What Berkeley Angel Network does

Berkeley Angel Network is an informal angel investor community founded around 2011-2012, operating as an official affinity group of the Berkeley Haas Alumni Network. The organization serves UC Berkeley alumni, faculty, and former faculty who are accredited investors, and connects them with early-stage entrepreneurs seeking capital. It hosts approximately four invitation-only pitch meetings per year in the San Francisco Bay Area, supplemented by educational programming such as Deal Seminars, Due Diligence Academy, Term Sheet Academy, and Angel Investing Academy sessions. Entrepreneurs apply through a structured process via the Gust platform, with pitch events scheduled throughout the year (e.g., a June 16, 2026 event with a June 2, 2026 application deadline). The network emphasizes capital-efficient investments and shows particular interest in companies formed by UC Berkeley students or alumni, or based on UC Berkeley technology, though eligibility is not strictly limited to such affiliations.

The organization does not develop technology products and operates without a conventional revenue model; the source material indicates no fees are charged to entrepreneurs or investors, and the entity may be volunteer-run or supported through in-kind membership contributions. Its service offering is centered on curated deal flow, quarterly pitch event coordination, and investor education. Governance is informal under California law as an unincorporated association rather than a formal corporate entity. George Willman serves as Co-President, Chairman of the Board, and Founder. The firmographics indicate 51-100 employees, which likely reflects member investors rather than paid staff.

The network's strategic position rests on the Berkeley Haas brand, a portfolio of 60+ companies across healthcare, medical devices, biotechnology, consumer products, financial services, education technology, and energy technology, and formal partnerships with Berkeley Skydeck and four peer alumni angel groups (Stanford Angels & Entrepreneurs, Wharton Alumni Angels, MIT Alumni Angels, and Harvard Alumni Angels). The entity is headquartered in San Francisco, California, with events spanning multiple Bay Area cities including Palo Alto, Alameda, Mountain View, Berkeley, San Mateo, and Portola Valley.

Name

Berkeley Angel Network

Legal name

Berkeley Angel Network

Website

https://berkeleyangelnetwork.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Berkeley Angel Network is an informal angel investor affinity group serving UC Berkeley alumni, faculty, and former faculty, connecting them with early-stage entrepreneurs through quarterly pitch events in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Angel Investment Network

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Other Similar Organizations (except Business, Professional, Labor, and Political Organizations) (81399)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Micro-VC & Angel Funds (FSANAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Alumni Benefits, Membership & Affinity Programs (EDALAOAM)

Keywords

• Angel investor network
• Early-stage venture capital
• Startup pitch events
• Alumni angel community
• Pre-seed investment

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Undisclosed: The revenue model is not publicly disclosed. As an affinity group of the Berkeley Haas Alumni Network, the organization may be volunteer-run or funded through membership contributions. The website does not disclose any fees for entrepreneurs to apply or pitch, nor any fees for investor membership. The network serves as a forum connecting entrepreneurs with potential investors without explicit charging for the service.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Berkeley Angel Network operates as an affinity-based community of UC Berkeley alumni, faculty, and former faculty who are accredited angel investors. It connects these investors with early-stage entrepreneurs—particularly those affiliated with UC Berkeley—through approximately four invitation-only pitch meetings per year in the San Francisco Bay Area. The network supplements pitch events with educational programming (Deal Seminars, Due Diligence Academy, Term Sheet Academy, Angel Investing Academy) and collaborations with other alumni angel groups and the Berkeley Skydeck accelerator.

