E14 Fund’s VC Fellows programme is the MIT community’s on‑ramp to venture‑capital practice. Over five months each academic year, a small cohort of graduate students, post‑docs and MBAs (typically 15 per class) spend five to eight hours a week embedded in the fund’s day‑to‑day operations.

Fellows shadow the two managing partners on partner meetings, investment committees and portfolio‑support calls to see how early‑stage decisions are made at a specialist deep‑tech venture firm.  

The learning model is “apprenticeship by doing”. Fellows actively source founders around campus, conduct first‑pass diligence, refine investment theses and help organise community events that connect researchers with investors.  

They also gain the rare opportunity to write small “fellowship checks” — micro‑investments the fund deploys to promising proof‑of‑concept projects — giving them true decision‑making experience without personal capital at risk.  

Because E14 invests exclusively in MIT‑affiliated companies, every assignment is rooted in frontier science: robotics, advanced materials, AI/ML, climate tech and bio‑engineering.

Fellows therefore graduate with a network of world‑class founders and first‑hand knowledge of how deep‑tech deals are structured and supported.    Alumni frequently parlay that exposure into full‑time roles at venture funds or C‑suite positions inside spin‑outs they met during the programme; to date, more than 60 individuals have completed the fellowship since its 2017 launch.  

The fellowship is tuition‑free, remote‑friendly and scheduled around MIT’s academic calendar, making it accessible to busy researchers. Applications for the next cohort close May 14 each year, with rolling offers issued through early June.

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