Description

• The Workers Lab primarily invests in very early-stage ideas, experiments, and prototypes that address worker power and future-of-work challenges, often before traditional revenue or market traction exists. 
  
  

• Funded projects may be in pre-pilot, pilot, or early implementation stages where innovative strategies are being tested with worker communities. 
  
  

• Unlike standard VC firms, The Workers Lab does not operate a fixed check-for-equity venture model. It functions instead as a social impact investor and fellowship program providing unrestricted capital and support for worker-centered innovations. 
  
  

• Through its flagship Innovation Fund Fellowship, The Workers Lab provides funding awards of up to ~$200,000 to selected innovators and teams. 
  
  

• Fellows typically receive a monthly stipend along with strategic and technical support over the program’s duration (e.g., ~5 months), plus access to a year of follow-on mentorship and community learning. 
  
  

• Funding is generally provided as flexible capital (similar to a grant or unrestricted investment) rather than venture equity; recipients direct capital toward project development, testing, and impact scaling. 
  
  

• Since inception, The Workers Lab has invested millions of dollars (e.g., $8M+ across 100 innovators in worker-centered projects). 
  
  

• No standard equity taken: Fellowships and Innovation Fund awards do not generally require equity or ownership rights from participating organizations or startups. 
  
  
• The Lab’s support model is more analogous to grant funding, fellowship support, and ecosystem investment than to traditional venture capital.
  
  
• Any future financing with external investors is separate from The Workers Lab’s awards and negotiated independently by the founder or organization.
  
  

• Innovators apply to the Innovation Fund Fellowship via The Workers Lab’s online application process, typically with defined open and close dates each year (e.g., applications through January). 
  
  

• Applicants submit:
  
  
  • A detailed description of the idea and its impact
    
    
  • Team information and lived experience relevant to the issue
    
    
  • A plan for how funds will be used and milestones achieved
    
    
  • An explanation of how the idea centers worker voices and participation 
    
    

• Applications are reviewed by panels including The Workers Lab staff, board members, and sector experts. Finalists may receive detailed feedback and community exposure.
  
  

Eligibility

• Worker-centered innovation broadly defined, including:
  
  
  • Worker rights and power solutions
    
    
  • Economic security, benefits, and ownership models
    
    
  • Worker-centered technology and digital infrastructure
    
    
  • Policy-oriented solutions affecting workers
    
    
  • Climate and generative AI applications that benefit worker communities 
    
    

• Very early stages:
  
  
  • Idea or concept phase
    
    
  • Pre-pilot or pilot implementation
    
    
  • Early organization or venture formation with emphasis on impact and learnings 
    
    

• Innovators, social entrepreneurs, community organizers, worker-leaders, and technologists — especially from underrepresented backgrounds historically excluded from mainstream capital (e.g., women, people of color). 
  
  

• Although focused on U.S. labor issues, international applicants with U.S.-relevant worker impacts have participated. 
  
  

Process

1. Open Application: Founders/innovators submit applications during defined windows. 
   
   
2. Panel Review: Staff, board members, and sector experts screen and evaluate concepts for worker impact and viability. 
   
   
3. Shortlist & Feedback: Semi-finalists may receive feedback and visibility opportunities. 
   
   
4. Final Selection: Final fellows are selected for funding, stipends, and program support. 
   
   
5. Fellowship Participation: Innovators engage in community building, workshops, and mentorship during the program period. 

What an Applicant can Obtain