Fundraising Fox
Berkeley Catalyst
Venture capitalBerkeley · Seed–Series A · 3 people tracked
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Investment thesis
The Berkeley Catalyst Fund invests in early-stage companies emerging from UC Berkeley, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, UCSF, and associated Bay Area accelerators and incubators. The fund is structured to share returns with UC Berkeley's College of Chemistry through the UC Berkeley Foundation. A sister philanthropic fund allows alumni and donors to participate in the entrepreneurial ecosystem while supporting the College of Chemistry and providing emerging companies with mentorship and expertise.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 6, 2026.
Team · 3 people
from public directoriesWhat they invest in
from 23 of 27 portfolio companiesBiotech ×17Healthtech ×13Medical Devices ×8Deep Tech ×7AI & Machine Learning ×4Cleantech ×3Hardware ×3AgTech ×2
HQs:United States×21
Who they back
founder profiles across 15 portfolio companiesFounding team size:solo founder×62 founders×73 founders×14+ founders×1
Where their founders studiedfrom 14 founders with education data
Stanford University ×4Massachusetts Institute of Technology ×3Cornell ×2University of California, Berkeley ×2University of Science and Technology of China ×2
What their founders studiedfrom 15 founders with field-of-study data
Engineering ×5Computer Science ×4Chemistry ×2Mathematics & Statistics ×2Medicine ×2Physics ×2
Where their founders worked beforefrom 15 founders with career history
Harvard Medical School ×3Berkeley Lab ×2
Investments · 27 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathBy year:2022 · 12021 · 12020 · 32019 · 22018 · 12017 · 19 dated
4DMT is a late-stage biotechnology company that develops gene delivery systems and genetic therapeutics targeting specific tissue types for various diseases.
BiotechHealthtechEmeryville, US
David Kirn(Executive Officer, Director)inDavid Schaffer(Director)inTheresa Janke(Executive Officer)in
BoardSharon Tetlow(Director)Margi McLoughlin(Director)
Co-investorsAmzak HealthBOLD LongevityChiesi VenturesPappas CapitalPfizer Venture InvestmentsRidgeback Capital+7 more
Nelumbo develops materials-science coatings that use microscopic surface structures to control how water and condensation interact with surfaces, serving industrial and consumer markets.
CleantechDeep TechNew MaterialsHayward, US
Liam Berryman(Cofounder)inLance Brockway(Director)in
Board seatLaura Smoliar· per SEC Form D
Co-investorsHarmonix FundPrime Movers LabSafar PartnersUPC Capital VenturesUTEC1517
Acrigen develops precision gene editing systems based on CRISPR, using novel αCas and μCas nuclease libraries paired with engineered anti-CRISPR (ErAcr) proteins to reduce off-target edits.
BiotechDeep TechHealthtechKensington, US
Joseph Bondy-Denomy(Director)David Rabuka(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)Karen Boezi(Director)
Co-investorsDolby Family Ventures
Akadeum manufactures GMP-compliant ancillary materials for cell and gene therapy applications, specializing in microbubble-based negative selection products.
Advanced ManufacturingBiotechDeep TechHealthtechMedical DevicesAnn Arbor, US
Kalyan Handique(Executive Officer, Director)John Younger(Executive Officer, Director)inJames Militello(Executive Officer)
BoardJeffrey S. Williams(Director)Paul D'Amato(Director)inDan Kidle(Director)in
Co-investorsArboretum VenturesBeringeaBlueStone Venture PartnersCANTILEVER INVESTORSeLab VenturesHemisphere Ventures LLC+7 more
Amplicore Pharma develops an injectable pharmaceutical formulation targeting musculoskeletal disorders, particularly osteoarthritis, designed to slow cartilage degeneration and reduce symptoms as an alternative to joint replacement surgery.
BiotechHealthtechMedical Devices
Avvio Medical develops Microbubble SonoLithotripsy, a minimally invasive outpatient procedure that uses low-intensity ultrasound to break down ureteral stones without requiring general anesthesia or stents.
Deep TechHealthtechMedical DevicesSan Francisco, US
Co-investorsBaruch Future VenturesMission Bay CapitalMission Biocapital
Arima Genomics develops DNA-based cancer diagnostics that combine genomic sequence with 3D genome structural information (via Hi-C sequencing) to detect fusions, rearrangements, ecDNA, and other structural drivers of cancer.
