MIT Solve: FII Innovators Pitch Grant

The MIT Solve: FII Innovators Pitch invites solutions leveraging artificial intelligence to address critical challenges in sustainability, health, robotics, and education. With a focus on impactful innovations, the initiative seeks companies in pilot, growth, or scale stages, emphasizing accessibility and efficiency in AI applications. This opportunity aims to empower global innovators, encouraging advancements that can significantly improve quality of life and foster economic growth while navigating the complexities of ethical AI use in diverse communities.

Artificial intelligence is transforming how innovators tackle complex challenges across sectors. Researchers are using generative models to design novel proteins in weeks rather than years. Climate scientists are deploying machine learning to optimize energy grid management across aging infrastructure and accelerate materials discovery that once took decades. Robots in factories powered by computer vision are improving efficiency and creating upskilling opportunities for workers, while robotics in healthcare enable precision surgery and protect workers in hazardous environments like chemotherapy preparation. Educators are leveraging AI-powered tutors and co-teachers to personalize instruction for students in under-resourced communities. The World Health Organization has released ethical guidance on utilizing large multi-modal models to meet public health goals. In 2025 alone, almost half of global funding was allocated to the artificial intelligence sector, signaling unprecedented opportunity for AI-enabled solutions to address global challenges.
As AI scales globally, new frontiers for innovation emerge. The next generation of breakthroughs will unlock energy-efficient AI infrastructure, ensure algorithms work across diverse populations and create new pathways for workers as industries evolve. In the 2025 FII Priority Compass, FII found that across the Global South, citizens see artificial intelligence as a powerful engine for jobs and economic growth; yet, this optimism is matched by serious concern. These findings underscore a critical moment for innovation. The question is no longer if AI will shape the future, but who it will serve and how it will be built.
The FII Institute believes that artificial intelligence has the potential to turn ideas into real-world solutions that leave a lasting impact on humanity. Through direct investment, ecosystem building, and connections to the most influential changemakers, FII seeks to support innovations that can scale and help humanity prosper. Through the FII Innovators Pitch, we are seeking solutions in the following key areas:
Sustainability - Solutions that address climate change and environmental degradation, including deploying renewable energy, modernizing infrastructure, compressing discovery timelines for biological solutions, or enabling systems for circular economies.
Health - Solutions that improve healthcare accessibility, diagnostic accuracy, and therapeutic development, while ensuring effective solutions reach underserved populations.
Robotics - Robotics solutions that improve human lives by delivering measurable social or economic impact.
Education - Solutions that personalize learning and support educators to meet diverse student needs, reduce systemic barriers, and show measurable impact.
Judging Criteria
Alignment with the Challenge: The solution addresses the challenge that has been set forth using technology.
Potential for Impact: The planned solution implementation has the potential to impact the intended population.
Feasibility: The team has a realistic, practical plan for implementing the solution, and it is feasible in the given context.
Innovative Approach: The solution includes a new technology, a new application of technology, a new business model, or a new process for solving the Challenge.
Inclusive Human-Centered Design: Inclusive and equitable outcomes are considered in the design, implementation, and internal operations of the solution.
Scalability: The solution has a plan for financial viability and the potential to be scaled to affect the lives of more people.
Partnership Potential: The applicant clearly explains how the solution would benefit from the broad range of resources that the Solve community is positioned to provide.
Technical Feasibility: The applicant has provided convincing evidence that the data/analytics underpinning the solution have been built and function as they claim they do, even if only proof-of-concept.

Eligibility

Companies must be in the following stages of development or fundraising rounds
Solution stages of Pilot, Growth, or Scale: You need to have a minimum viable product (MVP), but revenue is not required. There is no need to incorporate before applying.Fundraising: Seed, Series A, Growth (Series B/C).Solutions must be supported by AI and impact the areas of sustainability, health, robotics, or education.
FII Innovators Pitch is open to anyone in the world, except where restricted under applicable U.S. laws. In accordance with current U.S. laws, MIT Solve cannot accept applications from individuals ordinarily resident in countries or territories subject to U.S. embargoes or comprehensive sanctions that are listed on the U.S. Department of the Treasury lists.
Applications must be written in English.