Bakar Labs

What Bakar Labs does

Bakar Labs is a public-private life science and energy/materials technology incubator operated as part of the University of California, Berkeley ecosystem, with the legal entity The Regents of the University of California serving as parent. Founded in 2021 and building on the QB3 incubator model pioneered in 2005, Bakar Labs provides fully-equipped BSL2 laboratory space, private offices, shared equipment, and entrepreneurial programming to early-stage startups developing therapeutics, diagnostics, and energy/materials technologies. The organization is structured into two sub-brands — Bakar Bio Labs (life sciences) and Bakar Labs for Energy & Materials (clean energy and advanced materials) — with QB3 providing the integrated program pipeline from student training through Series A company support, and BEVC serving as the affiliated venture capital arm.

The company's core offering combines physical infrastructure (bench-by-bench lab leasing, private labs/offices, shared fridges, freezers, centrifuges, conference rooms) with access to UC Berkeley campus core facilities including sequencing, imaging, cell sorting, NMR, mass spectrometry, and microfabrication. Adjacent services include Innovation Discovery outreach to faculty, Early-Stage Mentoring, SBIR/STTR grantwriting workshops, workforce development programs, IP advisory, and 80+ annual events including the Berkeley Bio Startup Showcase at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference. The Industry Affiliate Program enables large pharmaceutical and industrial companies to engage with tenant companies and the broader ecosystem.

Bakar Labs generates revenue through three primary streams: (1) recurring subscription-style lab and coworking space leasing to tenant startups, (2) paid programs and event participation, and (3) Industry Affiliate Program membership fees, with the latter exemplified by Chugai Pharmaceutical. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. Since its 2021 opening, the incubator has supported 50+ companies, which have collectively raised over $1 billion in funding and created more than 500 jobs across California. The organization is currently expanding from its UC Berkeley headquarters to include a new 146,000 sq ft Energy & Materials facility (construction through 2028) and a UCSF Mission Bay campus location (approved July 2024).

Name

Bakar Labs

Legal name

The Regents of the University of California

Website

https://bakarlabs.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Bakar Labs is a UC Berkeley-affiliated public-private incubator that provides BSL2-equipped lab space, office facilities, and QB3-integrated entrepreneurial programming to early-stage life science, energy, and materials technology startups globally, supporting companies from ideation through Series A.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Life Science Incubator Services

NAICS

Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Makerspace, Innovation Lab & Fab Lab Operations (Tools, Safety, Programming) (EDAEAGAI)

Keywords

• Biotech incubator services
• Laboratory space leasing
• Startup accelerator programs
• Life science ventures
• Entrepreneurial support services

Headquarters

HQ city

Berkeley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Laboratory and Coworking Space Leasing: Bakar Labs generates revenue by leasing fully-equipped BSL2 lab benches and desks in shared space, as well as private offices and labs to tenant startups. Tenants lease individual benches and desks, or private spaces.
2. Programs and Events: Revenue generated through participation in QB3 programs, workshops, symposia, and events, some of which are open to the public with paid attendance.
3. Industry Affiliate Program: Companies like Chugai Pharmaceutical join Bakar Bio Labs as industry affiliates, likely contributing fees for access to the ecosystem, talent, and startup pipeline.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Bakar Labs operates as UC Berkeley's flagship life science incubator, providing fully-equipped BSL2 laboratory space, shared scientific equipment, and entrepreneurial support programs to early-stage life science and energy/materials startups. The organization leases bench-by-bench lab space and private offices, offers access to Berkeley campus core facilities (sequencing, imaging, mass spectrometry), and delivers integrated programming through QB3 spanning company ideation through Series A.

Product overview

Bakar Labs is UC Berkeley's flagship life science incubator organization comprising two distinct incubators: Bakar Bio Labs (for biotech/life-science startups) and Bakar Labs for Energy & Materials (for energy and materials technology startups). The organization provides integrated support including fully-equipped BSL2 laboratory space, office facilities, entrepreneurial programs (via QB3), workforce development training, mentorship, and venture funding connections through affiliated VC BEVC. The multi-campus ecosystem supports companies from ideation through Series A funding.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bakar Bio Labs A world-class incubator for life-science startups providing flexible lab and office space with fully-equipped BSL2 laboratories. Open to teams globally, without requiring UC Berkeley affiliation, offering bench-by-bench leasing, private offices/labs, and access to campus core facilities.
• Bakar Labs for Energy & Materials An incubator accelerating breakthrough technologies and resilient solutions for the global transition to advanced energy systems. Currently in pilot program stage, with a 146,000-square-foot, five-story facility under construction through 2028, including advanced laboratories and 3D printing studios.
• Lab & Coworking Space Fully-equipped BSL2 laboratories with individual benches and desks in shared space, or private offices and labs. Includes fridges, freezers, centrifuges, core facility equipment, conference rooms, and seminar space, plus access to Berkeley campus core facilities worth millions of dollars.
• Berkeley Bio Startup Showcase Annual showcase event during the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference featuring 24 life science startups delivering 30-second pitches to hundreds of investors and industry leaders. Organized by six campus partners representing Berkeley's comprehensive innovation support structure.
• QB3 Programs Entrepreneurial programming including Innovation Discovery (reaching out to identify research with commercial potential), Early-Stage Mentoring (connecting founders with experienced mentors for guidance on product-market fit, fundraising, and IP strategy), SBIR/STTR Grantwriting Workshops, and the Bakar Fellows Program for faculty with commercially promising research.
• Break Into Biotech Training program providing biology basics for undergraduates with no prior lab experience, making them competitive for internships in the biotech industry.
• QWEST Internships Program placing talented students with biotech startups for work experience that prepares them for careers in industry.
• Neurotech Collider Lab Specialized program focused on neurotechnology innovation, led by Director Gail Gannon and Program Coordinator Milo Harmon Maurer, providing focused support for neurotech ventures.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $1 billion in cumulative funding raised by tenant and alumni companies in the first four years of operation, despite a sharp decline in early-stage biotech funding.
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship, major and minor.

