Rocket Fund

Caltech's Rocket Fund is a member-supported granting pool designed to help academic and garage innovators turn their cleantech and sustainability technologies into commercial realities. Launched in 2015, the fund offers non-equity grants ranging from $25,000 to $100,000 to early-stage startups. These grants are intended to support the development of commercial prototypes and facilitate real-world demonstrations that attract customers and investors. The Rocket Fund operates under the Resnick Sustainability Institute at Caltech, focusing on advancing global sustainability through transformational science and engineering. It provides entrepreneurs with access to industry experts, utilities, legal advice, and partnerships with organizations such as Wells Fargo IN2, Shell GameChanger, and the Electric Power Research Institute. These partnerships help leverage additional funding and resources, including lab testing facilities and technical expertise. Key benefits of the Rocket Fund include introductions to early-stage investors, opportunities to work with utility companies, and connections to accelerator programs offered by Aditya Birla and Halliburton Labs. The program is governed by a Membership Board and advised by a Technology Advisory Committee comprising industry experts who assess applications' business potential and technical viability​.