Berkeley SkyDeck Fund
AcceleratorBerkeley · Pre-Seed–Seed · 6 people tracked
Also known as UC Berkeley Skydeck
Investment thesis
The Berkeley SkyDeck Fund backs startups going through UC Berkeley's SkyDeck Accelerator, investing $200K in each and following on in later-stage rounds led by Berkeley founders. Positioned as one of the most active seed investors in the Bay Area, it has made over 130 investments in three years. Through a first-of-its-kind public-private partnership, the fund shares half of its profits with UC Berkeley to support the university's public education mission. It is backed by VC firms including Sequoia Capital, Sierra Ventures, and Canvas Ventures, alongside individuals and large corporations.
Source: firm website, verified Jul 30, 2026.
Team · 6 people
from the firm's website & public directories
What they invest in
from 9 of 14 portfolio companiesAI & Machine Learning ×5Data & Infrastructure ×3Deep Tech ×2Enterprise Software ×2Hardware ×2SaaS ×2Biotech ×1Cleantech ×1
HQs:United States×7
Portfolio companies · 14 tracked
alumni founders can tell you what the program is really likeBy year:2021 · 12020 · 12 dated
Ambi Robotics builds AI-powered robotic systems for parcel handling, including robotic stacking (Ambistack), small parcel sorting to last-mile (Ambisort), and AmbiOS, an operating system for robots.
AI & Machine LearningLogistics & Supply ChainRobotics
BiotechBerkeley, US
Genine A. Winslow(Executive Officer, Director)Ran Geng(Director)Winnie Wan(Director)
Coreshell develops battery materials and technology aimed at improving battery capacity, performance, and cost while reducing reliance on critical materials.
CleantechEnergyNew MaterialsSan Leandro, US
Jonathan Tan(Executive Officer, Director)inSourav Basu(Executive Officer, Director)John Nadaskay(Executive Officer)inYoungduk Kim(Executive Officer)
BoardBenoist Ollivier(Director)Alexander Fang(Director)in
DeepScribe builds an ambient AI documentation platform for oncology, including an AI medical scribe, pre-visit chart summaries, AI medical coding, and note customization.
AI & Machine LearningDigital HealthHealthtechSan Francisco, US
Matthew Ko(Executive Officer, Director)Akilesh Dyanesh Bapu(Executive Officer, Director)Kairui Zeng(Executive Officer)
BoardMichael Berolzheimer(Director)in
Nano-tech startup focused on biotechnology
Semiconductor startup building AI-focused chips
Krisp builds real-time voice AI products that enhance communication through noise cancellation, accent conversion, voice translation, transcription, and summarization across audio hardware and applications.
AI & Machine LearningFuture of WorkSaaS
Arto Minasyan(Founder)in
MindsDB builds open-source infrastructure for AI-augmented analytics and data work, enabling users to interact with their data through natural language.
AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureDeveloper ToolsEnterprise SoftwareSaaSSan Francisco, US
Adam Carrigan(Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer)inJorge Torres(Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer)in
Berkeley, US
Prophecy offers an AI-powered data preparation and analysis platform that combines visual pipelines, code, and documents, with AI agents that help users find data, build pipelines, and generate documentation and tests.
AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureEnterprise Software
Raj BainsVikas MarwahaMaciej Szpakowski
SiFive develops processor IP based on the open-standard RISC-V instruction set architecture, offering customizable and scalable chip designs.
Deep TechHardwareSemiconductorsSan Francisco, US
Yunsup Lee(Executive Officer, Director)Krste Asanovic(Director)Andrew WatermanStefan A Dyckerhoff(Executive Officer, Director)Naveed Sherwani(Executive Officer)Patrick Little(CEO)
Skyloom builds space-based optical communications infrastructure for high-capacity data transport to, across, and from space.
