America's Seed Fund , powered by the National Science Foundation (NSF), helps startups and small businesses transform their ideas into marketable products and services. NSF focuses on high-risk, high-impact technologies — those that show promise but whose success hasn’t been validated — awarding $200 million in funding each year to entrepreneurs across the country.

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Awardees receive the funding they need as a startup or small business to commercialize technically risky ideas.

Awardees work with a program director, who serves as their mentor and advocate. Awardees retain full control of their team, their technical vision and business strategy, and the resulting intellectual property. The NSF takes no equity in exchange for funding.

Between 2016 and 2020, NSF made 2,200+ awards to startups and small businesses. Each year, it funds roughly 400 companies across nearly all technology areas and market sectors (with the exception of clinical trials and schedule I controlled substances).

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1,500-word proposal pitches can be submitted at any time and will be reviewed to see if a project is a good fit.

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For more information on the America's Seed Fund, go to: