The EquityTech Fellowship is run by Halcyon, a Washington, DC impact accelerator founded in 2014. It backs for-profit startups anywhere in the world building EdTech or Future of Work solutions that close equity gaps.
The 2026 edition ran February–June 2026 in a hybrid format: a virtual kickoff, a one-week residency in Washington, DC, four virtual programming days and a closing week in Pittsburgh, PA. Earlier editions ran in 2024 and September–November 2025; no 2027 call is posted yet.
Benefits & funding
- $6K equity-free stipend per venture, paid in instalments, including before the residencies and after the program ends.
- $10K in AWS credits.
- Two week-long US residencies (Washington, DC and Pittsburgh, PA).
- Expert workshops on product-market fit, capital strategy and leadership, plus advisors and investor networking.
- Access to Halcyon’s 600+ founder community and alumni benefits.
Eligibility
- For-profit startup based anywhere; no nationality or residence bar.
- A working MVP with users or paying customers, plus early user feedback or commercial validation (pilots, LOIs or revenue).
- Impact built into the business model and contributing to one or more UN Sustainable Development Goals.
- The applicant is the CEO or holds primary decision-making power; at most one co-founder joins.
- Fluent in English, at least 21 by the program start, and working full-time on the venture.
- Must attend every residency and session.
- A venture rejected at the eligibility stage cannot reapply.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
Decoded from the official rules. A free account checks them against your passport, degree and age in seconds.
Age requirement
≥ 21 yrs
Circlebreaker is a free database of global fellowships, scholarships and programs — every one decoded like this.
We only check the criteria we have data for. Always confirm full eligibility on the official page before applying.
Application process
- 1Submit Halcyon’s year-round eligibility form (one form covers every Halcyon program; reviewed on a rolling basis). For the 2026 edition the window ran 31 October–20 November 2025.
- 2Shortlisted ventures get a second-round invitational application, due within two weeks.
- 3Finalists pitch virtually to an external Selections Committee.
- 4Selected founders are notified; the cohort starts with a virtual kickoff.
Program timeline
2026 eligibility window closed
Nov 20, 2025
finalists’ virtual pitch
Late December 2025
virtual kickoff
Feb 18, 2026
residency, Washington, DC
Mar 6, 2026 to Mar 13, 2026
residency, Pittsburgh, PA
Jun 5, 2026 to Jun 12, 2026