BiotechHealthtechMedical Devices
Sid Selvaraj(Founder & Chief Operating Officer)inTom Willis(Chief Executive Officer)inAnthony Schmitt(Senior Vice President, Science)inErin Davis(Vice President, Marketing)in
Co-investorsIllumina Ventures
Circle Pharma develops cancer treatments using macrocycle therapies designed to reduce side effects compared to conventional therapies.
BiotechDigital HealthHealthtechMedical DevicesSouth San Francisco, US
Matthew P. Jacobson(Co-founder)Scott R. Lokey(Director)David J. Earp(President & CEO)inPaul Park(Executive Officer)
BoardThilo Schroeder(Director)inWalter H. Moos(Director)
Co-investorsHemisphere Ventures LLCJude GomilaLifeforce CapitalMission Bay CapitalMission BiocapitalNextech Invest+3 more
Enables people to live more deliberate lives through data-driven insights
BiotechEmeryville, US
Jay Keasling(Executive Officer, Director)Darren Platt(Executive Officer)Jeff Ubersax(Executive Officer)William Haseltine(Director)Haorui Zhang(Director)
Co-investorsWinklevoss CapitalHorizons Ventures
Particella, Inc. (formerly DNAlite Therapeutics) is a preclinical biotechnology company developing an oral lipid nanoparticle platform to deliver nucleic acids, such as mRNA, to the intestinal epithelium.
BiotechDeep TechSan Francisco, US
Mubhij Ahmad(Executive Officer, Director)David Rabuka(Director)Timothy Paul Day(Director)
BoardAndrew Cain McClary(Director)Drew Lanza(Director)in
Co-investorsBlue Bear VenturesKdT Ventures
Frontier is a drug discovery company developing small-molecule covalent drugs aimed at previously undruggable protein targets across the proteome.
AI & Machine LearningBiotechSouth San Francisco, US
Chris Varma, Ph.D.(Executive Officer, Director)Chris Varma(Co-founder, Chairman and CEO)inJim Winkler(Executive Officer)Johannes Hermann, Ph.D.(Executive Officer)Kevin Webster(Executive Officer)inGregory Chow(Executive Officer)
Co-investorsDCVC (Data Collective)Droia VenturesFelicis VenturesMPM BioImpactRA CapitalDCVC Bio+2 more
Inhalon Biopharma is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing inhaled "muco-trapping" antibody treatments for acute respiratory infections, including RSV, influenza, human metapneumovirus, and SARS-CoV-2.
BiotechHealthtechCarrboro, US
Sam Lai(Founder, Chief Scientific Officer and Director)inJohn Whelan(President, Chief Executive Officer and Director)inWinnie Wan(Director)
Co-investorsFlucas VenturesSand Hill Angels
Invenio develops rapid on-site tissue imaging systems combined with AI to improve cancer patient care.
AI & Machine LearningBiotechDeep TechMedical DevicesSanta Clara, US
Jay Trautman(President & CEO, Co-Founder)inChris Freudiger(Chief Technology Officer, Co-Founder)inChristian Freudiger(Director)inXiaoliang Xie(Director)
BoardDoug Crawford(Director)in
Co-investorsMission Bay CapitalMission Biocapital
LogicInk develops wearable biochemical sensors that detect environmental and personal health signals—such as UV exposure, air quality, and microbiome changes—to provide real-time wellness feedback.
BiotechConsumerHardwareHealthtechWellness & FitnessSan Francisco, US
Carlos Olguin(Founder & CEO)inHendrik Dietz(Scientific Co-Founder)in
Co-investorsKrillion VenturesAtypical VenturesVillage GlobalMission Biocapital
Madorra develops a nonhormonal, noninvasive medical device to treat vaginal dryness and vulvovaginal atrophy, targeting post-menopausal people and breast cancer survivors.
FemTechHealthtechMedical DevicesPortland, US
Co-investorsAvestria VenturesOneVenturesPortfoliaPortland Seed FundSocial StartsElevate Capital
Newomics develops the UniESI system, a multiomics front-end platform using its M3 emitter and MEA chip "multispray" technologies for microflow and nanoflow LC-MS.
