Since 2012, Berkeley SkyDeck has been at the forefront of innovation.
$1.7B
Raised by SkyTeams
60%
SkyTeams received funding
25
Series A, B rounds raised
17
Exits through acquisitions
1000
Attendees at Demo Day
SkyDeck has developed a strong global reputation and leverages our network of 500,000 Berkeley Alumni to help startups succeed.
We facilitate intros and help build relationships with our extensive network of top tier VCs and investors.
Our 480 advisors and mentors actively coach and advise our founders on everything from product development to customer acquisition to go-to-market strategy to fundraising and beyond.
We help connect the intellectual firepower of UC Berkeley to our startups,
matching hundreds of students, MBAs, and postdocs to intern and work for our
startups. We also match faculty to advisory boards.
We have strong relationships with hundreds of businesses and enterprises that are often early adopters of our startups’ technology, and we facilitate key introductions to executives from countless companies across our vast network of Berkeley alums.
Startups attend a series of highly curated workshops run by expert startup advisors. The Berkeley Acceleration Method (BAM) provides insider expertise on all aspects of launching and growing a startup.
SkyDeck accepts startups from all industries, but also has four specialized tracks to provide the unique expertise needed for deeply technical startups.
At SkyDeck, we aim to have the diversity of our founders reflect the world’s and are working to provide equitable access to our resources and programming in order to accomplish this.
In 2018, SkyDeck launched a Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) committee to aid in our mission of achieving this goal. Since its implementation, SkyDeck has significantly grown the number of startups founded by female founders and historically-overlooked founders. In addition, we continue to grow our network of advisors and mentors who are committed to supporting founders from a broad range of cultural, racial, gender and socioeconomic backgrounds. For example, our program includes more than six workshops that specifically cater to female founders offering everything from networking opportunities to pitch coaching.
There is still work to be done and SkyDeck is committed to our journey in achieving more equitable access and greater diversity. If you are interested in learning more, please reach out to us.
Our founders dare to strap themselves in and launch into the unknown. Here are a few SkyDeck alumni that went to the moon (and beyond). Click on their logo to learn more.
Berkeley SkyDeck hosts over 250 startups per
year across four programs.
Roughly 20 startups are selected every 6 months to receive a $200,000 investment from the Berkeley SkyDeck Fund. Founders with an affiliation to any of the 10 UC Campuses) are eligible. International founders from outside the US are also eligible.
Berkeley SkyDeck Europe, Milano is our new accelerator designed for Europe-focused startups.
SkyDeck’s Innovation Partner Program (IPP) offers partners an opportunity to send startups to be accelerated for a 3-month period at SkyDeck. SkyDeck welcomes IPP startups from various industries and across different funding stages.
THE SKYDECK INCUBATOR
Pad-13 is for early stage startups focused on growth and becoming more competitive for selection to SkyDeck’s Accelerator program. Pad-13 startups can be as early as the idea stage, with just one or two founders. Startups applying to Pad-13 should have at least one founder affiliated with UC Berkeley.
Keep up with the latest news from SkyDeck.
Berkeley SkyDeck’s Executive Director, Caroline Winnett, writes about “The Changing Face Of Tech Investment In 2023” in her latest Fast Company article. Despite shrinking VC funds and fundamental changes in a post-pandemic world, Winnett is optimistic and says “this new landscape will reward savvy entrepreneurs…
SkyDeck’s Dedicated Venture Fund
The Berkeley SkyDeck Fund is the investment partner for UC Berkeley’s SkyDeck Accelerator Program. The Fund invests $200K into each startup that goes through SkyDeck, and can participate in later stage investment rounds with Berkeley founders. One of the most active seed investors in the Bay Area, the Fund has made over 130 investments in 3 years!
In a first-of-its-kind, public-private partnership, the Berkeley SkyDeck Fund shares one-half of fund profits with UC Berkeley. This unique partnership helps support UC Berkeley education and creates a source of funding for UC Berkeley’s public education mission.
The Berkeley SkyDeck Fund is run by Chon Tang, Managing Partner, and Brian Bordley, Partner. It is funded by organizations such as Sequoia Capital, Sierra Ventures, and Canvas Ventures, as well as other VC firms, individuals, and large corporations.
