E8 Fellowship Program in Partnership with Washington State University
Do you want a meaningful learning opportunity that provides you with exposure to startups at the cutting edge of CleanTech and our investor community, uses your expertise to help investors understand the technical aspects of a company, and pays you a small stipend? If so, apply to E8’s Fellows Program!
“I learned how early-stage cleantech investment decisions are made and how technical due diligence can support those decisions. This experience will influence my future by helping me communicate technical work in a more accessible, impact-oriented way. It also strengthened my interest in helping promising climate technologies move from research and development toward real-world deployment.”
Valentina Sierra Jimenez, WSU-E8 Fellow
E8 is a membership community of impact investors dedicated to funding high-impact cleantech startups. We’ve built an organization where investors learn, connect, and invest in early-stage companies that advance the sustainability and health of our planet. Founded in 2006, E8 has facilitated over $75M in investments in 180+ cleantech companies. Learn more at E8angels.com.
We seek Fellows with experience in technical fields to support our cleantech investment community and activities during the Fall and Spring semesters.
You will:
- Be assigned to companies that are directly or indirectly relevant to your background and expertise.
- Participate as a core member of the E8 diligence team for that company (with 5–7 CleanTech investors) from kick off to publication of the diligence report, participating in weekly calls, and contributing to specific sections of the diligence (product, competition, environmental impact) under the guidance of an E8 investor.
- Learn how experienced angel investors assess the likely commercial success of startups. You may also participate in calls with industry experts / customers.
Roles and Responsibilities for Fellows
If you are selected as a Fellow, you will get matched to ~2 companies throughout the year where E8 would benefit from your background and expertise. You’ll stay with those companies through the following steps, either until they receive E8 investment, or until members decide to stop considering the company. All meetings are held via Zoom.
- Screening: You’ll review the company’s application and other information and identify questions to ask the company to understand their technology, product and the competitive landscape.
- Pitch Meeting: You have the option to attend the company’s pitch (usually on the last Thursday, September to May, recorded for review) and contribute key questions that have not been addressed in the pitch to the short Q&A.
- Follow-Up Meeting: Factoring in the discoveries from the pitch meeting and further research, you’ll update your questions and initial analysis. This will be shared with the E8 Moderator to help them prioritize questions for a deeper dive with the company, which you’ll attend.
- Diligence: You’ll participate in the diligence kickoff meeting, weekly calls, and debrief conversation with E8 investors. You’ll support diligence (led by a E8 Product Lead) with research & reporting on technology, IP review, environmental impact & competition. You are expected to offer objective commentary on your findings.
You must attend a minimum of 3 meetings per semester (pitch meetings or follow up meetings) whether or not you are assigned to a company that semester.
E8 Due Diligence
Contingent upon sufficient E8 investor interest, companies are invited to a follow-up meeting and formal due diligence process. Diligence teams are created during this process and led by an E8 investor serving as a Diligence Lead. For approximately 3–5 weeks, diligence teams dive deeper into critical elements of the company including technological readiness, competition, intellectual property, market potential, scalability, risks, team, business model, and path to commercialization. Diligence team calls are typically held on a weekly basis and can last up to an hour.
You’ll participate in ~2 due diligence teams during the academic year — depending on company applications in your field of expertise — with up to 20 hours total commitment to each team. The time commitment per diligence varies depending on the progress the company makes within the E8 process and may be less. You’ll generally need more time if the deal is outside your field of expertise.
Meeting Dates and Timelines
Fellows must attend at least 3 meetings each semester that are pitch meetings or subsequent follow-up meetings. All listed times are in Pacific Time.
| Date | Time | Event |
|---|---|---|
| August 23, 2026 | Application deadline | |
| August 24–30, 2026 | Applications will be reviewed by E8 members and supporters | |
| August 31, 2026 | Applicants will be contacted; selected Fellows will be invited to the Orientation & Training | |
| September 10, 2026 | 10 am – 12 pm, WSU Lighty Room 405 | E8 Fellowship Orientation & Training |
| September 16, 2026 | All Day, Virtual or In Person, Seattle | Annual Meeting |
| September–May | 11:30 am – 2 pm, Virtual | Member Meetings: Companies pitch E8 Members |
| September–May | 1 hour (times will vary), Virtual | Follow Up Calls with Companies* |
* You may be invited to one or more during the year.
Compensation
Fellows who participate in meetings and are active on diligence teams will receive $500 for their participation at the end of each semester. Apply to become an E8 Fellow!
Are you a good fit?
We are looking for highly motivated researchers who are eager to apply their technical expertise in a real-world investment context.
We encourage you to apply if you:
- Have the interest and background to evaluate technology potential and product development, competitive landscapes and market opportunities, and impact related to CleanTech or ClimateTech.
- Want to apply your research and investigative skills to identify and assess early-stage startups working to deliver positive impacts to our environment.
- Have a technical background and are interested in learning about the complexities and operations of early stage-startups.
- Are a postdoctoral researcher, PhD candidate, or advanced master’s student at WSU with an interest in contributing to – or pursuing a career in – CleanTech or ClimateTech.
Past E8 fellows have brought deep research experience across a range of disciplines, including:
- Engineering: chemical; chemical and biological; materials science; bioengineering; biosystems; environmental; agricultural; mechanical; electrical (including grid, renewables, and energy systems); civil (including smart buildings); industrial and manufacturing; and molecular engineering.
- Science: materials science; materials chemistry; chemistry; environmental and natural resources science; food science and processing; and applied physics or astrophysics.
- Quantitative research: natural resource, environmental, or energy economics; as well as data science or statistics applied to technical domains.
Additional relevant experience may include industrial and manufacturing processes (including advanced manufacturing, automation, efficiency, reliability, and process control); environmental sustainability; construction engineering management; and technology commercialization, including techno-economic analysis, patent review, and life-cycle analysis.
Have Questions?
Please contact the Innovation and Entrepreneurship team at innovation@wsu.edu with “E8 Fellowship Program Inquiry” in the subject line.