How many investments has California Innovation Fund made?

California Innovation Fund has 36 tracked investments, 1 of which have exited, including 4 dated in the last 24 months.

What stage does California Innovation Fund invest at?

California Innovation Fund invests at the Seed, Series A, Growth stages.

Where is California Innovation Fund located?

California Innovation Fund is headquartered in Berkeley, US.

Does California Innovation Fund lead rounds?

Yes, California Innovation Fund leads investment rounds.

Who does California Innovation Fund co-invest with?

California Innovation Fund most often shares deals with CAL Innovation, Dorm Room, Metaplanet, among 149 tracked co-investors.

California Innovation Fund

Venture capital

Berkeley · Seed–Growth · 19 people tracked

Also known as CALIFORNIA INNOVATION

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Investment thesis

California Innovation Fund focuses on backing promising startups that emerge from UC Berkeley and other leading entrepreneurial universities around the world. The firm describes its approach as 'powering the flywheel of innovation' — investing in university-affiliated ventures and leveraging their outcomes to fund and support the next generation of entrepreneurs. Its model ties academic entrepreneurial ecosystems to venture investment.

Invests inAI & Machine Learning Biotech Cleantech Cybersecurity Digital Health EdTech Fintech LegalTech Mobility & TransportationSector AgnosticSpace Tech Berkeley Global Menlo Park United States

Source: firm website, verified Oct 2, 2026.

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Stage

Seed–Growth

Berkeley, US

Leads rounds

Leads

Instruments

Equity

Founded

2021

Last 12 months

1 investment

Tracked investments

Unicorns

Acquisitions

Team · 19 people

from the firm's website & curated & public directories

Kurt Beyer· Founder and General Partner· Mill Valley, Californiain 𝕏

PhD from UC Berkeley who teaches entrepreneurship at Haas and has 16 years of institutional investment experience as a former Principal at Parallel Advisors. An experienced entrepreneur, angel investor, and author of a book on computing history published by MIT Press.

Anne Greul· Managing Partner

Behavioral economist who co-founded Audi's Tech Intelligence Program in Boston and previously worked as a strategy consultant at McKinsey. Educated at UC Berkeley, Technical University of Munich, and CDTM.

Bryce Gilleland· General Partner

MBA from UC Berkeley Haas with two decades of experience in the energy sector across policy and corporate finance. Previously was CEO of a top-performing hedge fund and serves as an experienced angel investor and coach.

Caspar Schauseil· Managing Partner

Serial entrepreneur and investor with experience building digital operations at Knauf Group, executing special projects at Amazon, and advising on M&A transactions. Holds economics degrees from UC Berkeley, Johns Hopkins, Bocconi, and HEC.

Jerry Bellman· Managing Partner· San Francisco Bay Areain

Fractional CFO to high-growth startups with expertise in apparel, cosmetics, digital marketing, and financial services. Led multiple equity raises and advised on over $10 billion in M&A transactions; MBA from University of Chicago.

Mark Jones· Managing Partner

Legal executive in healthcare and biotechnology covering clinical and commercial matters across cancer, liver disease, and rare disease areas. Experienced founder and mentor to early-stage startups.

Shiva Somasundaram· Managing Partner

Product manager with over 10 years in AI/ML and engineering who earned a Master's in Computer Engineering from Georgia Tech and an MBA from Haas. Active angel investor and LP in digital health, healthcare technology, and education technology startups across multiple regions.

Mateo Bueno· Partner· San Francisco, Californiain 𝕏

Melanie Vuynovich· Director, Vetting Committee· Indianapolis, Indiana, United Statesin

Melanie Vuynovich is Senior Director of Workforce Development, Life Sciences at BioCrossroads, where she is developing an employer-led career apprenticeship pathway for Indiana modeled on the Swiss vocational education and training (VET) system. Her background includes advisory and leadership roles with startups, nonprofits, small businesses, and larger companies across sectors such as higher education, edtech, information technology, childcare, consumer products, and cultural exchange programs.

Emily Lammers· Senior Investment Associate

Former VP and Disruptive Technology Program Manager at Franklin Templeton with 15+ years in investment management. MBA from Haas and published author; also provides MBA admissions coaching.

