Inflection grantS
Launch into a new frontier
$2,000 grant
If you’re under 25 and $2,000 or less can meaningfully change your life, we want to hear from you.
how it works
Your Launch plan
Apply
Apply if you’re under 25, and up to $2000 would help fuel your passion, your idea, or yourself.
fuel up
We grant you cash. This is your fuel. It’s yours to spend on personal growth.
take off
Use it to learn new skills, research, build things, make art, do science, push boundaries, and improve yourself.
Your grantors
mission control
Justin
Justin Mares made his first Inflection Grant in 2015. The recipient, alongside Justin, then went on to start Kettle & Fire. Justin is also the founder of Perfect Keto, Surely, Upside Lending, and is a Venture Partner at Long Journey Ventures.
Cyan
Cyan Banister is a General Partner at Long Journey Ventures, a VC fund in San Francisco. She has invested in everything from rocket ships to sandwich delivery. She spends a lot of time dreaming about what the future could look like and likes to invest in people who do the same.
why we started
our first explorer
in early 2015
Justin gave his first recipient an inflection grant so he could learn to code, and it changed the trajectory of his life.
With one laptop and $50 of Udemy courses, he started learning and teaching himself to code. In just a few months of work, he built an app and got a code mentor to develop his skills further.
He was engaged and excited about learning and building more apps, and we bet he learned more than anyone else in his school.
That excitement and growth is infectious. We want to help more young explorers change their trajectory. This is why we started the Inflection Grant Program.
Learn More
Frequent Questions
Inflection Grants offer two paths: a grant to join an Edge City popup village for 1-2 months (ticket and accommodation) plus a potential follow-on grant of $2,000, or $2,000 to build your project anywhere while staying connected to our network. Both paths give you access to our global community and support from past grantees.
Inflection Grants help turn unusual ideas into reality, we focus on turning points where a small push can make a big difference. We offer a grant to either join an Edge City village where you'll live and build alongside other unusual thinkers for 1-2 months (with a potential to earn a follow-on grant), or work on your own project anywhere. Many grantees will go on to build multiple projects, join several villages, and eventually get funding from Long Journey Ventures.
We back builders early and support them on their long journey. From first experiments to world-changing companies, we design spaces for unusual thinkers to test ideas and find their people.Through the past 3 years running Inflection Grants, we've found that money alone isn't enough—the magic happens when people come together in person.
- Have unusual backgrounds or perspectives
- Think differently about problems
- Could make big changes with support
- See opportunities others miss
- Want to build IRL alongside others
Two Paths, one option is joining an Edge City village:
- Receive free housing and a scholar ticket at an Edge City village
- Live and build with us for 1-2 months
- Make something interesting happen
- Maybe earn a $2,000 follow-on grant
If you choose direct funding:
- $2,000 for your project
- Stay connected to our network
Edge City creates temporary communities called popup villages that bring together people working in technology, science, and society for 1-2 month periods in different locations worldwide. These villages act as testing grounds for new ideas and ways of living, with 300+ residents sharing meals, workspaces, and activities while working on their projects. The organization aims to help people do their best work while living healthy lives and building meaningful connections.
These 1-2 month gatherings let you:
- Test your ideas
- Meet others who think differently
- Find collaborators
- Grow your project
- Join a community of curious, high-agency people
- Connect with builders from around the world
Applications open in January 2025. We'll choose grantees by March 202. First village kickoff is May 24th at Edge Esmeralda, which takes place in Healdsburg, CA.
Follow us on Twitter @joinEdgeCity or email us at info@edgecity.liveThink differently? Have a magically weird idea? Want to be part of a global community of builders? Apply now