First Valley Fellowship
Key incubation support for early-stage founders.
Going from groundbreaking research to a first prototype is hard
The space between a proof of concept and a validated prototype is fraught with challenges: it’s a pivotal period that determines whether an innovation can evolve into a viable business.
Founders navigate the transition from laboratory breakthroughs to market-tested solutions—a shift that requires more than just technical brilliance. This “First Valley of Death” can make or break the trajectory of a game-changing solution.
That’s where the First Valley Fellowship comes in.
Meet the 2026 Fellows
Founded by Audrey Philippot Dahan
CemCycle converts organic waste into clean energy and a carbon-negative mineral within minutes, permanently sequestering carbon for use in industrial materials. The technology handles mixed, wet, and contaminated waste, significantly streamlining waste processing operations.
Co-founded by Weiran (Sasha) Gao and Trent Weiss
Evidion Energy has developed a next-generation battery architecture that enables controlled electrolyte access, making grid energy storage safer and longer-lasting.
Founded by Michael Purdy
Solas Capture is disrupting critical mineral processing with light-driven separation technology. By replacing toxic, reagent-heavy separation chemistry with reversible, light-activated systems, the technology drastically cuts operating costs, eliminates chemical waste, and simplifies infrastructure.
Founded by Travis Hampton
Thalon Materials is reshoring the production of magnesium metal using patented oxide electrolysis and high-efficiency distillation, requiring 40% less energy than competitors and reducing emissions by 80% over the current state-of-the-art.
Founder stealth mode
Aelun develops a physical AI platform that eliminates development bottlenecks in energy materials, closing the loop between AI and experimentation to accelerate the design, discovery, and scaling of energy storage and conversion technologies.
Fellowship Benefits
This specialized program at Greentown Boston is designed to support early-stage innovators as they develop and define their businesses through early-access incubation, dedicated mentorship, prototyping and business resources, fundraising support, and a community of peer founders who have navigated these very challenges before.
No-cost Membership
Six months of coworking space and incubation at Greentown Boston, including curated programming like lunch and learns, workshops, and community-building events.
Mission-Critical Resources
Unlock over $1M of in-kind resources, including free and discounted software, legal services, business support, and access to specialized facilities.
Fundraising Support
Receive ongoing support on fundraising, including coaching, visibility, and connections. Greentown’s funding partners include traditional investment vehicles and non-dilutive funding pathways.
Dedicated Mentorship
Match with dedicated mentors in areas pertinent to early-stage growth, such as go-to-market strategy, customer discovery, technical expertise, finance, legal/IP, business development, product design and prototyping, partnerships, communications, and more.
Frequently Asked Questions
Bridge the gap from research to prototype.
Applications for this cohort have closed. In the meantime, explore Greentown Labs membership for access to labs, resources, and community.