• Turner Construction CompanycoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 25 October 2025Turner Construction Company is providing preconstruction and construction management services for the Bakar Labs for Energy & Materials facility, including excavation, foundation, structural work, and specialized mechanical and electrical systems. Construction is scheduled through 2028.
• GenslercoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerGensler is the architectural firm designing the 146,000-square-foot Bakar Labs for Energy & Materials facility on the UC Berkeley campus, with flexible lab and office configurations across five stories.
• QB3 (California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerQB3 is the affiliated institute providing the program pipeline integrated with Bakar Labs. Founded in 2000 as one of four California Institutes for Science and Innovation, QB3 supports research, innovation, and entrepreneurship across UC Berkeley, San Francisco, and Santa Cruz campuses. QB3 provides Innovation Discovery, Early-Stage Mentoring, SBIR/STTR grantwriting workshops, workforce development, and access to core facilities for Bakar Labs tenants.
• Chugai PharmaceuticalmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerChugai Pharmaceutical joined the Bakar Bio Labs Industry Affiliate Program at UC Berkeley, providing a channel for industry engagement with the incubator's tenant companies and research ecosystem.
• A Squared SolutionsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerA Squared Solutions participated in the groundbreaking ceremony for Bakar Labs for Energy & Materials, likely in a project management or development consulting capacity.
• Berkeley SkyDeckcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBerkeley SkyDeck and Bakar Labs are two pillars of UC Berkeley's life science innovation ecosystem. Together with four other campus partners, they organize the annual Berkeley Bio Startup Showcase during the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference. SkyDeck has collectively helped startups raise more than $2.7 billion in aggregate funding to date.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Alexandria Real Estate Equities: Alexandria is the leading publicly-traded REIT focused on life science office and lab buildings, providing mission-critical lab facilities (including incubator-style offerings) to biotech tenants across major innovation hubs — comparable as a much larger incumbent in life science real estate.
• JLABS (Johnson & Johnson Innovation): JLABS is Johnson & Johnson's no-strings-attached biotech incubator network providing lab space, equipment, and mentorship to early-stage life science companies across multiple global sites — a broad incumbent with comparable incubator model backed by a major strategic.

Direct peers

• LabCentral: LabCentral operates biotech incubator facilities in Cambridge, MA (Kendall Square and nearby) offering shared lab space, equipment, and programming to early-stage life science startups — directly comparable in mission, model, and target customer to Bakar Labs.
• BioLabs: BioLabs runs a network of shared lab coworking facilities across multiple US and international sites, providing fully-equipped lab space and operations support to biotech startups. Closest direct peer in co-working lab model.
• MBC BioLabs: MBC BioLabs is a San Francisco / San Carlos-based biotech incubator providing fully-equipped lab space and shared equipment to early-stage life science startups — directly comparable to Bakar Labs' BSL2 incubator model and Bay Area positioning.

Regional players

• BioGenerator: BioGenerator is a St. Louis-based nonprofit life science incubator and investor that creates and supports early-stage biotech companies with lab space, funding, and mentorship — comparable mission and nonprofit university-adjacent model, but regionally focused on the St. Louis ecosystem.

Emerging players

• IndieBio: IndieBio is a biotech accelerator that funds and incubates biology-focused startups, providing lab space, mentorship, and seed capital. Comparable in early-stage biotech support, but operates primarily as an accelerator with shorter cohort-based programs rather than ongoing lab tenancy.

Others

• Berkeley SkyDeck: Berkeley SkyDeck is UC Berkeley's flagship accelerator for startups across industries — listed as a peer/partner because it co-organizes the Berkeley Bio Startup Showcase with Bakar Labs and serves some overlapping founders, though its model is a 6-month cohort rather than ongoing lab tenancy.
• QB3 (California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences): QB3 is the affiliated UC institute providing the entrepreneurial programming pipeline integrated with Bakar Labs — listed as a peer because of deep operational integration, though it is technically a partner rather than a competitor in incubator services.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bakar-labs-campus-programs
• Instagraminstagram.com/bakarbiolabs
• Xx.com/bakarlabs_uc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bakar Labs