THE FCAT FELLOWSHIP
THE FCAT FELLOWSHIP
Where Bold Ideas &
Early-Stage Founders Accelerate
The FCAT Fellowship is a transformative 10-week pre-accelerator developed in partnership with Fidelity Center for Applied Technology® (FCAT®), that equips early-stage, tech-driven startups with the resources to fast-track their growth.
THE FELLOWSHIP DIFFERENCE
- THE EXPERIENCE: Rapidly build and grow your startup through hands-on workshops covering everything from customer discovery and product-market fit to fundraising and pitching.
- THE MENTORS: Connect with a global network of seasoned entrepreneurs, technical experts, and visionary business leaders through curated introductions and one on one sessions.
- THE SPACE: Access a year of coworking space at American Underground to keep the momentum going.
- THE SHOWCASE: Gain exposure, attract potential investment, and compete for cash prizes on Demo Day.
When we add it up, the program offers over $500k in services —and it’s 100% free to you!
No fees, no strings attached, and no equity taken.
Applications for 2025 fcat fellowship closed.
Where Bold Ideas &
Early-Stage Founders Accelerate
The FCAT Fellowship is a transformative 10-week pre-accelerator developed in partnership with Fidelity Center for Applied Technology® (FCAT®), that equips early-stage, tech-driven startups with the resources to fast-track their growth.
THE FELLOWSHIP DIFFERENCE
- THE EXPERIENCE: Rapidly build and grow your startup through hands-on workshops covering everything from customer discovery and product-market fit to fundraising and pitching.
- THE MENTORS: Connect with a global network of seasoned entrepreneurs, technical experts, and visionary business leaders through curated introductions and one on one sessions.
- THE SPACE: Access a year of coworking space at American Underground to keep the momentum going.
- THE SHOWCASE: Gain exposure, attract potential investment, and compete for cash prizes on Demo Day.
When we add it up, the program offers over $500k in services —and it’s 100% free to you!
No fees, no strings attached, and no equity taken.
WHO WE ARE
WHO YOU ARE
This program is intended for early-stage founders in the U.S. who are building transformative technologies.
As a participant, you should be prepared to attend 13 full-day, in-person workshops (dates listed in FAQ’s) each week in Durham, NC from June 17th to August 27th.
Applications for 2025 FCAT Fellowship closed.
WHO WE ARE
WHO YOU ARE
This program is intended for early-stage founders in the U.S. who are building transformative technologies.
As a participant, you should be prepared to attend 13 full-day, in-person workshops (dates listed in FAQ’s) each week in Durham, NC from June 17th to August 27th.
Application Deadline: May 23rd, 2025
FELLOWSHIP ALUMNI
MEET THE TEAM
Laura Zabinski
Executive Director
Richard Murphy
Head of FCAT Europe
Aaron Smith
Head of Innovation Ecosystem
Ger Bogan
Ops & Program Director
Brittany Joline
Design Researcher
David Power
Director of Innovation
Ginny Radmall
Pitch Coach
Courtney High
Marketing Manager
Laura Zabinski
Executive Director
Brittany Joline
Design Researcher
Richard Murphy
Head of FCAT Europe
David Power
Director of Innovation
Aaron Smith
Head of Innovation Ecosystem
Ginny Radmall
Pitch Coach
Ger Bogan
Ops & Program Director
Courtney High
Marketing Associate
“The FCAT Fellowship has truly been a turning point for us at Scale Social AI. As a founder, I was looking for a program that would challenge us, stretch our thinking, and surround us with mentors who genuinely care. That’s exactly what we found. The mentorship, expert guidance, and support from the FCAT and American Underground communities helped us sharpen our vision and make meaningful progress. Being awarded the grand prize at Demo Day was an incredible honor—and a reflection of how far we’ve come. This experience has been invaluable, and I’m deeply grateful to FCAT for the opportunity and continued support.”
