Berkeley SkyDeck Accelerator (Main Cohort)

Berkeley SkyDeck Accelerator (Main Cohort)

Invests equity in selected high-potential startups through Berkeley SkyDeck's main accelerator, providing ownership-based startup capital.

Berkeley SkyDeck is UC Berkeley's flagship accelerator, operated through the Berkeley SkyDeck Fund and accepting startups from all industries worldwide, with UC-affiliated founders given priority in selection. The main accelerator cohort runs twice per year — application windows open in January–February for the May cohort and in August for the January cohort. Batch 22 ran May 4 through October 9, 2026, with a Demo Day expected in September 2026. Between 20 and 25 startups are selected per cohort from a global applicant pool; historically approximately two-thirds of applicants have been founded outside the United States.

Selected companies receive a $210,000 equity investment from the Berkeley SkyDeck Fund in exchange for 7.5% equity, structured as a SAFE or alternative format. A $7,500 program fee is charged per startup. The Fund may also invest up to 10% of a startup's first institutional round at matching terms. In addition to capital, each cohort company receives six months of the BAM Program (covering leadership, product, fundraising, business development, operations, and marketing), weekly events, dedicated workspace at the SkyDeck penthouse, a Lead Advisor match from a network of 900-plus advisors, Demo Day exposure to 600-plus attendees, and alumni customer introductions. Specialized tracks within the main cohort — Bio+Health (up to 12 months, $200K equity, sponsored bench space), Chip (6 months, $200K equity, TSMC cloud PDKs and Cadence credits), Air and Space (up to 12 months, $200K equity, Richmond Field Station flight test access), FinTech and Blockchain, and Climate Tech — provide domain-specific resources while sharing the core cohort infrastructure.

The strongest applicants to Berkeley SkyDeck are teams with a defined product, an identifiable customer segment, and readiness to absorb mentorship from the advisor network during the six-month program. The equity-for-investment structure means SkyDeck is appropriate for founders who are actively building for institutional venture funding, not those seeking non-dilutive support. The Pad-13 incubator track offers a lower-commitment entry point for earlier-stage teams who want access to the SkyDeck community before committing to the full accelerator.