Accelerator

Berkeley SkyDeck

Berkeley, CA, United States

UC Berkeley's flagship accelerator, pairing a large advisor network with investment and a public demo day.

The offer:
$210k per company
Location:
Berkeley, CA, United States
Duration:
26 weeks

What you need to qualify

  • Startups from all over the world are eligible and encouraged to apply.
  • Industry agnostic. UC-affiliated and international companies are prioritised.
  • Two tracks are selected from the same application: 20 to 25 Cohort teams with guaranteed funding, mentorship, dedicated workspace and Demo Day access, and 60 to 80 Pad-13 teams with limited resources and no guaranteed funding or designated space.

Eligibility

Eligible stages
All stages
Countries
Global, subject to the provider’s eligibility and approval

How to apply

  1. 1

    Apply inside the Batch 23 window

    Applications for Batch 23 are open from July 20, 2026 to August 21, 2026. Outside that window the batch form is closed.

  2. 2

    Submit the application on F6S

    The form is hosted at f6s.com/skydeck-batch-23/apply, so you need an F6S account before you can submit. The apply page on skydeck.berkeley.edu links straight to it.

  3. 3

    Interview if you are shortlisted

    Interviews run from September 8, 2026 to October 5, 2026.

  4. 4

    Attend orientation

    Orientation for the accepted batch is on Monday, November 2, 2026.

  5. 5

    Run the six-month programme through Demo Day

    The programme runs November 2, 2026 to April 15, 2027, with Demo Day in April 2027.

Frequently asked

Startups from anywhere in the world, across any industry. SkyDeck prioritises UC-affiliated and international companies.

The 20 to 25 Cohort teams receive a USD 210,000 investment from the Berkeley SkyDeck Fund, mentorship, dedicated workspace and a Demo Day pitch slot. The 60 to 80 Pad-13 teams get the programme with limited resources and no guaranteed funding or designated space, and may receive investment if they raise an institutional round, up to 10 percent of that round.

Batch 23 applications close on August 21, 2026, having opened on July 20, 2026.

Six months, from November 2, 2026 to April 15, 2027, ending with Demo Day in April 2027. Interviews take place between September 8 and October 5, 2026 and orientation is on November 2, 2026.
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Related programs

We have not been able to confirm a deadline for this one. Check the official page before you start.

Do I qualify?

3 things decide this one. Check yourself against them before you spend time on the form.

Stage
Pre-seed, Seed
Where it runs
United States. In person, so you need to be able to take part there
What you give up
7.5% equity for $210,000
Deadline
Not confirmed. Check the official page

That is the rulebook. What we cannot show you here is whether your startup clears it, how this ranks against the other programs you qualify for, and what to fix if you do not.

Check what I qualify for

Five questions, about a minute, no account needed.

Last verified against the official page. Report an error

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