What makes our accelerator special?
Berkeley SkyDeck segments its program into the Cohort Program (Accelerator) and
the HotDesk Program (Incubator). We host over 120 startups per year. We accept startups in all industries.
Cohort
Program
ACCELERATOR
Roughly twenty Cohort startups are selected every six months to receive a $100,000 investment from the Berkeley SkyDeck Fund.
Cohort startups are selected if they’re almost ready to raise their first significant round of institutional funding from top Silicon Valley VCs; most successful applicants have already raised angel funding, or previous venture capital investments from VCs outside of the United States.
Companies who have graduated from the SkyDeck program have a much higher probability of receiving institutional funding than the industry average.
Cohort startups are paired with Key Advisors, go through the six-month BAM Program, attend weekly required events, and receive guided access to the SkyDeck community. Startups present at SkyDeck’s 600+ attendee Demo Day.
SkyDeck works hand-in-hand to help Cohort companies with:
- Product Strategy: defining/refining the product design and go-to-market for a capital-efficient growth strategy with meaningful competitive moats
- Team-building: identifying and recommending key candidates for advisory boards and early hires
- Customer Introductions: using the UC Berkeley alumni network, SkyDeck can make introductions to influencers and key buyers in just about any industry in Silicon Valley
HotDesk
Program
INCUBATOR
HotDesk startups are generally in an early stage of the startup lifecycle. They might be either too early for institutional funding, or have already received institutional funding.
They are invited to work in the open work areas and to attend all workshops and events at SkyDeck, on a self-serve basis.
HotDesk startups have access to our incredible advisors as well as the in-kind resources offered by our resource partners. Graduates of the Cohort program are invited to HotDesk for six-months post-graduation, if space is available.
HotDesk teams who are raising a significant round may have the opportunity to present at Demo Day.
The Berkeley SkyDeck Fund may elect to participate in qualifying seed rounds raised by HotDesk teams.
Is your startup
focused in
Biotech or the
next generation
of Chip
Technology?
BIO TRACK
Startups working on disruptive ideas in biotech, medtech or life sciences face special challenges. The Bio Track at SkyDeck (Powered by QB3) provides practical resources focused on addressing many of these challenges.
Every six months, at least two companies will be selected for inclusion in SkyDeck’s Bio Track.
Startups accepted into the Bio Track receive:
- $100K in equity investment from the Berkeley SkyDeck Fund
- Up to 12 months resident access to Berkeley SkyDeck
- Up to 12 months of sponsored access to bench top space at a local lab (depending on availability and specific needs)
- Regular support from scientists and investors with a proven history in entrepreneurship in the bio sciences
- Bi-monthly dinner sessions with advisors / mentors with expertise in the life science space
- Focused introductions to investors and partners in the life science space
… and of course, access to all of the other resources provided by the Berkeley SkyDeck accelerator.
ALUMNI COMPANIES FROM THE BIO TRACK
Zephyrus Bioscience
Valitor
Sublime Therapeutics
Nextbiotics Inc
Chameleon Bioscience
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CHIP TRACK
Novel chip architectures, AI/ML processing units on the edge, low-power IoT sensors… exciting things are happening in the semiconductor space. But for many of the startups working in the semiconductor space, they’re frustrated that they have to raise millions of dollars just to hit “run” on their first prototype.
Berkeley SkyDeck is helping bring the “Silicon” back to Silicon Valley. The Chip Track at SkyDeck features some of the world’s preeminent academic experts in computer architectures and ASIC design, along with key collaborators from key industry leaders.
Every six months, two companies will be selected for inclusion in the Chip Track. For these accepted startups, they will receive:
- $100k in equity investment from the Berkeley SkyDeck Fund
- Six months residency at Berkeley SkyDeck
- Access to key industry partners, including SiFive
- Access to cloud-based PDKs and MPW wafer runs from TSMC to reduce tape-out costs
- Credits for access to cloud-based digital / analog / simulation tooling from Cadence
- Access free / discounted IP from a variety of sources, to reduce design costs
- Access UC Berkeley’s campus resources, including Marvell NanoLab, Molecular Foundry
A partial list of advisors for the Chip Track includes luminaries such as:
UC Berkeley Professor David Patterson
Turing Award Winner, Google Brain, RISC-V
UC Berkeley Professor Krste Asanovic
RISC-V, Co-Founder SiFive
UC Berkeley Professor Alberto Sangiovanni-Vincentelli
Co-Founder Cadence, Co-Founder Synopsys
Andrew Waterman
Co-Founder SiFive
Laura Oliphant
Former Investment Director, Intel Capital
Steve Glaser
Former SVP Cadence / Xilinx
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Berkeley Acceleration Method
BAM is SkyDeck’s proprietary, six-month program to accelerate startups for strength and successin Silicon Valley. The goal is to fully prepare startups to raise their first round of investment from Silicon Valley VCs. It is a practical, experience-based program designed by serial entrepreneurs, VCs, and thought leaders informed by the discipline of entrepreneurship at UC Berkeley.
