What Yope does

Yope (The Yope Foundation Inc.) is a 501(c)(3) Delaware non-profit founded in 2013 by Michael Baum — also the founder of Splunk (acquired by Cisco for $28.8B in 2024) — that operates a 6-month online fellowship for deep tech founders under 30. Each cohort comprises approximately 10 teams selected through an online application and receives three core deliverables: a $100,000 non-dilutive SAFE grant (uncapped, no discount, no payback), a structured curriculum called the Venture Athletes Playbook delivered via weekly online workshops, and 1:1 mentorship from alumni founders who have scaled deep tech companies (e.g., ICEYE, Eko Health, RapidSOS, Plushcare, KONUX, BIOS Health, Dendra Systems).

Program architecture is people-intensive rather than technology-intensive: there is no proprietary software platform, AI model, or SaaS product. Delivery is virtual and globally accessible, anchored by an in-person Annual Forum; ecosystem sourcing runs through formal pipeline relationships with TUM, Cambridge, Oxford, Aalto, UC Berkeley, and Harvard. Yope reports graduating 600+ founders and backing 145 startups that have collectively raised more than $3B, with realized equity returns recycled into subsequent grants.

The business model is philanthropic rather than commercial. Yope does not charge participants; operating funds come from founder Michael Baum, donor contributions, and recycled equity proceeds from portfolio exits. With a team of 11–50 based at its Wilmington, DE headquarters, the foundation supplements grant-giving with selective direct equity investments (e.g., Interhuman AI, €2M pre-seed, August 2025). Go-to-market is application-driven: applications open on a defined cycle (October 8, 2025 – April 17, 2026 for the 2026 program) and funnel through yope.org, supported by organic social (LinkedIn, Instagram, X, YouTube) and email.

Name

Yope

Legal name

The Yope Foundation Inc.

Website

https://yope.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Yope (The Yope Foundation Inc.) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit running a 6-month online fellowship plus $100K non-dilutive SAFE funding for deep tech founders under 30, sourcing cohorts via university pipelines and mentoring them with alumni operators.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Startup Accelerator & Fellowship Programs

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

SDG / Thematic Sustainable Investment Funds (FSANAJAN)

Keywords

• Deep tech fellowship
• Startup accelerator program
• Non-dilutive seed funding
• Founder mentorship network
• Venture readiness training

Headquarters

HQ city

Wilmington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Non-profit Grant Funding: Yope is a registered 501(c)(3) Delaware non-profit organization. They provide $100,000 in non-dilutive SAFE funding to selected fellows. Any future exits from their equity holdings are recycled into new founder grants.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Yope (The Yope Foundation Inc.) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit foundation that runs a 6-month online Venture Readiness Fellowship for deep tech founders under 30, paired with $100,000 in non-dilutive SAFE funding per fellow. The program combines weekly online workshops, 1:1 coaching, access to a global mentor and investor network, and an annual in-person forum to help researchers and scientists transition breakthrough science into fundable companies.

Product overview

Yope (The Yope Foundation) is a deep tech accelerator and fellowship program, not a software product company. The organization operates as a 501(c)(3) Delaware non-profit that provides a comprehensive Venture Readiness Fellowship program combining $100,000 in non-dilutive SAFE funding, 6-months of intensive founder coaching, weekly online workshops, personalized mentorship from successful deep tech founders, and access to a global network of investors and peers. The core offering consists of three interconnected components: the Venture Readiness Fellowship program for company building education, the $100K SAFE Funding Award for seed capital, and the Founder Mentorship Program connecting fellows with experienced entrepreneurs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Venture Readiness Fellowship A 6-month online fellowship program for deep tech founders under 30 (working in teams of 2+) that helps bridge the gap between research and investment. Includes weekly online workshops, 1:1 coaching, access to a global mentor/investor network, and culminates in an Annual Forum. No cost to apply or participate.
• $100K SAFE Funding Award Non-dilutive seed funding of $100,000 provided to each selected Yope Fellow through a SAFE grant to help accelerate ventures from university research to real-world impact. The funding is uncapped, with no discount and no payback required. Any future exits from equity holdings are recycled into new founder grants.
• Founder Mentorship Program Personalized mentorship from past alumni founders who have successfully scaled deep tech ventures, providing 1:1 coaching and access to a global network of mentors, investors, and peers including alumni founders of ICEYE, KONUX, Eko Health, RapidSOS, BIOS Health, Dendra Systems, and Plushcare.