Data & InfrastructureDeep TechHardwareSpace TechBroomfield, US
Catharine Parnell(Executive Officer)Santiago Tempone(Executive Officer, Director)Marcos Franceschini(Executive Officer, Director)Flavio Guidotti(Director)
BoardMatias Mosse(Director)
Platform for building, testing and running blockchain applications
High-throughput image-based cell sorting system
Portfolio news
latest coverage across their companiesSiFive · datacenterdynamics.com · May 7, 2026
Skyloom · investing.com · Jan 28, 2026
Frequently asked questions
- How many investments has Berkeley SkyDeck Fund made?
- Berkeley SkyDeck Fund has 14 tracked investments.
- What stage does Berkeley SkyDeck Fund invest at?
- Berkeley SkyDeck Fund invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed stages.
- What is Berkeley SkyDeck Fund's typical check size?
- Berkeley SkyDeck Fund typically writes checks of $200K.
- What sectors does Berkeley SkyDeck Fund focus on?
- Berkeley SkyDeck Fund focuses on Data & Infrastructure, Healthtech, SaaS, Sector Agnostic.
- Where is Berkeley SkyDeck Fund located?
- Berkeley SkyDeck Fund is headquartered in Berkeley, US.
- Who does Berkeley SkyDeck Fund co-invest with?
- Berkeley SkyDeck Fund most often shares deals with Sierra Ventures, CRV (Charles River Ventures), Granatus Ventures, among 48 tracked co-investors.
Media · Podcasts & interviews
featuring the teamFiresidechat w/ Brian Bordley, Principal, Berkeley SkyDeck Fund — Softlanding in the US with Berkley
Startup Grind Local · Brian Bordley
Virtual First Friday with Brian Bordley, Berkeley Skydeck Fund
UCLA TDG · Brian Bordley
Inside UC Berkeley’s #1 Startup & Innovation Ecosystem | "Startup Campus" Panel
Berkeley SkyDeck
How Writing a Book is Like Launching a Startup | "Startup Campus" Author Mike Cohen
Berkeley SkyDeck
Why Most Startup Ecosystems Fail & How Silicon Valley CRUSHES It
Berkeley SkyDeck
Inside Venture Capital with Scott Kupor (a16z): AI, Startup Fundraising, & more
Berkeley SkyDeck
Co-investors · 12
Qualcomm Ventures is the corporate venture investment arm associated with Qualcomm, backing technology companies from early to growth stage across multiple sectors.
Plug and Play is an innovation platform that connects corporations, governments, startups, investors, and universities to drive innovation.
Ulu Ventures is a seed-stage venture capital firm focused on finding and funding early-stage founder teams, emphasizing diversity and data-driven investment decisions.
Ganas Ventures is a Latina-led venture capital fund investing in pre-seed and seed-stage, community-driven startups across the US and Latin America.
Acrobator Ventures is a seed-stage venture capital firm based in Amsterdam that invests in software companies founded by entrepreneurs from the CIS, Central and Eastern Europe, and Baltic regions. The firm focuses on data infrastructure, fintech, biotech, cybersecurity, robotics, and related enabling technologies.
Blueyard is a small equal partnership with offices in the US and Europe, investing in early-stage companies.
One Planet Group is a closely held private equity firm that owns and operates businesses across ad tech, lead generation, performance marketing, publishing, and media, and also invests in innovative early-stage technology companies.
AgFunder is a venture capital firm focused on the agrifoodtech sector, and also publishes research such as its annual Global AgriFoodTech Investment Report.
Cambridge Angels is a UK business angel network that has been providing capital and operational support to entrepreneurs since 2001, backing more than 150 companies.
Carya Venture Partners is an early-stage venture firm based in Palo Alto, California, run by founders and operators who back ambitious startups across stages.
Innovestor is a Finnish investment manager focusing on venture capital, real estate, and energy storage, alongside corporate venturing services. The firm invests in early-stage technology and life sciences startups, energy-efficient commercial properties, and battery storage and solar solutions.
GRIDX (Grid Exponential) is a LATAM-focused investor and ecosystem builder that turns regional bioscience research and talent into globally impactful startups within the bioeconomy.
Firms observed investing alongside Berkeley SkyDeck Fund, from public investor directories. Shared companies are the overlap with Berkeley SkyDeck Fund's recorded portfolio.
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