The BAM program includes expert-led workshops in six critical practice areas, mutual matching to key Advisors, 1:1 office hours with experts, customer introductions through the UC Berkeley community, and curated introductions to hundreds of Seed / A round Silicon Valley investors looking to lead $2-10mm rounds in high-growth startups.
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A place to work and connect
Berkeley SkyDeck – Penthouse
Downtown San Francisco
Berkeley SkyDeck – Third Floor
UC Berkeley Campus
Frequently
Asked
Questions
SkyDeck is industry-agnostic and accepts applications from companies across all industries. We accept startups founded by individuals affiliated with UC Berkeley, any of the University of California campuses, or the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. This includes all undergraduate and graduate students, staff, alumni, researchers, visiting scholars, and faculty are all welcome. Your startup’s affiliated team members can be founders, employees, or advisors.
Founders with startups located outside the US are also eligible to apply to SkyDeck. You do not need affiliation with UC Berkeley or one of the UC campuses if your startup is located outside the US.
The Berkeley SkyDeck Fund invests up to $100,000 into companies accepted into the six month SkyDeck Cohort Program. The $100,000 investment is divided into two tranches: $50,000 immediately upon acceptance, and $50,000 after passing your ‘midterm’ 3-months into the program. This is offered via a standard SAFE note, without a discount, and a $2M cap. This accelerator funding can help you make your first outside hires, finish your product, test your go-to market strategy… and so much more.
The Fund will also invest up to 10% of your first institutional funding round, helping accelerate your fundraising process even more.
No! Berkeley SkyDeck is a program of the University of California, Berkeley – there are no additional tuition costs.
We offer expertise in both business building and fundraising.
Our advisor network includes highly experienced Silicon Valley veterans who can offer tremendous guidance in finding product/market fit, building your team, and going to market. We are an official UC Berkeley program, and Berkeley has the largest alumni network in Silicon Valley. We can help you tap into that alumni network effectively.
From a fundraising point of view, Berkeley SkyDeck is backed by top industry investors and VCs from Silicon Valley and beyond. They work with us to identify their top targets for future investments. We also have hundreds of seed and angel investors who attend our Demo Days in hopes of finding the next moonshot startup. We have also brought in numerous international and corporate investors who are at SkyDeck to evaluate the potential of your product, and help you interface with other markets world-wide where you might have potential.
We also love deep science founders. As a member company here, you can access UC Berkeley lab facilities including QB3 Stanley Hall, LBNL Molecular Foundry, Nanofabrication Lab, Biomolecular Nanotechnology Center, and so much more. And we have lots of expertise ranging from SBIR to IP licensing that we’ll happily share.
And finally, remember that a portion of the gains from the Berkeley SkyDeck Fund’s investment in your company will go back to the University. If you succeed, you will also be helping the next generation of UC Berkeley entrepreneurs succeed!
We are open to applicants from all sectors, ranging from consumer, to enterprise, to IT, to digital health, to the hardest problems in science. However, keep in mind our goal is to nurture and grow investable companies that can raise money from venture capital or corporate partners after graduation.
Our accelerator program is here to help founders successfully develop their business and raise money from the best institutional VC investors at the best valuations possible. If your company is ready to raise institutional funds within the next six months (with our support), then you are a fit for SkyDeck.
Every company situation is different, but within the next six months you should be able to either show significant revenues, or achieve major product milestones. Here are some questions you can ask yourself as you consider the process (and these are the same questions we will ask as we evaluate the application):
- Can I deliver a minimally viable product within the next six months with $100,000 in funding?
- Is my core team able to working on this full time over the next six months?
- Are all aspects of the business supported by competent, skilled co-founders?
- Have I identified who my customer is? Do I know who has buying authority, how much they can pay?
- Do I know the size of my potential market in 1 year, 3 years, 10 years?
- Who are my potential competitors, current and future? What advantages do I have over them?
- What resources or introductions could SkyDeck make, and can these help my business model succeed?
Absolutely. Some companies won’t need the $100,000 in accelerator funding offered by the Berkeley SkyDeck Fund. We encourage you to apply into our “Hot Desk” program. The “Hot Desk” program offers you many of the same resources that our full cohort companies offer, including access to campus facilities, SkyDeck events, and when appropriate, presenting at Demo Day.
And you are eligible to receive investment from Berkeley SkyDeck Fund of up to 10% in an institutional round that you raise after joining SkyDeck.
The Berkeley SkyDeck Fund, for legal reasons, has its own investment review process. The SkyDeck review process is carefully designed to select teams that should be eligible for investment. The $100k in funding is further divided up into two tranches: $50k immediately upon entry into SkyDeck, and $50k more at the “midterm” point for achieving basic milestones in terms of business development.
Companies who have previously been through the program before funding was offered are able to apply again, and will be evaluated on the same basis as all other applicants.
10. CAN I ATTEND ANOTHER PROGRAM OR ACCELERATOR AT THE SAME TIME I AM IN THE SKYDECK COHORT PROGRAM?
Yes, as long as your startup’s primary residence is SkyDeck and your team attends all required events and meets deadlines for updates, as well as meetings with your Lead Advisor. Sometimes startups attend both SkyDeck and other campus programs such as The Foundry.
Have more questions? Contact us directly and we’ll get back to you.