The Hertz Foundation
The Hertz Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that awards the nation's most prestigious PhD fellowship in applied science, engineering, and mathematics, funding up to 25 exceptional doctoral students each year with up to five years of support valued at $250,000 each, while stewarding a lifelong community of 1,300+ alumni.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1957
- HeadquartersPleasanton, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Hertz Foundation does
The Hertz Foundation, legally the Fannie and John Hertz Foundation, is a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit established in 1957 by John and Fannie Hertz and headquartered in Pleasanton, California with a regional office in Boston. The foundation's sole product is the Hertz Fellowship, described in its own materials as the nation's most prestigious PhD award in applied science, engineering, and mathematics. Each year it selects up to 25 exceptional doctoral students and provides up to five years of financial support (a stipend plus full tuition equivalent) valued at up to $250,000 per fellow, layered onto access to a lifelong community of more than 1,300 alumni across 140 scientific disciplines.
The foundation does not develop or sell technology. Its core offering is financial support combined with curated programming, including the annual Hertz Summer Workshop, career mentorship, and named fellowship tracks created with strategic partners such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (a $5 million grant funding 17 fellows in Global Health and Development since 2017) and Analog Devices (the ADI Hertz Fellowship). Beyond funding, fellows gain introductions to partner ecosystems at Breakthrough Energy, Gates Foundation, Analog Devices, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Case Western Reserve University, and the American Physical Society. The foundation also operates the Hertz Fund (unrestricted giving) and a branded merchandise store as auxiliary revenue channels.
Revenue is generated entirely through donations, grants, and partnership contributions; no commercial product is sold. The organization is led by President Wendy Connors and governed by an independent Board of Directors, with an 11–50 person staff. Outcomes emphasized in its materials include 375 businesses created by fellows, 54 members of the National Academies, and 2 Nobel Laureates among the alumni community, positioning the foundation as a long-duration human-capital platform for U.S. applied-science leadership rather than a traditional operating company.
The Hertz Foundation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Hertz Foundation
- Legal name
- Fannie and John Hertz Foundation
- Website
- https://hertzfoundation.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1957
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Hertz Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that awards the nation's most prestigious PhD fellowship in applied science, engineering, and mathematics, funding up to 25 exceptional doctoral students each year with up to five years of support valued at $250,000 each, while stewarding a lifelong community of 1,300+ alumni.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Hertz Foundation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- PhD Fellowship Program
- NAICS
- Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Degree-Level Scholarships (Undergrad/Masters/PhD/Postdoc) (EDAIAOAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAI), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC), Research Grants, Fellowships & Stipends (International) (EDAIAOAJ)
Keywords
Where The Hertz Foundation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Pleasanton
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
The Hertz Foundation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Others, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: The Hertz Foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Revenue is generated through donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations. The foundation's website explicitly solicits gifts of any size to support the next generation of innovators. The Hertz Fund serves as the highest fundraising priority, providing unrestricted gifts that enable the foundation to address urgent needs and support fellows' intellectual freedom.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Hertz Fellowship - Five-year doctoral funding package |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
The Hertz Foundation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Hertz Foundation awards the Hertz Fellowship, providing up to five years of funding (stipend plus full tuition equivalent, valued at up to $250,000) to exceptional doctoral students in applied science, engineering, and mathematics at U.S. graduate institutions. Each year up to 25 fellows are selected through a rigorous multi-stage process, joining a lifelong community of 1,300+ fellows across 140+ scientific disciplines. The foundation also operates specialized fellowship tracks in partnership with the Gates Foundation (Global Health and Development) and Analog Devices (ADI Hertz Fellowship), plus community programming including the annual Hertz Summer Workshop and career mentorship.
Product overview
The Hertz Foundation operates a fellowship program as its core offering, providing the nation's most prestigious PhD award in applied science, engineering, and mathematics. The main product is the Hertz Fellowship, which provides up to five years of funding valued at up to $250,000, along with lifelong community membership. The foundation also offers specialized fellowship variants including the Hertz Fellowship in Global Health and Development (in partnership with the Gates Foundation) and the ADI Hertz Fellowship (in partnership with Analog Devices). Beyond the fellowship program, the organization provides the Hertz Community—a network of over 1,300 Fellows spanning 140+ disciplines—with ongoing support including the annual Hertz Summer Workshop, career mentorship, and the Hertz Fund for donations. The portfolio is structured as a core fellowship program with affiliated modules for specialized tracks, community programming, and charitable giving.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Hertz Fellowship The nation's most prestigious PhD award in applied science, engineering, and mathematics, providing up to five years of funding (stipend plus full tuition equivalent, valued at up to $250,000) and lifelong professional support for exceptional doctoral students selected through a rigorous multi-stage application process.
- Hertz Fellowship in Global Health and Development
Quantifiable outcome
- 375 businesses created by Hertz Fellows
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use The Hertz Foundation
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
The Hertz Foundation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Hertz Foundation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Breakthrough EnergycoreBreakthrough Energy Discovery partners with the Hertz Foundation to connect, collaborate, and advance transformative climate and energy solutions. Hertz Fellows gain access to Breakthrough Energy's global network of climate and energy experts, entrepreneurship curriculum, mentorship opportunities, and grant programs. The partnership offers joint programming including workshops, targeted networking, and shared resources. Several Hertz Fellows have worked at Breakthrough Energy, including partners at Breakthrough Energy Ventures.
