RareBreed Ventures is a pre-seed venture capital fund that backs exceptional founders early, especially those outside major tech ecosystems. They write initial checks to help startups gain early traction and connect with broader investor networks.

The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation is inviting pre-applications for the 2026 Experimental Investigators competition as part of its Emergent Phenomena in Quantum Systems (EPiQS) Initiative. Through EPiQS, the foundation seeks to accelerate breakthroughs in quantum materials—solids and engineered structures that exhibit novel quantum phases and emergent electronic behavior. [...] Investigator awards are a central pillar of EPiQS. These awards provide exceptionally creative scientists with substantial, long-term, and flexible support, enabling them to pursue ambitious research agendas of their own design. By fostering intellectual freedom and risk-taking, the EPiQS Investigators program aims to drive transformative advances and expand the frontiers of quantum materials research. EPIQS will conduct open calls for Investigators and Moore Synthesis Fellows in 2026, 2029, and 2032. [...] The EPiQS Experimental Investigator awards support U.S. experts in experimental studies of quantum materials to pursue discovery of new emergent electronic and magnetic phenomena in solids, elucidate the origin of previously known emergent phenomena, develop new experimental techniques for probing or controlling quantum materials, or substantially enhance the performance of existing techniques. This call for proposals will result in the appointment of up to eight Experimental Investigators. The awards will provide six years of unconstrained funding, offering recipients full autonomy to define their research directions and allocate their budgets. The award amount will be in the range $1,800,000–$2,000,000. [...] 2026, [...] the EPi [...] be adjusted based on [...] remaining balance of [...] In the pre-application stage, applicants will provide basic personal and employment information, a curriculum vitae, and a brief research statement. Pre-applications will be internally screened for eligibility and programmatic fit, and, with possible input from external experts, a subset of about 60 highly competitive applicants will be identified. These applicants will then be invited to submit full proposals, including an expanded research statement and additional information. Due to the expected high volume of pre-applications, feedback will not be provided to those not selected for the full-proposal stage. All applicants will receive notifications of their pre-application status. [...] Pre-applications are due by June 5, 2026, at 11:59pm Pacific Daylight Time. Applicants should enter the required information themselves; institutional involvement and budget submissions are not required at this stage. Eligible and highly competitive applicants will be invited to submit full proposals in late July. The proposals will undergo rigorous expert review by leading scientists in the field. [...] The EPiQS Experimental Investigator awards support U.S. experts in experimental studies of quantum materials to pursue discovery of new emergent electronic and magnetic phenomena in solids, elucidate the origin of previously known emergent phenomena, develop new experimental techniques for probing or controlling quantum materials, or substantially enhance the performance of existing techniques. This call for proposals will result in the appointment of up to eight Experimental Investigators. The awards will provide six years of unconstrained funding, offering recipients full autonomy to define their research directions and allocate their budgets. The award amount will be in the range $1,800,000–$2,000,000. [...] Pre-applications are due by June 5, 2026, at 11:59pm Pacific Daylight Time. Applicants should enter the required information themselves; institutional involvement and budget submissions are not required at this stage. Eligible and highly competitive applicants will be invited to submit full proposals in late July. The proposals will undergo rigorous expert review by leading scientists in the field.

RareBreed Ventures is a pre-seed venture capital fund that backs exceptional founders early, especially those outside major tech ecosystems. They write initial checks to help startups gain early traction and connect with broader investor networks.

The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation is inviting pre-applications for the 2026 Experimental Investigators competition as part of its Emergent Phenomena in Quantum Systems (EPiQS) Initiative. Through EPiQS, the foundation seeks to accelerate breakthroughs in quantum materials—solids and engineered structures that exhibit novel quantum phases and emergent electronic behavior. [...] Investigator awards are a central pillar of EPiQS. These awards provide exceptionally creative scientists with substantial, long-term, and flexible support, enabling them to pursue ambitious research agendas of their own design. By fostering intellectual freedom and risk-taking, the EPiQS Investigators program aims to drive transformative advances and expand the frontiers of quantum materials research. EPIQS will conduct open calls for Investigators and Moore Synthesis Fellows in 2026, 2029, and 2032. [...] The EPiQS Experimental Investigator awards support U.S. experts in experimental studies of quantum materials to pursue discovery of new emergent electronic and magnetic phenomena in solids, elucidate the origin of previously known emergent phenomena, develop new experimental techniques for probing or controlling quantum materials, or substantially enhance the performance of existing techniques. This call for proposals will result in the appointment of up to eight Experimental Investigators. The awards will provide six years of unconstrained funding, offering recipients full autonomy to define their research directions and allocate their budgets. The award amount will be in the range $1,800,000–$2,000,000. [...] 2026, [...] the EPi [...] be adjusted based on [...] remaining balance of [...] In the pre-application stage, applicants will provide basic personal and employment information, a curriculum vitae, and a brief research statement. Pre-applications will be internally screened for eligibility and programmatic fit, and, with possible input from external experts, a subset of about 60 highly competitive applicants will be identified. These applicants will then be invited to submit full proposals, including an expanded research statement and additional information. Due to the expected high volume of pre-applications, feedback will not be provided to those not selected for the full-proposal stage. All applicants will receive notifications of their pre-application status. [...] Pre-applications are due by June 5, 2026, at 11:59pm Pacific Daylight Time. Applicants should enter the required information themselves; institutional involvement and budget submissions are not required at this stage. Eligible and highly competitive applicants will be invited to submit full proposals in late July. The proposals will undergo rigorous expert review by leading scientists in the field. [...] The EPiQS Experimental Investigator awards support U.S. experts in experimental studies of quantum materials to pursue discovery of new emergent electronic and magnetic phenomena in solids, elucidate the origin of previously known emergent phenomena, develop new experimental techniques for probing or controlling quantum materials, or substantially enhance the performance of existing techniques. This call for proposals will result in the appointment of up to eight Experimental Investigators. The awards will provide six years of unconstrained funding, offering recipients full autonomy to define their research directions and allocate their budgets. The award amount will be in the range $1,800,000–$2,000,000. [...] Pre-applications are due by June 5, 2026, at 11:59pm Pacific Daylight Time. Applicants should enter the required information themselves; institutional involvement and budget submissions are not required at this stage. Eligible and highly competitive applicants will be invited to submit full proposals in late July. The proposals will undergo rigorous expert review by leading scientists in the field.