Are you an ETH Zurich Master’s or doctoral student or ETH researcher looking to turn your research into a market-ready product or startup? The ETH Pioneer Fellowship supports entrepreneurial researchers who want to commercialise research conducted at ETH Zurich and build an ETH spin-off.
The programme provides funding, coaching, entrepreneurial training and access to ETH’s research and startup infrastructure for 12–18 months.
Quick Eligibility
- Opportunity Type: Funded Entrepreneurial Fellowship & Startup Incubation
- Education Level: Master’s / PhD / Postdoctoral Researchers
- Eligible Applicants: ETH Zurich Master’s or doctoral students and ETH researchers
- Research Requirement: Project must be based on research conducted at ETH Zurich
- Host Requirement: Project must have the full support of an ETH Zurich host professor
- Startup Stage: A company must not already have been incorporated
- Age Limit: 18+
- Nationality: Worldwide
- Application Fee: $0
- Funding: CHF 120,000–180,000, depending on track and project
- Duration: 12–18 months
- Location: ETH Zurich, Switzerland
- Next Deadline: September 1, 2026 at 5:00 PM Swiss time
- Application Method: ETH Zurich grant application system
Fellowship Tracks
Deep-Tech Incubation
For ETH researchers developing research-based technologies into marketable products and services.
Funding:
- CHF 120,000 / 12 months for ICT, Space Tech, Engineering and other fields
- CHF 180,000 / 18 months for Life Sciences, Pharma and Medtech
Around 5–6 Deep-Tech Pioneer Fellowships may be awarded per call.
Global Development Incubation
For projects developing research-based technologies into scalable products or services that create social impact for people living on less than USD 10 per day in low- and middle-income countries.
Funding: CHF 150,000 for 18 months.
Projects must meet the programme’s development-country criteria based on the OECD DAC List 2025.
What Does the Fellowship Provide?
Selected Pioneer Fellows receive:
- Funding for salary and project-related expenses
- Entrepreneurial coaching
- Entrepreneurial training
- Access to ETH infrastructure
- Laboratory and research facilities where applicable
- Office/meeting spaces
- Access to the ETH entrepreneurial ecosystem
- Support from the host professor
The fellowship is structured as employment at ETH Zurich, with the lump sum used to cover the fellow’s salary and eligible project expenses.
Important: ETH Research Is Required
This is the most important eligibility filter.
You cannot apply simply because you have a Master’s or PhD.
Your project needs to involve the commercialisation of research conducted at ETH Zurich, and you need the support of an ETH Zurich host professor.
What Happens If You Create a Spin-off?
If a company is founded from the fellowship, ETH Zurich is entitled to either:
- 2% equity/common stock participation, or
- A 1.5% Fee-On-Raised-Capital (FORC) up to CHF 10 million in capital raised.
ETH also retains ownership of intellectual property generated during the fellowship, with licensing arrangements negotiated if the resulting spin-off commercialises ETH-owned IP.
Application Fee
$0 — there is no application fee.
The entrepreneurship courses included in the Pioneer Fellowship are also provided free of charge to successful fellows.
Deadline
September 1, 2026 at 5:00 PM Swiss time
The current application portal opened July 1, 2026.
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