- Analog DevicescoreAnalog Devices (ADI), a global semiconductor leader, partners to provide financial support and valuable industry experience for Hertz Fellows. The ADI Hertz Fellowship provides financial support for one fellow, with ADI representatives participating in key Hertz Foundation events. Fellows gain opportunities to present doctoral research to company leadership and apply for annual internships at ADI, offering industry experience in analog, digital, and software technology across healthcare, industrial, aerospace, and consumer products.
- American Physical SocietyminorAmerican Physical Society partners with the Hertz Foundation to advance scientific leadership and public trust, collaborating on initiatives that support physicists and the broader scientific community.
- Case Western Reserve UniversityminorCase Western Reserve University offers full funding to Hertz Fellowship finalists, ensuring selected candidates can pursue their doctoral research without financial barriers.
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL)minorLLNL partners with the Hertz Foundation to support scientific entrepreneurship. The partnership provides opportunities for Hertz Fellows to engage with national laboratory research and development capabilities.
- Bill & Melinda Gates FoundationcoreThe Gates Foundation partnership provides Hertz Fellows with two summer internships in Global Health or Global Development programs. The foundation awarded a $5 million grant to fund 17 Hertz Fellows through this Fellowship in Global Health and Development. Fellows receive salary compensation, corporate housing, and travel reimbursement during internships lasting 11-12 weeks. The partnership enables hands-on opportunities to address pressing global health and development challenges.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Hertz Foundation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP): The largest US federal multi-year PhD fellowship in STEM, NSF GRFP supports thousands of graduate students annually. It is the most direct federal comparator for Hertz's mission of funding exceptional doctoral students in applied science and engineering.
- Sloan Research Fellowships (Alfred P. Sloan Foundation): Two-year fellowships for early-career scholars across multiple STEM disciplines. Comparable in brand prestige and selectivity for STEM PhD-stage talent but awarded at the early-faculty rather than doctoral stage.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Hanna H. Gray Fellows Program: HHMI's flagship postdoctoral fellowship program for early-career biomedical scientists. Operates a similar model of high-selectivity, multi-year, unrestricted funding for exceptional early-career researchers with a strong lifetime-community component.
Direct peers
- Ford Foundation Fellowship Programs: Administered by the National Academies, Ford Fellowships provide multi-year PhD and postdoctoral funding across academia. Same grantmaking-foundation structure and PhD-fellowship focus as Hertz, with an emphasis on diversifying the professoriate.
- Knight-Hennessy Scholars (Stanford University): Stanford-funded multi-year graduate fellowship covering all degree programs including STEM PhDs. It directly competes for elite STEM applicants with Hertz but at a single institution rather than nationwide.
- National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowship: DoD-funded multi-year PhD fellowship supporting US doctoral students in science and engineering disciplines closely aligned with Hertz's scope. NDSEG directly competes for the same applicant pool with similar award structures.
- Packard Foundation Fellowship for Science and Engineering: David and Lucile Packard Foundation's unrestricted five-year research fellowship for early-career faculty in science and engineering. Operates a similar model of long-duration, unrestricted funding for elite STEM talent with a community program.
- Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans: A privately funded graduate-school fellowship supporting outstanding immigrants and children of immigrants in the US. Comparable in structure: private foundation, multi-year funding, highly selective, and community-driven with strong lifetime alumni network.
Regional players
- Breakthrough Energy Fellows Program: An existing Hertz partner running its own fellowship/investment programs targeting climate and energy talent. Operates in adjacent fellowship space, focused on a different discipline (climate) but increasingly overlapping with Hertz's STEM mission.
Emerging players
- American Physical Society (APS) Fellowship Programs: An existing Hertz partner. APS supports physics students and early-career researchers through multiple fellowship and award programs, representing a discipline-specific adjacent grantmaker in the same applicant ecosystem.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Hertz Foundation social profiles
Digital presenceThe Hertz Foundation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Hertz Foundation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
The Hertz Foundation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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The Hertz Foundation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments1 record
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Hertz Foundation
What does The Hertz Foundation do?
The Hertz Foundation awards the Hertz Fellowship, providing up to five years of funding (stipend plus full tuition equivalent, valued at up to $250,000) to exceptional doctoral students in applied science, engineering, and mathematics at U.S. graduate institutions. Each year up to 25 fellows are selected through a rigorous multi-stage process, joining a lifelong community of 1,300+ fellows across 140+ scientific disciplines. The foundation also operates specialized fellowship tracks in partnership with the Gates Foundation (Global Health and Development) and Analog Devices (ADI Hertz Fellowship), plus community programming including the annual Hertz Summer Workshop and career mentorship.
Is The Hertz Foundation a public or private company?
The Hertz Foundation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The Hertz Foundation founded?
The Hertz Foundation was founded in 1957. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The Hertz Foundation based?
The Hertz Foundation is headquartered in Pleasanton, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Hertz Foundation make money?
One revenue line is on record: donations and Charitable Contributions.
Who are The Hertz Foundation's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP), Sloan Research Fellowships (Alfred P. Sloan Foundation) and Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Hanna H. Gray Fellows Program. Direct peers are Ford Foundation Fellowship Programs, Knight-Hennessy Scholars (Stanford University), National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowship, Packard Foundation Fellowship for Science and Engineering and Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans. Breakthrough Energy Fellows Program is listed as a regional player. American Physical Society (APS) Fellowship Programs is listed as an emerging player.
Does The Hertz Foundation have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Hertz Foundation.
What industry is The Hertz Foundation in?
The Hertz Foundation's product category is PhD Fellowship Program. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAIAOAE, Degree-Level Scholarships (Undergrad/Masters/PhD/Postdoc), with a secondary code of BPAGAKAI, Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations. Its NAICS code is 813211.