UC Berkeley SkyDeck accelerator program now opens to all UC Campuses for the first time 

We wrote about UC Berkeley SkyDeck back in July when it announced the 22 Fall 2018 funded Cohort startups. Today, the premier startup accelerator of the University of California at Berkeley, announced it’s expanding with the introduction of opportunities for new startup teams entering the accelerator program. Berkeley SkyDeck will for the first time broaden its requirements to accept Accelerator track or Incubator track applications from any startups with founders from any of the University of California campuses. While it is located in the heart of downtown Berkeley, Berkeley SkyDeck will also offer meeting space for its advisors and startups in the San Francisco financial district in UC Berkeley Extension offices.

Applications for the Spring 2019 Accelerator and Incubator programs are open through September 21. In addition to founders from all UCs, startup founders who are foreign nationals without any of these affiliations may apply through the Global Acceleration Program.

Founded in 2012 as UC Berkeley’s largest official startup accelerator, Berkeley SkyDeck is 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. This holistic partnership is coupled with SkyDeck’s unique accelerator program to create a powerful environment for startups. Participating startups have access to over 150 advisers, 30 industry partners, and a large network of accredited investors who connect SkyTeams to the expertise and capital they need to launch and grow their world-changing innovations

“We are opening up applications to a broader universe of founders with this Spring 2019 cohort,” said Caroline Winnett, Executive Director, Berkeley SkyDeck. “We are eager to meet the growing demand for participation from both Berkeley founders and the very large number of founders who are students, alumni, or faculty from every UC campus. Berkeley SkyDeck is the only UC accelerator with a physical presence in the Silicon Valley area which makes our ecosystem especially robust.”

With a penthouse floor and one lower floor in the tallest building in Berkeley, SkyDeck today occupies 22,000 square feet of space for the growing number of participants. Adding to this location, Berkeley SkyDeck is offering its mentors, advisors, and startups the convenience of meeting space in the San Francisco financial district at UC Berkeley Extension offices.

The Berkeley SkyDeck Accelerator is a highly structured six-month program which includes access to over 150 advisers, as well as industry partners and a network of investors, and each startup in the cohort receive $100,000 from the new Berkeley SkyDeck Fund. In a one-of-a-kind relationship, the over-subscribed $24 million Berkeley SkyDeck Fund shares 50 percent of fund profits with UC Berkeley. About 25 startups are accepted into the Berkeley SkyDeck Accelerator and about 85 companies may participate in the Hot Desk program, which also provides access to advisors as well as desk space in the SkyDeck offices.

For more information visit Berkeley SkyDeck at http://skydeck.berkeley.edu/.

Applications for the Spring 2019 cohort are available here: http://skydeck.berkeley.edu/about/apply/