City partners with startup accelerator Berkeley SkyDeck to bring seven innovation companies to Sacramento

The City of Sacramento is proud to announce a partnership with Berkeley SkyDeck, the startup accelerator program from the University of California (“UC”) Berkeley, which will bring seven startup companies to Sacramento to work with the City to identify investment opportunities.

Berkeley SkyDeck will refer the city a minimum of seven program alumni a year at no fee. All the startups’ founders are alumni of one of the UC campuses and are evaluated through a rigorous process. Berkeley SkyDeck currently accepts less than 3% of applicants.

The City of Sacramento’s Urban Technology Lab (SUTL) will work with these companies to navigate the regulatory environment and connect with potential customers and business partners in the public and private sector. The City also will introduce these startups to the local workforce, with the ultimate goal of growing industry in Sacramento and creating more new, high-paying jobs in the region.

The City already has shown that it is a strong partner for emerging tech companies. For example, the City has been working closely with autonomous vehicle company Phantom Auto.

“Our new partnership with Berkeley SkyDeck reflects how Sacramento is emerging as a statewide leader in the testing of new and emerging technologies,” said Mayor Darrell Steinberg. “The steady flow of young companies looking to prove their products in our city could eventually pay off with new jobs and new investment in growth industries that could further diversify our economy and provide opportunity for young people growing up in our neighborhoods.”

“We are excited to formalize our first large-scale innovation agreement,” said Louis Stewart the City’s chief innovation officer. “This is all part of our effort to put Sacramento on the map as an innovation hub where startup companies know that the City is open, and that we’ll partner with them to help develop, test and showcase their programs. I look forward to leading the City’s efforts alongside our partners to assist the companies in finding success in Sacramento.”

“SkyDeck is building the global hub for entrepreneurship at UC Berkeley, bringing in the best startups from Berkeley and from around the world,” said Caroline Winnett, executive director of SkyDeck. We are very proud and excited to share our incredible startup companies with a vibrant and nearby city like Sacramento. Today, we are thrilled at the prospect of partnering with the City to help build its reputation as seat of technology and innovation. We look forward to creating sophisticated, cutting-edge business opportunities to attract talent and bring new jobs here.”

The Berkeley SkyDeck program is just one of the strategies that the City is utilizing to bring new and innovative companies, infrastructure and jobs to the region. Last year, the City launched the Sacramento Urban Technology Lab framework to engage stakeholders across the region to transform Sacramento into a living laboratory where future technologies can be developed, tested and scaled.

ABOUT BERKELEY SKYDECK
Berkeley SkyDeck is a top global accelerator. Named by Forbes in 2019 as one of the top five university accelerators, SkyDeck is currently accepting applications for its Spring 2020 cohort and interested founders can apply at skydeck.berkeley.edu/apply .

SkyDeck is UC Berkeley’s premier startup accelerator and a joint program of Berkeley, the College of Engineering, and the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research. SkyDeck combines the hands-on mentorship of startup accelerators with the vast resources of its world-class research university. Participating startups have access to SkyDeck’s 240 advisors, 50 industry partners and a network of more than 500,000 Berkeley alumni. SkyDeck also stands alone as the only accelerator that provides funding for its startups via a public-private partnership, bringing funds back to Berkeley with the Berkeley SkyDeck Fund, a dedicated investment fund. For more information, see skydeck.berkeley.edu.

ABOUT SACRAMENTO URBAN TECHNOLOGY LAB
The Sacramento Urban Technology Lab (SUTL) launched in 2018 as part of the City’s efforts to bring new and innovative companies, infrastructure and jobs to the region. SUTL is where government, academia and industry collaborate to transform Sacramento into that of a living laboratory for entrepreneurs, advanced technology businesses and academic institutions to test, develop and scale their ideas, products and services.
SUTL’s mantra is to ask, “What if?” and apply that to problem solving in the real world. With a diverse portfolio of projects, SUTL takes the status quo and applies new technology, strategy and policy to make City government more efficient, inclusive and better serve its community. For more information, visit innovatesac.org