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Tool Foundry

Advancing accessible tools for scientific discovery Support the development of tools anyone can use
Meet the cohort

We believe low-cost, high-quality, and easy-to-use tools can expand access to science.

Tool Foundry is a Luminary Labs initiative funded by grants from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and Schmidt Futures to expand access to science.

The Tool Foundry accelerator is a four-month program designed to help a diverse cohort of teams iterate and scale accessible and powerful scientific discovery tools.

Accelerator at a glance

Accelerator cohort:
5 teams
Funding amount:
$50,000 per team
Accelerator duration:
4 months
Showcase:
November 18, 2019
More details

Meet the cohort

Based on the selection criteria — including team ability, growth potential, and vision — Tool Foundry invited five teams working on accessible tools in application areas including biomedical imaging, health and environmental monitoring, and digital fabrication to join the accelerator cohort.

Feles One Desktop Biolab

What if any
student
had the tools to
visualize DNA
?

Read more
MakeItSo

What if any
scientist
had the tools to
automate experiments
?

Read more
Octopi

What if any
health worker
had the tools to
detect malaria
?

Read more
On-Target Cards

What if any
individual
had the tools to
test water
?

Read more
Spectra

What if any
patient
had the tools to
see inside their body
?

Read more

How the Tool Foundry accelerator works

The four-month accelerator will provide participating teams with resources and networks to develop, iterate, and strengthen their tools, while building a foundation for sustainable growth.

Learn more

IMPORTANT DATES

May 30, 2019

Applications due

Applications closed at 5pm EDT on May 30, 2019.

July 9, 2019

Cohort candidate presentations

Candidates shared their tools with our expert selection committee.

July 29, 2019

Accelerator kickoff

Let’s get started! Virtual introductions to fellow cohort members and accelerator resources.

August 20 - 21, 2019

Boot Camp

Two days of in-person cohort collaboration and learning at Autodesk Technology Center in San Francisco, in partnership with Autodesk Foundation.

November 18, 2019

Showcase

A celebratory event in New York City. Cohort teams will present their tools to press and partners.

Help build the accessible tools community.

Tool Foundry is proud to be part of an inspiring community expanding access to science. Help us advance powerful scientific discovery tools anyone can use.

Get Involved