Berkeley SkyDeck becomes first Silicon Valley to join Universal Music Group (UMG) Accelerator Engagement Network to foster entrepreneurial innovation in the digital music industry

UC Berkeley’s premier accelerator, Berkeley SkyDeck, has joined efforts with Universal Music Group (UMG) in fostering entrepreneurial innovation in the digital music industry as the newest partner of the UMG Accelerator Engagement Network.

Founded in 2012, Berkeley SkyDeck is an elite global accelerator focusing on accelerating top startups from all ten of the UC campuses and from around the world. By partnering with industry leader UMG, SkyDeck is increasing outreach to startups that will define the future of digital music. UMG will help connect this next generation of music startups into the ecosystem by providing expert mentorship, support, and industry insight during and after each company’s participation in the SkyDeck program.

“Berkeley SkyDeck welcomes startups who are disrupting industries and changing the world. We are excited to reach out to startups creating new and creative solutions for the music industry,” said Caroline Winnett, Executive Director of Berkeley SkyDeck.

“We are delighted to welcome Berkeley SkyDeck as the first West Coast member of our accelerator network. SkyDeck has a tremendous track record of connecting startups to the deep resources available at UC Berkeley and in the broader Silicon Valley ecosystem and we look forward to working together to foster a new generation of music tech startups,” said Tuhin Roy, Senior Vice President, New Digital Business and Innovation at Universal Music Group.
Other companies in UMG’s Accelerator Engagement Network include APX by Axel Springer and Porsche (Berlin), NYC Media Lab (New York), SparkLabs (Seoul and Taipei), LeanSquare (Belgium), Chinaccelerator (Shanghai), Paris&Co’s LINCC (Paris), Ryerson University’s Music Den (Toronto) and the Melbourne Accelerator Program (Melbourne).

Universal Music Group (UMG) is the world leader in music-based entertainment, with a broad array of businesses engaged in recorded music, music publishing, merchandising and audiovisual content in more than 60 countries. Featuring the most comprehensive catalog of recordings and songs across every musical genre, UMG identifies and develops artists and produces and distributes the most critically-acclaimed and commercially successful music in the world. Committed to artistry, innovation and entrepreneurship, UMG fosters the development of services, platforms and business models in order to broaden artistic and commercial opportunities for our artists and create new experiences for fans. Universal Music Group is a Vivendi company.

Berkeley SkyDeck is a top global accelerator. Named by Forbes in January 2019 as one of the top five university accelerators, SkyDeck is UC Berkeley’s largest startup accelerator and a joint program of the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business, the College of Engineering, and the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research. SkyDeck combines the hands-on mentorship of traditional accelerators with the vast resources of its research university. Participating startups have access to SkyDeck’s 200 advisors, 50 industry partners, and a network of more than 500,000 UC Berkeley alumni.