Bakar Labs
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.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersBerkeley, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
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).
Bakar Labs firmographics
Firmographics- 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
Bakar Labs industry classification
Industry- 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
Where Bakar Labs is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Berkeley
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Bakar Labs business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
Bakar Labs product offering
Product offeringCore 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
Companies that use Bakar Labs
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Bakar Labs technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Bakar Labs partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship, major and minor.
- Turner Construction CompanycoreTurner 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.
- GenslercoreGensler 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)flagshipQB3 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 PharmaceuticalmajorChugai 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 SolutionsminorA Squared Solutions participated in the groundbreaking ceremony for Bakar Labs for Energy & Materials, likely in a project management or development consulting capacity.
- Berkeley SkyDeckcoreBerkeley 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
Bakar Labs competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad 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
Bakar Labs social profiles
Digital presenceBakar Labs financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Bakar Labs leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Bakar Labs funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Bakar Labs M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Bakar Labs
What does Bakar Labs do?
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.
Is Bakar Labs a public or private company?
Bakar Labs is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Bakar Labs founded?
Bakar Labs was founded in 2021. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Bakar Labs based?
Bakar Labs is headquartered in Berkeley, United States, in the North America region.
How does Bakar Labs make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Laboratory and Coworking Space Leasing is the primary driver. The others are programs and Events and industry Affiliate Program.
Who are Bakar Labs's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Alexandria Real Estate Equities and JLABS (Johnson & Johnson Innovation). Direct peers are LabCentral, BioLabs and MBC BioLabs. BioGenerator is listed as a regional player. IndieBio is listed as an emerging player. Others are Berkeley SkyDeck and QB3 (California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences).
Does Bakar Labs have an API?
No public API is recorded for Bakar Labs.
What industry is Bakar Labs in?
Bakar Labs's product category is Life Science Incubator Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAEAGAI, Makerspace, Innovation Lab & Fab Lab Operations (Tools, Safety, Programming). Its NAICS code is 54171 and its SIC code is 8731.