Mozilla Summer MVP Lab and Startup Studio

Job Description

Mozilla Builders is dedicated to delivering on the promise of the internet, where the people are in control of how the internet is used to shape society and where business models should be sustainable and valuable, but do not need to squeeze every last dollar (or ounce of attention) from the user. For instance, we love initiatives that shift the balance of power from centralized forces back towards individuals, citizens and communities.

Over the years and from our work building platforms like Firefox, Javascript, Rust, WebRTC, Web Assembly, and others, we have been developing a vision for a next internet that is imbued with these values and deployed across tomorrow's devices, networks, algorithms, and cloud platforms. We’re inviting you to join us with your ideas for how to bring this vision into the world.

Hit us up with your ideas for how we can use the power and reach of internet technologies to level the playing field and create new opportunities for everyone.

We hope to see a wide range of proposals around big categories including, but not limited to:

1. Collaboration & Society, particularly in view of the current global crisis: (i) Foster better collaboration online, (ii) Grassroots collaboration around issues & emergencies, (iii) Local & neighborhood support networks, (iv) Supporting small businesses, (v) Social money-pooling for issues, people & businesses.

2. Decentralized Web: build a new, decentralized architecture for the internet from infrastructure, communications, media & money, to using the blockchain and peer-to-peer technologies.

3. Messaging & Social Networking: can we build a new way to communicate online that favors privacy, people, and users' interests? What needs to evolve?

4. Surveillance Capitalism: whether it’s big tech or governments, everyone’s collecting your data. How do we put the user back in control of their data? Can we build new business models for messaging, social networking, news & information that don’t rely on excessive data minute and hijacking our attention?

5. Misinformation & Content: ideas for services that help us get beyond polarization, filter bubbles and fake news.

6. Artificial Intelligence that works to benefit communities and citizens.

7. Web Assembly: 25 years of evolution and improvement, and the web’s "execution environment" - the Javascript engine in every browser - has now broken free as a remarkably fast, safe way to run ANY code. We’re interested in tools and platforms that leverage and build on Wasm as THE way to run applications connected to the internet. What’s the ecosystem missing today? What new things can be built with it that couldn’t be built before? Where can Wasm have the biggest impact?

Programs:

Startup Studio: 3 month program, $75,000 Investment, Mentorship, Workshops, and more!

MVP Lab: 8 week program, $16,000 award, Mentorship, Workshops, and more!

Open Lab: 8 week program by invitation through the MVP Lab, ten $10,000 prizes, office hours, workshops, and more!

See mozilla.org/builders for more details.

Qualifications

Startup Studio:

Almost all programs accepted in the Startup Studio will be (very) early stage startups. This means you have a team and probably have a product or prototype with some users showing initial traction.

If you’re applying to the Startup Studio, you’re in it for the long haul, not just the 3 months of our Summer Builders. Only apply if you are serious about committing to building a startup and have already spun up an organization (c-corp, llc, b-corp, non-profit, distributed blockchain entity, other).

MVP Lab:

Perhaps you’re still in school but about to make the jump to the startup life. The MVP Lab may be right for you. During our Spring MVP Lab, most participants were CS students.

Maybe you work in the industry and would like a structured environment and community to explore and build a high quality product. Some of our favorite programs during the Spring MVP Lab were just-getting-started startups that used the MVP Lab to kick into high gear.

Most strong MVP Lab applications will be from teams that plan to commit full-time during the 8 weeks of the program. We understand that some teams may not be able to work full-time, but we expect huge passion, high quality work, and a major commitment of time.

Open Lab:

Participate in the Open Lab to hack on an awesome project in a structured way, create community around your project and, if you want, get it ready for launch or even a company.

The Open Lab gives teams whose ideas are not yet developed enough for our other programs the opportunity to engage with Mozilla mentors and the Mozilla Builders community to accelerate their product discovery work and grow.

Successful Open Lab participation requires at least a 10hr/wk commitment.