What Berkeley SkyDeck Fund does

Berkeley SkyDeck Fund is a private venture capital fund founded in 2016 that serves as the investment arm of UC Berkeley's SkyDeck Accelerator. The fund manages $85 million in capital and operates as a partnership between UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business, the College of Engineering, and the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research. Its investment thesis targets academic founders and science-based innovation, with portfolio exposure spanning AI, quantum computing, robotics, biotech, and enterprise software. The fund is headquartered in Berkeley, California, with a four-person team led by Founding & General Partner Chon Tang and Partner Brian Bordley.

The fund deploys capital through the Berkeley SkyDeck accelerator's batch cohorts and a global co-investment network that includes Index Ventures, Insight Partners, Tiger Global, Benchmark, Mayfield, CRV, Blueyard Capital, Point Nine, OpenOcean, Octopus Ventures, First Round Capital, and Vertex Ventures. Annual Demo Days showcase portfolio companies to over 1,000 investors and industry leaders. A distinctive structural feature is the fund's commitment to donate 50% of carried interest to UC Berkeley for research and education, which deepens the institutional relationship but narrows the fund's economic capture of upside.

Recent activity includes a partnership with South Korea's GMEP program (alongside Smilegate Investment, Orange Planet, and Fortitude Ventures) to help Korean AI startups enter the US market, plus investments in Algorized, RevReply, Xen Quantum, and Living Models. SkyDeck startups have collectively raised more than $2.7 billion since 2016, with an estimated $450-550 million annual economic impact and 1,000+ jobs supported in Alameda County.

Name

Berkeley SkyDeck Fund

Legal name

Berkeley SkyDeck Fund

Website

https://skydeck.vc

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Berkeley SkyDeck Fund is a private $85M venture capital fund and the investment arm of UC Berkeley's SkyDeck Accelerator, backing academic founders and science-based startups globally while donating 50% of carried interest to UC Berkeley.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Venture Capital

NAICS

Other Investment Pools and Funds (5259)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B) (FSANAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Micro-VC & Angel Funds (FSANAAAI), Corporate Accelerators & Startup Programs (FSANAHAD)

Keywords

• Venture capital funding
• Startup accelerator investment
• Early-stage equity investing
• Academic founder support
• Seed-stage venture funding

Headquarters

HQ city

Berkeley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Venture Capital Returns: The fund generates returns through equity investments in startups. With $85M under management, the fund supports entrepreneurial activity through Berkeley SkyDeck and donates 50% of carried interest to UC Berkeley for research and education.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Berkeley SkyDeck Fund is a venture capital fund that deploys equity capital into early-stage startups emerging from the Berkeley SkyDeck accelerator, UC Berkeley's official startup accelerator. With $85M under management, the fund invests in academic founders and science-based innovation in the Bay Area and globally, providing not only capital but also access to mentorship through SkyAdvisors, a network of accredited investors, and the UC Berkeley research ecosystem. The fund donates 50% of carried interest back to UC Berkeley for research and education.

Product overview

Berkeley SkyDeck Fund is an investment fund with $85M under management that supports entrepreneurial activity through Berkeley SkyDeck, UC Berkeley's official startup accelerator. The fund supports academic founders and startups globally, providing investment capital and access to the UC Berkeley ecosystem. It operates in partnership with the Haas School of Business, the College of Engineering, and the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research. The fund donates 50% of carried interest to UC Berkeley to support research and education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Berkeley SkyDeck Fund (Equity Investment Program) A $85M venture capital fund that deploys equity capital into early-stage startups emerging from the Berkeley SkyDeck accelerator and the broader UC Berkeley ecosystem. The fund targets academic founders and science-based innovation globally, providing capital, mentorship, and access to UC Berkeley research resources. Donates 50% of carried interest to UC Berkeley.
• GMEP Global Market Expansion Program (US Track) An international market expansion program operated in partnership with Smilegate Investment, Orange Planet, and Fortitude Ventures that selects approximately 20 AI startups per cohort and provides funding (around $53,000 each) and support for US market entry from South Korea.

Quantifiable outcome

• $2.7B+ aggregate funding raised by SkyDeck startups since 2016
• +3 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Smilegate InvestmentcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 March 2026Smilegate Investment manages the US track of South Korea's GMEP (Global Market Expansion Program) in partnership with Orange Planet, Berkeley SkyDeck, and Fortitude Ventures. The program selects approximately 20 AI startups to receive KRW 80 million ($53,000) each for US market expansion.
• Orange PlanetcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 March 2026Partner in the GMEP (Global Market Expansion Program) for AI startup US expansion from South Korea, working alongside Smilegate Investment, Berkeley SkyDeck, and Fortitude Ventures.
• Fortitude VenturescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 March 2026Partner in the GMEP (Global Market Expansion Program) for AI startup US expansion from South Korea, working alongside Smilegate Investment, Orange Planet, and Berkeley SkyDeck.
• Berkeley SkyDeck AcceleratorcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 March 2026Berkeley SkyDeck Fund is the investment arm that supports startups through the Berkeley SkyDeck accelerator, the world's premier academic accelerator. The accelerator is formed as a partnership between Haas School of Business, College of Engineering, and Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research at UC Berkeley.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• SOSV: Multi-stage accelerator-investor (HAX, IndieBio, dlab, etc.) running vertical accelerator programs with seed-stage capital. Comparable as an accelerator-plus-fund with deep-tech emphasis, similar batch structure, and global cohort sourcing.
• First Round Capital: Early-stage venture firm known for seed checks, community-driven founder support, and frequent co-investing with index-style VCs. Listed as a SkyDeck co-investor and broadly comparable on stage, check size, and Bay Area footprint.
• StartX: Stanford University's official startup accelerator and affiliated fund. Directly comparable to Berkeley SkyDeck Fund as a university-anchored accelerator-plus-investment vehicle targeting academic and student founders with similar sourcing and co-investment dynamics.
• Plug and Play Tech Center: Silicon Valley-based accelerator and early-stage investor running vertical-specific batches with corporate and VC co-investors. Comparable in cohort-driven deal flow, demo-day format, and partnership-led distribution model.
• 500 Global (500 Startups): Global venture firm and accelerator running seed programs worldwide with extensive accelerator alumni networks. Comparable in seed-check size, cohort model, and emphasis on founder education and demo-day capital formation.

Broad incumbents

• Techstars: Global accelerator network with affiliated accelerator funds. Comparable as a scaled accelerator-plus-fund model that runs cohorts, invests small initial checks, and co-invests with later-stage VCs, though it lacks SkyDeck's single-university sourcing edge.
• Y Combinator: The dominant startup accelerator with affiliated funds (YC Continuity, YC AI). While broader and not university-affiliated, YC overlaps with SkyDeck on early-stage seed investing, batch-based programming, and demo-day-driven fundraising.

Others

• Berkeley SkyDeck Accelerator: The accelerator program that Berkeley SkyDeck Fund invests in and is structurally tied to. Comparable as the operational counterpart of the fund; deal flow originates here.

Emerging players

• HAX (under SOSV): Hardware-focused accelerator with seed investment, comparable to SkyDeck's deep-tech orientation (e.g., Xen Quantum, Living Models). Differentiates on hardware focus and Shenzhen supply-chain access.
• MIT Sandbox / MIT-affiliated funds: University-linked seed funds and accelerators (e.g., MIT Sandbox, The Engine) targeting MIT founders. Comparable academic-founder thesis and research-anchored deal flow, though smaller and more program-focused than SkyDeck.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments153 records

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Frequently asked questions about Berkeley SkyDeck Fund