brought to you by

$

1

M

M

N

S

H

O

T

Open to current university undergrad and grad students, postdocs and faculty. Apply to win $1M or $250K for your startup.

Deadline March 2, 2025
1x

$1M SAFE

2x

$250k SAFES

Too much money for your current stage? No problem. Send us a note at moonshot@pillar.vc

started at universities

We believe many of the strongest solutions to the world's greatest challenges are emerging out of universities.

The most transformative ideas across software, hardware, AI, robotics, climate, biotech, and more are forming inside research labs, MBA programs and undergraduate dorm rooms.

Yet, funding options remain bleak. Grant programs are broken, slow, cumbersome and risk-averse. Investors are often gun-shy, unwilling to make a bet on a big idea before a founder is ready to graduate, drop out or spin-out.

We delight in the messy, the raw science, the moonshot opportunity that’s still a kernel of an idea.

We’ve backed over 50 companies with university roots including Abridge, Neural Magic, PillPack, Asimov, Algorand, PathAI, Cimulate, Verve Motion and more – is yours next?

It's never too early to start building.

Application deadline March 2, 2025
who should apply?

Anyone with an idea with the potential to change the world

At least one member of your Founding Team must be a university undergraduate, grad student, postdoc or faculty member.

Whether you have an idea for an industry-leading company or a groundbreaking technology, all ideas are open for consideration.

Application closes March 2, 2025

All investments are in the form of an uncapped SAFE with no discount (what is this?)

Apply by March 2, 2025

Spaces of interest

Our team is currently focused on these spaces:

AI Agents

Enterprise AI

Developer AI

Defense

Supply Chain

Semiconductors

Hardware

Crypto

Longevity

Diagnostics

Women’s Health

Discovery Tools

Digital Health

Don’t see your space? — Help us get excited about a new area by submitting your application.

Timeline

March 2: Applications close

March 10 - 28: First Round Interviews

March 31 - April 4: Final Round Interviews

April 8: Winners Selected

What you get

(1) $1M or one of (2) $250K investments in the form of an uncapped SAFE for your startup

Mentorship from industry experts (optional)

Access to customer introductions (optional)

Launch events

The competition is open to students and faculty at all universities. To celebrate $1M Moonshot, we will be hosting two launch events.

February

25

Tues.

Open to students and faculty at Harvard.

February

26

Wed.

Open to students and faculty at MIT.

Ongoing through March 2. Meet with the Pillar VC team.

A Simple Agreement for Future Equity (SAFE) is a legal contract used in startup fundraising to postpone the determination of a company’s valuation until a future priced equity round occurs.

In the case of an “uncapped SAFE,” there is no predetermined valuation cap. This means that when the SAFE converts to equity in a future financing round, the investor’s conversion price (in this case, Pillar VC’s) is solely based on the valuation of that round, without any upper limit.

This means that this investment will convert at the price of the first round you raise.

We are happy to answer any specific questions you have about SAFEs.

Pillar VC is committed to awarding one $1M winner and at least two $250K winners…and maybe more. We may open additional $250K SAFEs if we see many strong submissions.

We’ve made over 50 investments in academic spinouts, including Algorand, Asimov, PathAI, Neural Magic, and Verve Motion.

We believe that the next wave of generational companies will come out of universities too.

Our goal with Moonshot is to put founders solving challenging problems on the fast-track to success. To move fast and break things, you need capital and we’re here to provide that.

Any company or idea where at least one member of the Founding Team is affiliated with a University (i.e. undergraduate, grad student, postdoc, or faculty member). Alumni are not eligible participate this year.

Pillar VC is based in Boston and has a history of backing MIT and Harvard spinouts. All eligible Boston based Moonshot applicants are encouraged to register for these launch events.

It is never too early — we really enjoy brainstorming with founders early in the process and encourage you to apply if you think starting a company or commercializing your research is the right path for you.

You do not need to be incorporated to apply. However, you will need to be incorporated if you win. We are happy to help you navigate this process.

Yes. Pillar VC is focused on pre-seed and seed stage investments, so this opportunity is primarily focused on companies at the early stages of building.

Pillar VC’s investing team will review all applications submitted by the application deadline (Sunday, March 2nd).

We will send you a note letting you know if your company was selected for a first-round interview, or if your company was not a fit this year.

If your company is selected for a first-round interview, a member of the Pillar team will reach out to schedule a 20 minute meeting.

First round interviews will happen via Zoom; select interviews will also take place on university campuses in Boston. Our team will reach out to you to coordinate.

Final round pitches will be 30 minutes, either via Zoom or at the Pillar office. Winners will be selected shortly after all final round pitches conclude.

Yes, startups from outside of the US can apply

The winner will receive tailored support from the Pillar VC investing team, mentorship from a network of thousands of operators (including Pillar’s Founding CEOs), and access to Pillar’s office space.

Pillar VC is a seed-stage venture capital firm based in Boston co-founded by 41 leading CEOs, including the founders of DraftKings, Wayfair, TripAdvisor, Demandware, Rapid7, Iora Health, Ginkgo Bioworks. We’re the first-capital-in for scientists and engineers building in deep tech and bio. We make big bets on big ideas at inception.

Over half of our investments emerge out of universities. We work with founders months to years in advance of commercialization, collaborating with PhD students, postdocs and faculty. Our team helps by validating customer demand for a founder’s research, recruiting key team members, developing business plans, navigating licensing agreements, and building syndicates with strong co-investors. We’ve made over 50 investments in academic spinouts, including Algorand, Asimov, PathAI, Neural Magic, and Verve Motion.

Our investments span enterprise/infrastructure, vertical SaaS, fintech, crypto, manufacturing, logistics, robotics, healthtech, SynBio, genomics, longevity and precision medicine, among other categories. We’re proud investors in companies including Jellyfish, Abridge, Higharc, Hometap, Kula Bio, and VideaHealth.

Frequently asked questions

Have other questions? Email us at moonshot@pillar.vc

Apply by March 2, 2025

Office hours

Email Harris Stolzenberg at harris@pillar.vc with a few dates and times that work for you.

Please include if your startup is bio or tech focused so we can match you with the right person.