Thiel Fellowship
The Thiel Foundation
$250,000 over two years
$250,000 over two years, no equity, for people aged 22 or younger without a degree. Applications are accepted year round.
The Thiel Fellowship gives fellows $250,000 over two years, with no equity taken in your company. It is for anyone aged 22 or younger without a university degree, and fellows must drop out of school to accept. It is open worldwide and reviews applicants as individuals; incorporating a company is not required. The foundation accepts applications year round with no deadline. The application is a Salesforce portal behind a login, so its written questions were not seen. Selection is by a selective review process.
- Funding type
- Grant
- Level
- Foundation
- Amount range
- $250,000
- Realistic amount
- $250,000 over two years to each selected fellow.
- Deadline
- Rolling; no deadline (applications accepted year round)
- Status
- active
- States
- Nationwide
Who qualifies
- Anyone aged 22 or younger (and without a university degree)
- Must drop out of school to accept
- Worldwide; reviewed as individuals
- You don't need to have incorporated a company
Is the Thiel Fellowship legit?
Yes. The Thiel Foundation has run it since 2011. It is free to apply, but it is a fellowship for people 22 or younger, not a small-business grant.
- Who runs it: The Thiel Foundation; Peter Thiel founded the fellowship in 2011
- What winners get: $250,000 over two years, with no equity taken
- Who can apply: People aged 22 or younger; no university degree needed
- Deadline: Applications are accepted year round
Sources: thielfellowship.org · page 2. Last checked at the funder on October 18, 2026.
Past Thiel Fellowship winners
The 2026 fellows the foundation announced included:
- Victor Boyd, Cavalla, Birmingham, AL · 2026 class (announced Apr 21, 2026)
- Samuel Carvalho, Praso, Recife, Brazil · 2026 class (announced Apr 21, 2026)
- Nick Dobroshinsky, EveryTicker, Sammamish, WA · 2026 class (announced Apr 21, 2026)
- Ishan Gupta, Juicebox, Kanpur, India · 2026 class (announced Apr 21, 2026)
- Aubrey Niederhoffer, Swoop, New York, NY · 2026 class (announced Apr 21, 2026)
- Claire Wang, Los Angeles, CA · 2026 class (announced Apr 21, 2026)
Names as published by the Thiel Foundation (via its April 2026 press release) (source). GrantCompass is not affiliated with the Thiel Foundation (via its April 2026 press release).
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What it covers
Eligible expenses
- Fellowship funds over two years (no use restrictions published)
Ineligible expenses
- See official program guidance
How to apply
-
1
Check the age and degree rule
22 or younger and no university degree.
~0.2 hrs
-
2
Apply in the Salesforce portal
Login required; the written questions were not visible.
~6 hrs
Only apply if you are ready to leave school: the fellowship requires it, and the application form sits behind a login.
Deadline & timing
FAQ: "Is there an application deadline? No - we accept applications year round." Fellows must be 22 or younger and without a university degree, and must leave school to accept.
Applications are open — don’t lose the window
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Required documents
- Online application (contents behind a login)
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Last updated October 18, 2026. GrantCompass is an independent funding-discovery tool and is not affiliated with any government agency. Always confirm details on the official program page.