Mozilla Foundation Incubator
Bridging a critical gap in funding to help values-driven tech thrive
New technologies that make good on the promise of the Internet can serve as powerful alternatives to the tech status quo.
By distributing rather than concentrating power, enhancing user agency, and prioritizing public benefit over extraction, public interest technologies are essential to a better future.
But the tech funding landscape has a critical gap: plenty of money flows to prototypes and early-stage companies, but little support exists for maturing, community-driven technologies that haven't yet figured out their product strategy or sustainability plan. These projects stall right when they're closest to making real impact.
The Mozilla Foundation Incubator bridges this gap. We focus on product/community fit—connecting promising technologies to the users, contributors, and sustainable funding sources that will help them serve people long-term.
We are now accepting initial project proposals for the next Incubator cohort, focusing on AI tools designed to protect and enhance democracy.
“While traditional funding optimizes for profit, we invest in technologies that put people first.”
Incubator Cohorts
Call for Proposals: now open
Democracy x AI cohort
Right now, AI is being used to flood information environments with synthetic content, automate surveillance of activists and organizers, and optimize platforms for engagement over truth. The result: people can't tell what's real, institutions are losing credibility, and shared understanding is fracturing. Current applications of AI aren't just failing democracy—they're actively undermining it.
We are looking for technologists who look at the current state of democracy and see opportunities to strengthen it.
How might AI contribute to the online information ecosystem in a way that is transparent and accountable? How could technology be used to advance a shared understanding of facts? What new spaces might be built to help cultivate conversation and consensus rather than polarization?
If you are someone who is building something the world needs, but the market doesn't yet support—submit an Initial Project Proposal by March 16!
2025 Cohort: Making the invisible visible
We believe that a better technology future is underpinned by infrastructure and systems that open and empower, not obscure.
Imagine if developers could see exactly how their code affects the climate—and write cleaner software because of it. What if job seekers could understand why AI systems make hiring decisions—and challenge unfair rejections. What if communities could predict pollution spikes before they happen—and take action to protect themselves.
The breakthrough technologies that make this all possible are emerging right now. Early prototypes are proving the concept, communities are demanding access, and the potential for immense impact is clear. But these technologies are stuck in the gap between "proof of concept" and "ready for widespread use.”
Our inaugural Incubator cohort is helping four pioneering projects navigate this critical transition, building the pathways that will put game-changing information directly into the hands of the people who need it most.
The Incubator experience
Technologies that put people first don't just need funding—they need the right community connections to thrive. Our incubator participants join a global network of technologists, advocates, and domain experts who understand that lasting impact comes from working with communities, not extracting from them.
The Incubator offers two pathways of support. Across both tiers of support, participants are connected to mentors who've navigated similar challenges, collaborators who can accelerate their work, and sustainable funding sources that align with their values. This isn't about scaling at any cost—it's about finding the community that will help nascent technology succeed on its own terms.
Build Track: From Working Technology to Product/Community Fit
We source projects through thematically-focused open calls, bringing together cohorts working on shared challenges, like climate impacts of AI or data transparency. This track supports teams who have built functioning technology with early user traction and clear momentum, providing funding, mentorship, and community connections to grow their user base, pay down technical debt, and sharpen their focus on the specific communities their technology serves.
Want to be notified when future calls for proposals open? Submit your information below:
Sustain Track: From Proven Technology to Sustainable Long-Term Futures
Selected from our strongest Build Track projects, this intensive track provides deeper investment and bespoke support to help proven technologies chart clear pathways to long-term sustainability.
Join a global network of innovators tackling similar challenges. Through regular convenings and collaborative problem-solving, you'll build lasting relationships with peers who understand the unique challenges of transitioning from prototype to sustainability.
Participate in expert and peer-led sessions including mini-demos, design reviews, and knowledge shares that promote mutual learning across the cohort. These collaborative workshops help surface cross-cutting insights and create space to learn from each other's challenges and breakthroughs.
Learn from practitioners who've navigated the path from promising technology to sustainable impact. Our mentors provide strategic guidance on product strategy, community building, and scaling—helping you avoid common pitfalls and accelerate your growth.
Amplify your work through Mozilla Foundation's global reach, helping you attract users, contributors, and supporters who will sustain your project beyond the incubator. Through MozFest and other platforms, you’ll find new audiences to support your work.
Strategic matchmaking to foundations, and mission-aligned investors who can help take your project to the next level once you graduate from the program. We position you for the funding relationships that will sustain your work long-term.
Advisory Committee
The Mozilla Foundation Incubator is guided by a committee of expert advisors. These field leaders meet with teams to provide advice, mentorship and connections, and they also advise Mozilla on the overall program design.
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