The Berkeley SkyDeck accelerator is opening its application eligibility beyond startup founders affiliated with the University of California at Berkeley.
For the Batch 19 of the accelerator class, Berkeley SkyDeck for the first time will accept applications from founders founders from across the U.S. and international founders, regardless of their UC Berkeley affiliation (a previous requirement).
This is happening amid some skepticism about the relevance of accelerators. While they offer support, expertise, and connections, how much value do they truly provide?
Caroline Winnett, executive director of Berkeley SkyDeck, and Chon Tang, founding partner of the Berkeley SkyDeck Fund, believe they can position the accelerator to play a more expansive role in identifying innovation around the world and finding the best startups for the accelerator.
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Winnett said in an interview with GamesBeat that widening the pool of applications will result in higher quality startups and more opportunity for a variety of applicants who otherwise might not have access to a good accelerator.
Normally, Berkeley SkyDeck gets around 2,000 applications for each class. Now it could grow with the wider eligibility.
“We’ve warned our screeners that they’re going to get more applications now,” Winnett said.
Winnett said that opening the applications to more startups around the world will give the accelerator access to a wider pool as well as possibly bigger returns. It’s a recognition that great ideas come from anywhere, not just Berkeley. Those wider startups will benefit from the unique advice of the advisers on the Berkeley campus.
Applications are now open with a final deadline of August 23. Applications are available here.
Two new track chairs
In addition, Batch 19 will be the first to work with two new track chairs: Alberto Sangiovanni-Vincentelli for the Chip Track and Heather Koshinsky for the Bio Track, both of whom bring decades of experience in building and advising companies in their respective fields.
The two new track chairs have demonstrated significant success in their fields.
Sangiovanni-Vincentelli holds the Edgar L. and Harold H. Buttner Chair of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences at UC Berkeley. He has founded or cofounded a number of major enterprises, most notably Cadence and Synopsys, both of which remain publicly-traded companies with multibillion-dollar market caps. He has also advised or advises companies including Intel, IBM, and Sony.
Koshinsky has founded or cofounded four separate life sciences companies, one of which was acquired and has since become a part of Thermo Fisher Scientific. She has previously served as an advisor to SkyDeck companies. Currently, she is the co-founder and CEO of Investigen, a developer of faster and more efficient processes for DNA diagnostic testing.
The other tracks include air and space, fintech and blockchain and climate tech. Those tracks tap the expertise of the Berkeley network and the chairs change every couple of years.
Winnett said these advisers highlight one of the advantages of Berkeley SkyDeck, which has access to nearly 700 advisers through the UC Berkeley network. There are also 70 industry partners and 510,000 UC Berkeley alumni (including me, Go Bears). The accelerator has nine staffers.
“Alberto and Heather are not just successful entrepreneurs: they are successful mentors. Their blend of practical experience and previous advisory roles make them ideal leaders for these fast-growing Berkeley SkyDeck tracks,” said Winnett. “Their appointments are significant as we open SkyDeck up to a broader range of companies, providing an unparalleled foundation and vital connections that drive startup success. They bring world-class technical and scientific expertise plus a true understanding of the founder journey.”
With an acceptance rate around 1%, Berkeley SkyDeck stands as one of the most competitive accelerators in the world. Each batch, comprising 20 to 25 startups, benefits from $200,000 in funding, $750,000 in free and discounted resources, and access to the SkyDeck network. Berkeley SkyDeck also actively funds companies via the $60 million SkyDeck Fund II. (That funding is not guaranteed).
The SkyDeck Fund has invested in 160 companies to date, representing a wide range of businesses and industries, from 30 countries around the world. Unlike other VC funds, the SkyDeck Fund shares half of its profits with UC Berkeley, helping to continue the university’s mission of delivering excellence in education. Startups have gone on to raise more than $2 billion.
“With the US seeing a record 5.5 million new business applications in 2023 and continuing to lead globally with just over 650 unicorns, expanding Berkeley SkyDeck’s eligibility to all US-based startups is a strategic move for us as both an accelerator and an investor,” said Tang, founding partner of the Berkeley SkyDeck Fund, in a statement. “This surge in new company formations presents a unique opportunity, and now is the perfect time to broaden our horizons and tap into this unprecedented wave of innovation.”
The opening of Batch 19 applications follows on from the second UC Berkeley AI Hackathon, held in June. Over 1,300 people attended, with 12 companies winning prizes. Grand prize winner Dispatch AI and Climate Tech Track winner, Greenwise, each received $25,000 from the Berkeley SkyDeck Fund to spend the summer working on their project, as well as an invitation to join SkyDeck’s incubator.
The next Berkeley SkyDeck demo day is set for October 1 at UC Berkeley.
Among the recent graduates from the accelerator is MindsDB, a custom AI creation platform. It has raised a total of $54.4 million from top investors including Benchmark, Mayfield, NVentures, the venture capital fund of Nvidia. Another SkyDeck alumnus focusing on AI mobile perception (United Kingdom) Hayden AI, has raised over $100 million in total, with investors including Mitsubishi Electric Innovation Fund and Bridgestone Corporation (UC Berkeley). SkyDeck has been going since 2012.
