SkyDeck is industry-agnostic: we accept applications from companies in all industries.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
UC & GLOBAL COMMUNITY
To be eligible to apply for SkyDeck, there must be at least one team member that is UC-affiliated or qualifies as a “global” founder. UC affiliated is defined as someone who is a founder, investor, advisor, or board member affiliated with UC Berkeley, another University of California campus, or Berkeley Lab (LBNL). UC affiliated founders can be students, alumni, faculty, staff, postdoc researchers, or visiting scholars. Global founders are individuals born outside of the U.S., or have lived outside of the U.S. for most of their life. Learn more about the Global Founders Program.
The SkyDeck Berkeley Acceleration Method is a 6-month acceleration process for promising startups in any vertical who are affiliated with UC Berkeley, any UC campus, Lawrence Berkeley Lab, or global founders.
Between 20 and 25 selected Cohort teams receive a $200K investment from Berkeley SkyDeck Fund. Cohort teams participate in mandatory sessions, are matched with a Lead Advisor, have designated work space at SkyDeck, and present at Demo Day.
Between 10 and 12 selected SkyDeck Europe teams receive a €145K investment from the Berkeley SkyDeck Fund. SkyDeck Europe teams participate in mandatory sessions, are matched with a Lead Advisor, have designated work space when in-person at SkyDeck in Berkeley, and designated work space when in-person at SkyDeck in Milan, and present at Demo Day.
Between 60 and 80 selected Pad-13 teams have access to some of the same resources as Cohort teams, excluding the guaranteed fund investment, aspects of the mentorship program, and ability to pitch to 800+ investors at Demo Day.
The Berkeley SkyDeck Fund has the option of investing in all Pad-13 teams who raise an institutional round up to 10% of that round at the same terms as the other investors.
SkyDeck Cohort and SkyDeck Pad-13 teams receive access to: 600+ SkyDeck Advisors, weekly roundtables, workshops, and events, space to work at SkyDeck (Pad-13 do not have designated space but may work in open areas), and $750K+ in-kind legal, financial, and tech resources from SkyDeck Resource Partners!
SkyDeck has a suite of dedicated business development resources connecting startups to customers in every industry, using our industry partner network and the Berkeley Alumni Network of 500,000 living alums.
Applications Open July 16, 2024 – August 29, 2024
Interviews September 16, 2024 – October 10, 2024
Orientation Monday, November 4, 2024
Start & End Dates November 4, 2024 – April 18, 2025
Cohort Demo Day April, 2025
