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The Ignition Pass

A Residency Grant for Tough Tech Startups to Bridge the Pre-Funding Gap

Fund an Ignition Pass

The Engine Ignition Pass is a new Residency Grant by The Engine designed to address a critical gap faced by early-stage Tough Tech startups: accessing essential resources before securing significant funding.

Through this program, selected startups gain subsidized access to The Engine’s state-of-the-art facilities, including wet labs, shop benches, and fabrication spaces. The program also provides the programming, mentorship, and network access needed to de-risk and accelerate the commercialization of groundbreaking technologies.

Why This Program?

Tough Tech startups are tackling some of the world’s most pressing challenges—from decarbonization to biotechnology breakthroughs—but their journey is uniquely difficult. Unlike software startups, Tough Tech ventures require costly physical infrastructure and significant capital investment just to get started. The pre-funding stage is often a bottleneck for these companies, delaying progress by months or even years. The Ignition Pass fills this gap by providing Residency for early-stage teams when our infrastructure, resources, and programs can most impact their chances of success.


“Tough Tech startups have the potential to change the world. But they face massive hurdles that typical startups rarely have to worry about: accessing CapEx-intensive resources they need to de-risk their technology before securing significant funding. To offset the costs of Residency for promising early-stage teams, we partner with external funders and sponsors. With the Ignition Pass, we’re expanding this effort by connecting qualified teams with experts at industry-leading companies...that can accelerate their growth and unlock new commercial opportunities.”

Emily Knight CEO & President, The Engine

Startups selected for The Ignition Pass will receive:

How it Works:

  1. Application Submission

    Submit your application online. Each Ignition Pass has set criteria. Please refer to current eligibility requirements to determine if your technology aligns at this time.
  2. Selection Process

    Applications will be reviewed by a steering committee based on criteria such as sector, technical feasibility, market potential, and alignment with program goals. 
  3. Residency Kickoff

    Selected team(s) will begin their Residency at The Engine and gain immediate access to facilities, programs, and support.

Support Our Mission

The Ignition Pass and other Residency Grants are made possible through philanthropic support and partnerships with mission-aligned organizations. Sponsors play a vital role in enabling technology development while gaining opportunities to engage with groundbreaking startups.
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