Quantifiable outcome

• 145 startups backed that have raised over $3B in capital
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Technical University of Munich (TUM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTUM is a key university partner for Yope, with founders from TUM having built successful companies like KONUX. Yope partners with top universities and labs to help researchers bridge from classroom or lab bench into real ventures.
• University of CambridgecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCambridge University graduates have built companies like BIOS Health through Yope. Yope partners with top universities and labs globally to help researchers and scientists transition into ventures.
• University of OxfordcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOxford University graduates including Dendra Systems founder Susan Graham have been supported by Yope. Yope works with top universities to help researchers commercialize science.
• Aalto UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAalto University graduates including ICEYE co-founders Rafal Modrzewski and Pekka Laurila have been part of the Yope ecosystem.
• UC BerkeleycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of California Berkeley graduates including Eko Health founders and Plushcare founder have been supported by Yope.
• Harvard UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHarvard University graduates including RapidSOS founder Michael Martin have been part of the Yope ecosystem.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Y Combinator: The largest and most recognized startup accelerator globally. It is directly comparable to Yope because both run cohort-based programs for early-stage founders combining mentorship, community, and seed capital, although YC is broader in stage and sector.
• Techstars: Global accelerator network running time-boxed mentorship-driven programs for early-stage startups in exchange for equity. Comparable to Yope in program structure, mentorship intensity, and cohort-based delivery, though Techstars operates across multiple sectors rather than deep tech only.
• Creative Destruction Lab: University-affiliated deep tech venture program that helps founders of science-based companies scale via structured mentorship and milestone-based progression. Closely comparable to Yope in deep tech focus, university sourcing, and intensive founder coaching.
• Entrepreneur First: Talent investor that recruits individuals and helps them form deep tech companies from scratch. Comparable to Yope in targeting technically strong founders, providing early-stage capital, and building a global founder community focused on breakthrough technologies.
• Antler: Global early-stage investor that runs cohort-based programs to help founders form and fund new companies. Comparable to Yope in its global, cohort-driven model aimed at the earliest stages of company formation, though broader in geography and sector mix.
• Activate (formerly Cyclotron Road): Nonprofit fellowship supporting scientist-founders commercializing breakthrough hard-tech research. Closely analogous to Yope as a deep tech fellowship providing two years of funding, mentorship, and community to early-career technical founders.
• MassChallenge: Large non-profit accelerator supporting early-stage startups globally with mentorship and equity-free programming. Comparable to Yope as a fellow non-profit, equity-free, mission-driven accelerator focused on founder development rather than financial returns.
• IndieBio: Biotech-focused accelerator backed by SOSV that provides seed funding, mentorship, and lab infrastructure to biology-based startups. Comparable to Yope in deep tech vertical focus, cohort-based programming, and founder-coaching intensity.

Broad incumbents

• Plug and Play: Global innovation platform running corporate-partnered accelerator programs across many verticals. Overlaps with Yope in startup acceleration and mentorship but operates at much larger scale with corporate sponsorship rather than a fellowship/funding model.
• Station F: Largest startup campus in the world running partner-led accelerator and incubator programs for early-stage companies. Comparable to Yope as a founder-development platform with global reach and partner-driven program design, though it serves much broader stages and sectors.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/YopeFounders
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCn1E6MWo6bosL5niahR1kjA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-yope-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/theyopefoundation
• Facebookfacebook.com/theyopefoundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments2 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Yope