Runbin Dong
Co-founder, Scale Social AI
“The FCAT Fellowship has truly been a turning point for us at Scale Social AI. As a founder, I was looking for a program that would challenge us, stretch our thinking, and surround us with mentors who genuinely care. That’s exactly what we found. The mentorship, expert guidance, and support from the FCAT and American Underground communities helped us sharpen our vision and make meaningful progress. Being awarded the grand prize at Demo Day was an incredible honor—and a reflection of how far we’ve come. This experience has been invaluable, and I’m deeply grateful to FCAT for the opportunity and continued support.”
Runbin Dong
Co-founder, Scale Social AI
INFO AND FAQS
What is covered in the program?
Week 1 – Crafting your Vision & Strategy
Week 2 – Discover Your Customer
Week 3 – Unlocking Product-Market Fit
Week 4 – Startup Efficiency Hacks
Week 5 – Pitch Lab: Your Story + Presence
Week 6 – Level Up: Founder Skills
Week 7 – Accelerate Growth: Navigating Marketing + Sales/
Week 8 – All Things Funding Strategies
Week 9 – Founder Retreat
Week 10 – Demo Week: Show off all your hard work
When and where is the program?
The program runs from June 17th through August 13, 2025, at American Underground in Durham, NC. The program balances virtual and asynchronous work with weekly, in-person, full-day sessions.
What are the in-person expectations?
In-person attendance at each session is expected as part of participation. Specific in- person dates are as follows (subject to be adjusted):
- June 17th + 18th + 25th
- July 9th + 16th + 22nd + 23rd +24th (optional) + 30th
- August 6th + 13th + 19th (overnight retreat) + 26th + 27th
What kind of startups are eligible?
The FCAT Fellowship is focused on emerging technology startups with a product focus or core competency in areas like AI, Fintech, Blockchain, AR / VR, CleanTech / GreenTech, Big Data, Cybersecurity, Advanced Analytics, Quantum Computing, and/or Cloud Computing.
The program is geared towards early-stage, pre-seed startups. To be selected, your startup must have a minimal viable product (MVP) outline and already started the customer discovery process.
Can I bring my team?
No, each startup may only send one original founder. but there will be plenty of opportunities to get your co-founder(s) involved.
Does it cost anything to participate?
No, there is no fee to participate in this program. On in-person days, the AU team will provide meals and exclusive activities for founders. However, participants are responsible for any travel costs related to Fellowship activities unless otherwise noted.
Is there post-program support?
Yes! All founders that participate in the FCAT Fellowship will receive a 12-month, all- access coworking membership at American Underground in Durham, NC. This membership includes access to workspaces, meeting rooms, member-exclusive events, mentorship, and an engaged community of like-minded founders.
What is FCAT?
Since 1999, the Fidelity Center for Applied Technology® (FCAT®) has served as an innovative technology resource for Fidelity Investments. FCAT research and development teams evaluate and track important trends in technology, identifying those that will matter most to Fidelity over the coming years. FCAT is a catalyst for breakthrough achievements, developing and bringing new capabilities and products to scale and building effective tools and systems that support millions of individual and institutional customers. Every day, FCAT teams lay the foundation for Fidelity’s future, one experiment at a time. For more information, visit https://fcatalyst.com/.
Press Kit
- 2025 FCAT Fellowship press release – FINAL
- 2025 FCAT Fellowship Announcement_FINAL (video)
- 2024 American Underground — FCAT Fellowship Press Release
- Laura Zabinski, Executive Director
American Underground
lzabinski@americanunderground.com - Aadil Shaikh, Editorial & External Communications Manager
Fidelity Center for Applied Technology (FCAT)
aadil.shaikh@fmr.com
Fidelity Center for Applied Technology® (FCAT®) does not endorse, guarantee, or assume responsibility for the services or products offered by third-party companies who may offer support and may be accessible to Fellowship participants. The inclusion of third-party companies in the FCAT Fellowship Program does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by FCAT. Fidelity is not affiliated with any third-party featured on this site.
