We’re for the dropouts, the renegades, the mad scientists, and for those pushing the limit of knowledge.

In 2010, our team cofounded the Thiel Fellowship with Peter Thiel to prove out a simple belief: great founders don’t need university degrees. That was a $100k grant program – and it gave birth to projects like Ethereum, companies like Figma, OYO Rooms, and Luminar, and funds like the Longevity Fund. We started 1517 to scale that further and expand the support and community that the Thiel Fellowship started.

We give cash grants, make angel-to-seed investments, and have a community of thousands of people like you from around the world.

We’ve worked with some of the best and brightest founders, scientists, and makers without degrees or outside of your typical “successful” tracks at the earliest stages of their careers. They’ve gone on to build billions in companies, advance breakthroughs in science and technology, and build products and communities people love.

Visit our official site to learn more, write in, or learn more about 1517.