November 2, 2026 (Batch 23 start) · 21-Aug-26
Berkeley SkyDeck, founded in 2012, is UC Berkeley’s official startup accelerator, formed by the Haas School of Business, the College of Engineering, and the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research. The Berkeley SkyDeck Fund ($85M AUM across two funds) invests $210,000 for 7.25% equity in each Cohort startup, sharing half of fund profits back to the university. SkyDeck runs three main tracks: the six-month Cohort program (roughly 20 companies per batch, industry-agnostic, aimed at startups nearing an institutional Seed/Series A round), Pad-13 (a four-month pre-accelerator open as early as idea stage), and the Innovation Partner Program for corporate, university, and government partners. Within Cohort, five Specialized Tracks — Bio+Health, Chip & Quantum, Air & Space, FinTech & Blockchain, and Climate Tech — add sector-specific labs, equipment access, and advisors. Two sister operations extend SkyDeck abroad: SkyDeck Europe-Milano, a parallel accelerator based in Milan with Cariplo Factory and Lendlease investing EUR145,000 in roughly 10 startups per batch; and an expanding Japan program running startup bootcamps and incubator programming tied to the Global Startup Expo in Osaka, built on partnerships with METI, JETRO, and several Japanese universities. Startups from all over the world are eligible and encouraged to apply. Berkeley SkyDeck ranked No. 24 of 80 in TIME’s 2026 list of America’s Best Incubators & Accelerators. Since 2012, SkyDeck alumni have raised more than $4.5 billion in follow-on funding.
Frequency
2x/year
Duration
3 to 6 months.
Investment
$210,000 via post-money SAFE for the Accelerator track; option to invest up to 10% of first institutional round.
Equity
7.25% for the Accelerator track; 1% equity or a $500 flat fee for the Incubator track.
Program fees
$7,500 for the Accelerator track; $500 or 1% equity for the Incubator track.
Where
Italy, Japan, USA
Sectors
Sector Agnostic
Stages
Idea/Pre-Team, Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A
Eligibility
• Accelerator track: best fit for startups nearing an institutional Seed/Series A round
• Incubator track: open as early as idea stage, with a preference for UC-affiliated founders
• Global Founders Program helps non-US founders relocate to Silicon Valley
• Strong DEI focus — active programs for female and historically-overlooked founders
Selection process
• Evaluation on team quality, market potential, and proximity to institutional fundraising readiness
• 20-25 Accelerator teams selected per batch; 60-80 Incubator teams selected
• Demo Day at program conclusion, 600+ attendees including investors
Benefits
• Access to 900+ advisors and mentors covering product, GTM, fundraising, customer acquisition
• Berkeley Acceleration Method (BAM) workshops and mandatory sessions
• Designated workspace at SkyDeck, Berkeley
• $750K+ in-kind legal, financial, and tech resources from SkyDeck Resource Partners
• Specialized Track perks for selected startups: TSMC wafer runs and Cadence/Synopsys tooling credits (Chip & Quantum), sponsored lab bench space (Bio+Health), Richmond Field Station flight testing access (Air & Space)
• Connections to UC Berkeley talent (students, MBAs, postdocs, faculty)
• Industry partner network and Berkeley Alumni Network (500,000+ living alums)
• Demo Day pitch to 600+ attendees, including investors
• Option for Fund to invest up to 10% of first institutional round
Network
Haas School of Business, Berkeley College of Engineering, Berkeley SkyDeck Fund (Chon Tang, Brian Bordley); investors include Sequoia Capital, Sierra Ventures, Canvas Ventures, Mayfield; Specialized Track partners Synopsys, Cadence, TSMC, and QB3; SkyDeck Europe-Milano partners Cariplo Factory, Lendlease, and the Cariplo Foundation; Japan partners METI and JETRO, plus Institute of Science Tokyo, Kyoto University, Kyushu University, Osaka University, and Tohoku University.
Portfolio
Roughly 20-25 Cohort startups selected per batch, twice yearly since 2012 across 23 batches, plus Pad-13/IPP participants each cycle; SkyDeck alumni have raised more than $4.5 billion in follow-on funding to date.
Funds raised
More than $4.5 billion raised collectively by SkyDeck alumni to date. Berkeley SkyDeck Fund has $85M AUM across Fund I ($24M, 2018) and Fund II ($60M, 2022).
🕐 Sep 2026
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