Halcyon is a Washington, DC accelerator founded in 2014 by Dr. Sachiko Kuno and Kate Goodall. It backs for-profit ventures whose impact is a non-negotiable part of the business model, working across three areas: climate, health and EquityTech. Halcyon has supported nearly 600 entrepreneurs from more than 50 countries.
The EquityTech Fellowship is the EquityTech strand of that work. It takes founders based anywhere in the world who are building in EdTech or the Future of Work. The fellowship ran first in 2024 with eight ventures, again from September to November 2025, and as the 2026 edition from February to June 2026.
The format is hybrid. Founders join a virtual kickoff, a week-long residency in Washington, DC, four further virtual programming days, and a closing week-long residency in Pittsburgh, PA. Each Halcyon program accepts up to 10 ventures.
Benefits & funding
- $6K equity-free stipend per venture, paid at several points during the fellowship, including before the residencies and once the program concludes.
- $10K in Amazon Web Services (AWS) credits.
- Two week-long in-person residencies in the United States: Washington, DC (6–13 March 2026) and Pittsburgh, PA (5–12 June 2026).
- Expert workshops on product-market fit, capital strategy, scaling and leadership.
- Professional advisors and leadership coaches, plus investor networking.
- Access to Halcyon’s community of more than 600 founders.
Eligibility
- For-profit ventures, based anywhere in the world.
- A working minimum viable product, backed by early user feedback, pilots, letters of intent or revenue; Halcyon requires ventures to have users or paying customers.
- Impact must be a non-negotiable part of the business model and aligned with one or more of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
- The work must sit in EdTech or the Future of Work as Halcyon defines them: digital tools that improve teaching and learning outcomes, widen educational access or remove financial barriers to education; and technology that expands job-market access for all communities and lets people of all abilities thrive.
- The applicant must be the venture’s CEO or hold primary decision-making power; one co-founder may apply alongside them.
- Fluent in English, at least 21 years old at the program start, and working full-time on the venture.
- Able to commit to every residency and program activity.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
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Age requirement
≥ 21 yrs
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Application process
- 1Fill in Halcyon’s eligibility form. For the 2026 fellowship the stated window ran 31 October to 20 November 2025; the form itself stays open year-round and is reviewed on a rolling basis, and one submission covers every Halcyon program.
- 2If the eligibility application meets the criteria, Halcyon invites the venture to a second-round, invitational application, which must be completed within two weeks.
- 3Finalists pitch virtually in late December 2025.
- 4Selected founders are notified in mid to late January 2026.
- 5The cohort joins the virtual program kickoff on 18 February 2026.
Program timeline
eligibility form window opens
Oct 31, 2025
eligibility form window closes
Nov 20, 2025
finalists pitch virtually
Late December 2025
founders notified
Mid to late January 2026
virtual program kickoff
Feb 18, 2026
residency week 1, Washington, DC
Mar 6, 2026 to Mar 13, 2026
virtual programming days
Apr 2, 2026, Apr 15, 2026, May 13, 2026, May 27, 2026
residency week 2, Pittsburgh, PA
Jun 5, 2026 to Jun 12, 2026
Expected late 2026
eligibility window for the next EquityTech cohort; Halcyon has not published 2027 dates, and the year-round eligibility form stays open in the meantime