloomberg profile of 1517 Fund's origin and founder thesis. (checked 2026-08-22)