BiotechDeep TechHardwareBerkeley, US
Pan Mao(Director)inDaojing Wang(Executive Officer, Director)inPatrick Scannon(Director)
Co-investorsLDV PartnersMSA Capital
Fremont, US
Shrinivas Shetty(Executive Officer, Director)David Sungsu You(Director)Rami El Assal(Director)Kishore Karkera(Executive Officer)Art Zafiropoulo(Director)
Resilient Biotics uses microbiome genomics and data science to discover and develop non-antibiotic, precision microbial therapeutics derived from commensal microbial communities, aimed at preventing respiratory infectious diseases.
AI & Machine LearningBiotechHealthtechResearch Triangle Park, US
Rachelle Galvin(Executive Officer, Director)Christopher Belnap(Executive Officer, Director)Greg Werner(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardDrew Lanza(Director)inEric Eason(Director)John Peryam(Director)in
Co-investorsFulcrum Global Capital
SimpleLab provides laboratory testing services for food, water, and environmental safety at scale, from small businesses to enterprise clients.
CleantechConsumerFoodTechHealthtechImpact & Social GoodLogistics & Supply ChainSaaS
Co-investorsAthletico Ventures
Sugarlogix develops functional food products designed to support disease management, particularly for diabetes and metabolic health, through innovative ingredients and scientific advancement in food technology.
BiotechFoodTechGamingHealthtech
SwineTech builds technology for pork producers, including SmartGuard, a voice-recognition and wearable system that reduces piglet crushing, and PigFlow, a workflow and execution-management platform for coordinating daily work across pork production operations.
AgTechAI & Machine LearningSaaSSolon, US
Abraham Espinoza(Co-founder)inMatthew Rooda(Co-founder & CEO)John Rourke(Co-founder)
BoardGlenn Argenbright(Director)Jan Bouten(Director)inRussell Gilliam(Director)
Co-investorsAg Ventures AllianceInnova Memphis, Inc.ISA VenturesCultivation CapitalQuake Capital
Valitor develops bioactive molecule therapies using a multivalent biopolymer technology platform to create long-acting treatments for ophthalmologic diseases, with its lead candidate VLTR-559 targeting wet age-related macular degeneration.
BiotechMedical DevicesBerkeley, US
Wesley Jackson(President, Chief Scientific Officer & Member of the Board)inGregory D. Kunst(Chief Executive Officer)Carole H Bellis(Executive Officer)Kevin E Healy(Director)Jackson M Wesley(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardDrew Lanza(Director)in
Co-investorsAngel Physicians FundExSight VenturesFirst Spark Ventures, LlcPandect BioventuresTaihill Venture
Other
Tracked investments with no reachable website or further public details — typically companies that wound down, renamed, or were absorbed.
Water HarvestingAlignedcarbonAmplicoreOyla Inc
Rows marked “SEC filing” are inferred from directors named on the company's SEC Form D — public regulatory data, not a portfolio list published by the firm.
Exits · 2
1 IPOs · 1 acquisitions · showing 14D Molecular TherapeuticsNASDAQ: FDMT
Portfolio news
latest coverage across their companiesAkadeum Life Sciences · biospace.com · Jun 4, 2025
Frequently asked questions
- How many investments has Berkeley Catalyst made?
- Berkeley Catalyst has 27 tracked investments, 2 of which have exited.
- What stage does Berkeley Catalyst invest at?
- Berkeley Catalyst invests at the Seed, Series A stages.
- What sectors does Berkeley Catalyst focus on?
- Berkeley Catalyst focuses on AgTech, Biotech, Cleantech, Climate Tech, Deep Tech, FoodTech, Hardware, Healthtech, Medical Devices.
- Where is Berkeley Catalyst located?
- Berkeley Catalyst is headquartered in Berkeley, US.
- Does Berkeley Catalyst lead rounds?
- Berkeley Catalyst typically participates in rounds rather than leading them.
- Who does Berkeley Catalyst co-invest with?
- Berkeley Catalyst most often shares deals with Mission Biocapital, Mission Bay Capital, Hemisphere Ventures LLC, among 60 tracked co-investors.
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