Novo Nordisk Foundation opens a major philanthropic proof-of-concept funding cycle

The Pioneer Innovator Grant opened on August 1, 2026, offering Nordic university, hospital, and research-institution innovators up to DKK 1.2 million for one-year projects that advance academic discoveries toward proof of concept. The program supports health, sustainability, and applicable quantum technologies; the combined annual budget for the Foundation’s Pioneer and Distinguished Innovator grants is DKK 190 million. Funding is explicitly pre-company and cannot directly benefit an established business.

Source: Pioneer Innovator Grant – Novo Nordisk Fonden