2025 Bagel Fund Update
Year in review, meet the latest grantees, and project updates.
2025 was a big year for Bagel Grantees, and we’re here to tell you all about it. A year in review, the latest grantees, and their project updates.
Year In Review
This year marked a significant milestone for the Bagel Fund, characterized by both the breadth of ambition and the depth of technical execution.
We funded 26 projects spanning complex domains across deep tech, robotics, aerospace, health tech, and software infrastructure. These are not student science fair projects, but serious attempts to solve hard problems.
Our belief checks have already begun yielding very tangible results. Grantees have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars in follow-on funding, been accepted to Y Combinator, and demoed their creations (fully-functioning Iron man suit!) at Waterloo Symposium. All of which began with a microgrant for starting materials.
None of this would be possible without the continued belief of our friends and supporters.
At a high level
26 Grantees Funded
$10k+ Total Deployed
18.8 Average Age
Meet the 2025 Grantees
All grantees by are of focus from 2025. See all grantees here.
Deep Tech & Robotics
Deep tech is characterized by high R&D costs, long development cycles, and significant technical risk. Traditional venture capital often avoids pre-seed deep tech due to these barriers. By providing microgrants, we de-risk the earliest stage of innovation, allowing young builders to purchase raw materials and prove their core hypotheses. This support is critical for bridging the gap between a theoretical paper and a working prototype.
Daniel, 25, turning motion and brainwaves into sound
Visharad, 14, making e-skin to give robots the sense of touch
Sofia, 17, VLA models for robotics
Shraddhaa, 25, open-source bipedal robot
Dima, 24, dexterous low-cost robotic arms
Beckett, 21, computer vision water monitoring to boost shrimp yield by 40%
Aerospace
Aerospace has historically been a domain dominated by governments and massive defense contractors thanks to capital and safety requirements. We are seeing a shift where small teams can contribute to CubeSats and drone technology. Microgrants here often cover the cost of specific sensors or composite materials, enabling young engineers to get hands-on experience with flight hardware that is impossible to simulate purely in software.
Hriday, 21, bat-inspired flight mechanics
Sebastian, 18, the world’s first pulse jet powered VTOL
Diego, 19, fully autonomous and reusable cargo capsule
Aadeshwar, 19, hybrid air/ground UAV
Yash, 20, flight computer for model rockets
Pavitra, 20, reusable model rocket motor
Chloe, 19, an omni-directional treadmill that takes you anywhere
Health Tech & Biotech
Healthcare innovation faces regulatory complexity and high barriers to entry. However, grassroots innovation in this sector often leads to accessible, low-cost solutions that large corporations overlook. Our microgrants enable students to build initial prototypes for clinical validation, moving ideas from the dorm room toward the lab bench. Supporting these projects empowers the next generation to democratize medical access.
Anusha, 17, radiation-resistant AI hardware and quantum intelligence
Aditi, 17, wearable biosensors to track and predict hormonal fluctuations
Peter, 19, galvanic Vestibular Stimulation to give people spidey sense
Felicia, 19, AI neonatal screening tests
Satya, 17, memory alloy prosthesis
Temitope, 18, solar-enabled phototherapy to treat neonatal jaundice
Begüm, 16, low-cost bio printer
Krupal, 19, volumetric display with rotating LED matrix for medical imaging
Akshat, 16, low-cost assistive smart glasses with voice control
Software & AI/ML
Kushal, 19, financial exchanges for music by letting fans bet on artists
Livingstone, 19, low-cost NFC attendance system for schools
Finding Young Inventors
We’re seeing consistent incoming applications from talented builders thanks to continued support from hardware communities, Twitter, the Ashoka Foundation, and more. If you encounter an incredible technical innovator in need of financial support, please send them our way!
Looking Ahead & Closing Notes
While $10,000 may seem modest in the context of institutional research or venture capital, for a high-potential 14-year-old engineer, a $500 microgrant is often the difference between an MVP and a pending exploration. These funds remove immediate financial barriers — buying the microcontroller, the 3D printer filament, or the server hosting — unlocking the progress they’re eager to make.
Please email Alexa if you need reporting documents for any contributions.
From Alexa & Ari.
Thank you from the entire Bagel Fund Team