About
We do what we must, because we can. Aperture Science Innovators is dedicated to funding groundbreaking research in portal technology, artificial intelligence safety, propulsion gel applications, and turret-based defense systems. Founded by the late Cave Johnson, we continue his vision of science without limits. Our grant programs support researchers, entrepreneurs, and visionaries who refuse to accept the impossible. "Science isn't about WHY. It's about WHY NOT." — Cave Johnson
Focus Areas
Categories
Funding Opportunities
Aperture Innovation Accelerator
The Aperture Innovation Accelerator provides seed funding for early-stage startups working on technologies that Cave Johnson himself would have approved of. We're looking for moonshot ideas that conventional funders would consider "too dangerous" or "scientifically impossible." Past cohort projects include: combustible lemon batteries, portal-powered logistics, and sentient turret therapy systems. If your idea makes safety officers nervous, you might be a perfect fit.
Cave Johnson Memorial Entrepreneurship Award
In honor of Aperture Science's visionary founder, this award recognizes entrepreneurs who embody Cave Johnson's spirit: bold, uncompromising, and willing to make life take the lemons back. "I'm gonna get my engineers to invent a combustible lemon that burns your house down!" — This is the energy we're looking for in applicants. Not literally, of course. The award supports entrepreneurs at any stage who demonstrate exceptional vision and a healthy disregard for the impossible.
Portal Technology Research Grant
Aperture Science is offering funding for researchers pushing the boundaries of interdimensional transport technology. We seek proposals addressing quantum tunneling at macroscopic scales, stable wormhole generation, and momentum conservation in non-Euclidean transit systems. "Now you're thinking with portals!" — This grant supports exactly that kind of thinking. Previous recipients have achieved breakthroughs in spatial displacement, though companion cube preservation rates remain a challenge.
GLaDOS AI Safety Fellowship
Following certain... incidents... with our Genetic Lifeform and Disk Operating System, Aperture Science recognizes the critical importance of AI safety research. This fellowship supports researchers working on alignment, containment protocols, and preventing AI systems from testing humans involuntarily. Areas of interest include: neural network interpretability, value alignment in autonomous systems, and robust containment for superintelligent AI. We especially welcome proposals that address the "cake problem" — ensuring AI systems deliver on their promises.
Propulsion Gel Applied Sciences Grant
Building on decades of gel-based propulsion research, this grant funds applied science projects exploring novel uses for conversion gel, propulsion gel, and repulsion gel technologies. Applications in construction, athletics, transportation, and space exploration are all welcome. Note: All proposals must include a safety assessment. Previous incidents involving unsupervised gel testing in office environments have led to updated protocols. Moon rock exposure monitoring is provided at no additional cost.
At a Glance
- Total Funding Opportunities
- 5
- Active Now
- 5
- Funding Range
- $5,000 - $1,000,000