Skydeck

Established in 2012, Berkeley SkyDeck operates as a premier startup accelerator stemming from a joint venture between the University of California, Berkeley's Haas School of Business and the College of Engineering. The organization was founded to foster entrepreneurship by providing structured support to startups emerging from the university's ecosystem, including those founded by students, alumni, and faculty. Under the leadership of Executive Director Caroline Winnett, who joined in 2014, SkyDeck launched its dedicated venture capital arm, the Berkeley SkyDeck Fund, to provide direct investment into its portfolio companies.

The business model centers on a six-month accelerator program that prepares early-stage ventures for institutional funding. In exchange for a 7.5% equity stake, companies accepted into the main cohort program receive a $200,000 investment from the Berkeley SkyDeck Fund. This fund operates through a unique public-private partnership, donating half of its profits back to UC Berkeley, thereby creating a self-sustaining model that supports the university's public education mission. The program serves a global clientele of ambitious, high-potential startups across various sectors, including specialized tracks for Bio, Chip, FinTech, and Blockchain technologies.

SkyDeck's core service is its intensive accelerator program, which provides startups with mentorship from a network of over 700 advisors, access to UC Berkeley's vast resources and research facilities, and strategic guidance on product development, market strategy, and team building. The program culminates in a Demo Day, where founders present to an audience of over 600 investors, facilitating crucial connections for subsequent funding rounds. This comprehensive support structure, combined with the power of the half-million-strong Berkeley alumni network, gives portfolio companies a significant advantage in the competitive Silicon Valley landscape. Notable alumni that have gone through the program include Lime and DeepScribe.

Keywords: Berkeley SkyDeck, startup accelerator, venture capital, seed fund, university incubator, UC Berkeley, Haas School of Business, entrepreneurship program, Silicon Valley, cohort program, Demo Day, startup funding, angel investment, tech startups, alumni network, founder mentorship, early-stage investment, DeepScribe, Caroline Winnett, Chon Tang