Become a Solver

Make connections, receive funding, scale the work, change the world

Are you an innovator, barrier-breaker, creator, or disrupter wielding technology for good? Well then, you just might be a Solver. 

Each year, we launch an open call for solutions to our Global Challenges, focusing on tech-based innovations solving within climate, health, learning, economic prosperity, and Indigenous communities.

The best, brightest, and boldest ideas are selected and become Solvers— receiving funding, connections to our network, resources within MIT and beyond, and tailored support.  

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“ MIT’s network and contacts have opened doors to avenues that we would otherwise have not been able to access. Going through such a rigorous due diligence process—having your product reviewed in microscopic detail by such a renowned institution—was valuable validation of our impact. MIT Solve represents a true standard of excellence and signals that a solution is more than just a hopeful dream.”

– Priya Lakhani | Founder and CEO of CENTURY | 2018 Solver

About the Solver Program

Each Solver team receives $10,000 in unrestricted funding from Solve and access to additional financing in the form of grants and investments. Last year's Solver teams received an average of $40k each following selection and because once a Solver, always a Solver they will continue to be eligible for funding opportunities during their program year and beyond.

  • Tailored capacity workshops covering marketing, public relations, monitoring and evaluation, business model, and more;

  • Leadership coaching;

  • Access to in-kind and pro bono resources such as software licenses and legal services;

  • Monitoring and evaluation support to build an impact measurement practice;

  • A powerful network of impact-minded leaders across industries and sectors, including MIT, with dedicated spaces to meet year-round;

  • Attendance at two flagship events in New York City in September and Cambridge in May;

  • Exposure in the media and speaking opportunities at conferences;

  • Connections with past Solver teams for peer-to-peer support, inspiration, and guidance

Selected Solver teams should expect to commit ~25 hours to the program over the course of nine months, inclusive of coaching sessions, workshops, virtual events, etc. Additionally, attendance to MIT Solve flagship events is usually four days for Solve Challenge Finals in New York City (September) and four days for Solve at MIT in Cambridge (May).

OUR SOLVERS AT A GLANCE

Once selected, Solver teams participate in a nine-month support program that focuses on the individual needs of each innovator during the critical stages of their journey. We’re committed to preparing teams for scale so that they can increase the number of people they serve and the impact of their solutions, ultimately creating a more sustainable, prosperous future for all.

Meet the Solvers
  • 330
    Solver teams selected
  • 64%
    women-led teams (On average, 50% of social enterprises and 20% of conventional enterprises are run by women)
  • 59
    Headquarter countries and 30 unique Indigenous nations represented across US and Canada
  • 95%
    of Solver teams selected in the past five years are operational
  • 49%
    of Solver solutions are at the growth or scale stage
  • 34%
    of Solver solutions are at the pilot stage

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