Product overview

Berkeley Angel Network is a community organization (not a technology product company) that operates as an angel investor network for UC Berkeley alumni and faculty. The organization provides a single unified service offering: facilitating connections between accredited angel investors and early-stage entrepreneurs through pitch events, educational programs, and membership services. There are no distinct technology products, modules, or sub-brands — the organization functions as a forum and community platform where entrepreneurs present to investors, with additional educational events for investor development. The primary offering consists of membership access, pitch meeting attendance, and application processing for entrepreneurs seeking funding.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Angel Investor Membership Membership program for UC Berkeley alumni, faculty, and former faculty who are SEC Regulation D, Rule 501 accredited investors. Members gain access to quarterly pitch meetings, curated Berkeley-affiliated deal flow, and educational programming to improve their collective angel investing skills.
• Quarterly Pitch Meetings Invitation-only quarterly pitch meetings held in the San Francisco Bay Area where early-stage entrepreneurs present to the network of UC Berkeley alumni and faculty angel investors. Approximately four events per year; upcoming event June 16, 2026 (application deadline June 2, 2026).
• Entrepreneur Application Process Structured application process through which early-stage entrepreneurs (particularly those affiliated with UC Berkeley) apply via the network's website/Gust portal to present at quarterly pitch events. Includes a custom questionnaire as part of submission.
• Angel Investing Educational Programming Educational events for network members covering angel investing topics such as convertible instruments, preferred stock, term sheets, due diligence, and structuring financings. Includes Deal Seminars, Term Sheet Academy, Due Diligence Academy, Angel Investing Academy: Structuring Financings, and joint Angel Academy sessions with Stanford Angels & Entrepreneurs.

Named customers35 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Berkeley Haas Alumni NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Berkeley Angel Network is an official affinity group of the Berkeley Haas Alumni Network. This affiliation provides institutional credibility, access to the broader Berkeley alumni ecosystem, and cross-promotion of events and membership through Haas alumni channels.
• Berkeley SkydeckcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBerkeley Skydeck is the UC Berkeley accelerator. The Berkeley Angel Network collaborates with Skydeck on events including practice pitch sessions, Demo Day attendance, and co-hosted angel investor events. Skydeck provides deal flow and the BAN provides investor access.
• Stanford Angels & EntrepreneursflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership for joint events including Angel Academy: Deal Diligence sessions, Entrepreneur Seminars, and panel discussions. The two groups co-host educational programming for their respective angel communities.
• Wharton Alumni AngelsflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner alumni angel group for joint angel panel discussions and educational events. Collaboration expands deal flow access and investor networks across top business school alumni communities.
• MIT Alumni AngelsflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner alumni angel group for joint angel panel discussions and networking. Collaboration facilitates cross-institutional deal flow and investor syndication opportunities.
• Harvard (HBS) Alumni AngelsflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner alumni angel group for joint Entrepreneur Seminars and educational programming. Partnership enables knowledge sharing and networking across Ivy League and top business school angel communities.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Berkeley Skydeck: UC Berkeley's flagship accelerator and a strategic deal-flow partner to Ban; not a direct investor but the upstream pipeline that supplies a large share of Ban's screened entrepreneur applicants.
• Angel Capital Association: Trade association for angel groups in North America; relevant as an ecosystem organization that Ban and its peer angel networks participate in, but does not compete as a direct investor group.

Broad incumbents

• Keiretsu Forum: Large multi-chapter global angel network with structured pitch forums; comparable as a broader angel-investor platform that competes for deal flow and individual investor participation in the Bay Area.
• Band of Angels: One of the oldest Silicon Valley angel groups; while Ban is alumni-gated and event-driven, Band of Angels is a longer-established, broader angel network operating in the same Bay Area early-stage ecosystem.
• Tech Coast Angels: One of the largest U.S. angel networks with multiple SoCal/Bay chapters; comparable in role (organized angel community running pitch events) but broader in reach than Ban's alumni-gated community.
• Golden Seeds: Established angel network focused on women-led and diverse founders; broader than Ban in investor base but analogous as an organized angel platform running pitch meetings and member education.

Direct peers

• Harvard Alumni Angels (HBS Alumni Angels): Harvard Business School alumni angel network, structurally analogous to Ban with the same alumni-gated, event-driven angel model; named as a Ban partner for Entrepreneur Seminars.
• MIT Alumni Angels: MIT's alumni angel investor network, directly comparable as an alumni-affiliated angel community and an active Ban partnership counterpart for joint panels and networking.
• Wharton Alumni Angels: Penn/Wharton's alumni angel network, structurally identical to Ban as a top-tier business school alumni angel group running pitch meetings and partnering on cross-institutional events.
• Stanford Angels & Entrepreneurs: Stanford's alumni angel investor network, comparable as a peer alumni-affiliated angel group; Ban explicitly partners with Stanford Angels on Angel Academy programming and joint events.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/berkeley-angel-network

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments65 records

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Frequently asked questions about Berkeley Angel Network