programs
Centralized operational and financial support for Obelisk, Science, and Strategic Investments. The Foundation also leads our Residency Program, supports Fellows, explores new opportunities, and drives ecosystem-supporting efforts.
We want to help address these gaps by seeding and supporting mission-driven, open projects that can catalyze further private and public sector advancements. We target creative, high-agency scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs who are passionate about reducing the barriers to progress within and across domains.
Directed neuroscience and AI research efforts, seeking to understand how biological intelligence works to aid our efforts to engineer safe and successful general intelligence systems.
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Resources

Inside baseball: The founder’s guide to funding health and science organizations

Successful fundraising isn’t just about logic; it’s about trust, your vision and your ability to manage the process

 

Neuroscientist Doris Tsao joins Astera to lead its new neuroscience program

The Astera Institute is excited to launch a major new neuroscience research effort led by Dr. Doris Tsao, who will be joining as Chief Scientist for Astera Neuro. We seek to understand one of the deepest mysteries of science: how the brain produces conscious experience, cognition, and intelligent behavior. Astera will support this effort with […]

Program Update

Introducing our next Residents

We’re excited to introduce three new entrepreneurs to our residency cohort

by type
Perspectives

From systems operators to systems architects

Going up a level from data generation to think about the data systems we design and embed

Perspectives

Understanding intelligence: Simplex views on complex systems

A conversation with Adam Shai and Paul Riechers, co-founders of Simplex

Perspectives

A night sky full of living worlds

A conversation with Astera Resident Edwin Kite on applied planetary science, applied astrobiology, and what it would take to terraform Mars

Perspectives

How we get to an abundant future

A perspective from Eli Dourado, Astera’s Head of Strategic Investments

Perspectives

Scientific Publishing: Enough is Enough

Why we’re no longer funding journal publications

Perspectives

Reflecting on — and for — our Future

A conversation with Astera Resident Dakota Gruener on uncovering answers and driving action on how we can address our rapidly warming climate

by date
 

Neuroscientist Doris Tsao joins Astera to lead its new neuroscience program

The Astera Institute is excited to launch a major new neuroscience research effort led by Dr. Doris Tsao, who will be joining as Chief Scientist for Astera Neuro. We seek to understand one of the deepest mysteries of science: how the brain produces conscious experience, cognition, and intelligent behavior. Astera will support this effort with […]

Program Update

Introducing our next Residents

We’re excited to introduce three new entrepreneurs to our residency cohort

Perspectives

From systems operators to systems architects

Going up a level from data generation to think about the data systems we design and embed

Perspectives

Understanding intelligence: Simplex views on complex systems

A conversation with Adam Shai and Paul Riechers, co-founders of Simplex

Perspectives

A night sky full of living worlds

A conversation with Astera Resident Edwin Kite on applied planetary science, applied astrobiology, and what it would take to terraform Mars

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Seemay Chou
Co-Founder & President – Foundation
Seemay is a scientist, co-founder and CEO at Arcadia Science, chairperson of The Navigation Fund, and forever-Texan at heart. She received a PhD in Molecular Cell Biology from UC Berkeley and was previously a Pew Scholar and an assistant professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics at UC San Francisco.
Full bio
Jed McCaleb
Co-Founder & CEO – Obelisk
Jed McCaleb is the founder of the Astera Institute. His focus is on accelerating progress, expanding potential, and increasing net happiness. He is also co-founder and Chief Architect of the Stellar Development Foundation, the organization that maintains the open-source Stellar Network and founder of Vast, the organization that is building the first commercial space station.
Full bio
Dakota Gruener
Studying sunlight reflection to limit climate impact
Full bio
Chongxi Lai
Building brain-like models
Full bio