What Experiment Foundation does

Experiment Foundation is a US-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN: 99-0758904) whose stated mission is to encourage and promote scientific discovery. It operates the Science Engine, a regranting program that distributes microgrants to early-stage scientific ideas and projects through 'Science Angels' who make rapid decisions on small, fast grants. The Foundation explicitly positions this model as a fix for pitfalls of traditional peer-review funding, which it argues systematically underweights high-risk, high-reward work and early-career researchers.

The Foundation maintains separate organizational governance from Experiment.com but works closely with its team, leveraging Experiment.com's position as the largest science crowdfunding website globally to channel grant funding and catalyze follow-on donations. Programs have funded more than 250 new technology and research projects (300+ per the Foundation's own count), with over $2.2M in cumulative project funding. In 2024, the Foundation reported 187% year-over-year growth in follow-on crowdfunding for its projects, indicating meaningful traction on its catalytic model. A peer-reviewed study published in Nature found that the Experiment.com platform flipped science's traditional reward model, and the Foundation's funding approach won the 2022 Falling Walls 'Breakthrough of the Year' in the Science and Innovation Management Category through partnership with Robert Downey Jr.'s FootPrint Coalition.

The Foundation serves two distinct constituencies: on the funding side, foundations, companies, and federal agencies seeking more efficient mechanisms to support early-stage research; on the recipient side, scientists, early-career researchers, and student researchers pursuing ideas underserved by traditional grant structures. Donations are processed via Every.org, and the Foundation operates with 1–10 employees. There is no commercial pricing, and revenue is sourced from charitable contributions and partnership programs rather than product sales.

Name

Experiment Foundation

Legal name

Experiment Foundation

Website

https://experiment.foundation

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Experiment Foundation is a US 501(c)(3) nonprofit that runs the Science Engine, a regranting platform distributing microgrants to early-stage scientific research via 'Science Angels' and coordinated with Experiment.com, the largest science crowdfunding platform globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Science Philanthropy and Research Grantmaking

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

akta.pro primary industry

Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Science, Technology & Innovation Administration (National R&D Policy) (BPAIAAAK)

Keywords

• Science philanthropy
• Research microgrants
• Regranting program
• Science crowdfunding
• Research grantmaking

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) organization (EIN: 99-0758904), Experiment Foundation receives donations from individuals and organizations to grow its programs and impact. Donations are facilitated through the Every.org platform.
2. Partnership Programs: Works with foundations, companies, and federal agencies to facilitate grant programs, connecting them with researchers through platform philanthropy.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Experiment Foundation operates the Science Engine, a regranting program that enables microgrants for early-stage scientific ideas and projects. The foundation partners with foundations, companies, and federal agencies to fund science through platform philanthropy and challenge grants, with "Science Angels" making quick decisions on small, fast grants to support researchers that traditional funding structures miss.

Product overview

The Experiment Foundation operates as a single unified offering focused on the Science Engine—a regranting platform philanthropy program that connects foundations, companies, and federal agencies with scientific researchers. The organization facilitates small, fast grant programs through 'Science Angels' who provide microgrants to early-career and student researchers. The Foundation works in conjunction with the Experiment.com crowdfunding platform to catalyze additional funding for funded projects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Science Engine A regranting program that enables microgrants for early-stage scientific ideas and projects, putting funding and discretion closer to scientists by letting 'Science Angels' make quick decisions on small, fast grants to support researchers and research that traditional funding structures miss.

Quantifiable outcome

• 187% YoY growth in follow-on crowdfunding for projects in 2024
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Experiment (experiment.com)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExperiment Foundation works closely with the team at Experiment.com. Experiment has grown into the largest science crowdfunding website in the world. The foundation connects foundations, companies, and federal agencies with researcher enthusiasm and brainpower through facilitation of grant programs. While they maintain separate organizational governance, they operate in coordination.
• Robert Downey Jr's FootPrint CoalitionflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through which the 2022 Falling Walls 'Breakthrough of the Year' award in Science and Innovation Management Category was received. The unique funding model won this prestigious recognition.
• Every.orgminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDonation platform partner that processes donations for Experiment Foundation. Individuals can donate via the Every.org platform to support the foundation's programs and impact.
• GALCIT LabminorOthersResearch lab at Caltech that received a $1,000 grant for their rocket-assisted take-off project, demonstrating the foundation's small grants model in action.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Howard Hughes Medical Institute: Large biomedical research organization that funds scientists directly rather than via traditional grants. Comparable as a science funder that bypasses conventional peer-review mechanisms to back individual researchers.
• Wellcome Trust: One of the world's largest charitable foundations funding science research, including high-risk early-stage work. Comparable as a science-focused grantmaking foundation, though far larger and with a broader biomedical emphasis.
• Simons Foundation: Major philanthropy supporting scientific research in mathematics, physics, and life sciences. Comparable as a science research grantmaker, though operating at materially greater scale.
• Chan Zuckerberg Initiative: Major philanthropy funding biomedical and basic science research through grants and its own research lab. Comparable as a large, mission-driven science funder with similar interest in supporting underfunded research areas.

Emerging players

• FootPrint Coalition: Robert Downey Jr.-led coalition investing in sustainability and science technologies. Direct strategic partner to Experiment Foundation and comparable in its mission to deploy philanthropic capital into science and technology ventures.

Direct peers

• Schmidt Futures: Philanthropic initiative funding early-career scientists and high-risk research. Direct peer: similar focus on backing 'true believers' and unconventional research talent, with comparable grantmaking mechanisms.
• Alfred P. Sloan Foundation: Long-established foundation funding basic scientific research across multiple disciplines. Comparable as a science research grantmaker with a focus on early-stage and high-quality work outside mainstream funding channels.
• Kavli Foundation: Foundation supporting basic scientific research across astrophysics, nanoscience, neuroscience, and theoretical physics. Comparable as a science-focused grantmaking foundation funding high-risk, high-reward research areas.
• Open Philanthropy: Philanthropic organization that has funded scientific research grants to identify high-impact giving areas. Comparable as a mission-driven funder experimenting with grantmaking mechanisms in science.
• Rita Allen Foundation: Foundation specifically investing in early-career researchers through high-impact grants and scholar awards. Direct peer: nearly identical target beneficiary (early-career scientists) and small-grant, high-trust funding philosophy.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Experiment Foundation