Finn Baker· Videographer

Director and cinematographer co-founding Shifting Locus, a production company with offices in Seattle and Berkeley. Creates commercial, music video, and documentary content for various productions and businesses.

Lyzz Torres· Head of Operations

Operations professional with a background in biology and ongoing business education at UT Austin. Focuses on improving business processes, building team structure, and supporting leadership effectiveness.

Miranda Ferguson· Senior Investment Associate

Haas MBA graduate working at the intersection of technology and healthcare with prior product management experience in the pharmaceutical industry and a background in software engineering.

Mohammad Naqvi· Senior Investment Associate

Technology banker at Comerica Bank's Life Sciences division pursuing an MBA at Haas. Co-chair of UC LAUNCH, the University of California system-wide accelerator, which graduated 40 startups under his leadership.

Ashley Gould· Investor· United Statesin

Liz Feinstein· New York Cityin

Roger Benson· United Statesin

Stacey King· Senior Investment Associate· San Francisco Bay Areain

Chemical engineer with an MBA from Haas and experience in financial services and manufacturing. Passionate about equity and climate technology with involvement in the VC and startup ecosystem.

Vanessa Kahkesh· Investor· Berkeley, Californiain 𝕏

What they invest in

from 24 of 36 portfolio companies

AI & Machine Learning ×11Biotech ×8Healthtech ×7Medical Devices ×7Deep Tech ×6SaaS ×6Digital Health ×4Cybersecurity ×3

HQs:United States×18

Who they back

founder profiles across 22 portfolio companies

32%

solo founders

7 of 22 mapped founding teams

27%

repeat founders

of 26 founders with career history

Founding team size:solo founder×72 founders×93 founders×34+ founders×3

Where their founders studiedfrom 26 founders with education data

University of California, Berkeley ×6University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business ×4Duke University ×2Stanford University Graduate School of Business ×2The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) ×2University of California, San Francisco ×2

What their founders studiedfrom 27 founders with field-of-study data

Engineering ×8Life Sciences ×8Computer Science ×5Economics ×4Business & Management ×3Humanities ×3Chemistry ×2

Where their founders worked beforefrom 26 founders with career history

Stanford University ×3University of California, Berkeley ×3Google ×2

Accelerator rootsportfolio companies that came through a program

Y Combinator ×3

12 founders hold a PhD · 4 hold an MBA (of 29 with degree data)

Investments · 36 tracked

founders shown can be your intro path

By year:2025 · 3 2024 · 2 2023 · 16 dated

Answers AIanswersai.ai in

Enabling personalized education worldwide.

Bri Wilburn(Founder)inMamoun Debbagh(Founder)in

Co-investorsArray Ventures Management Llc CAL Innovation DeVC Dorm Room

Blingsblings.io in

Blings provides a video personalization platform that dynamically updates content in real-time by pulling data from customer CRM and database systems, ensuring each viewer sees customized video experiences.

AI & Machine LearningMarketing TechSaaS

Co-investorsCAL Innovation Hanaco Venture Capital Vertex Ventures Israel Vertex Ventures

Breatheasy MIISTmiisttherapeutics.com inFeb 2025

Miist develops inhaled microparticle therapeutics that deliver medicine to the bloodstream in 30 seconds, targeting conditions like migraine, pain, and anxiety where rapid onset is critical.

BiotechDigital HealthHealthtechMedical DevicesAlameda, US

Eric Ezerins(Cofounder, Head of Technology)in Dalton Signor(Cofounder, CEO)inRandy Krebs(Executive Officer)Jeffrey Schuster(Chief Technology Officer)inEvan Alfano(Director)

Co-investorsCAL Innovation Entrepreneur First FREEFLOW The Innovation Space Refactor Capital

Catena Biosciencescatenabio.com inMay 2024

CatenaBio develops precision conjugation technology using native amino acids to enable biotherapeutic fusions of small molecules, nucleic acids, enzymes, and cells.

BiotechDeep TechHealthtechMedical DevicesBerkeley, US

Marco Lobba(Founder)inMatthew Francis(Founder)inGeo Guillen

Co-investorsCivilization Ventures Management, Llc Creative Destruction Lab (CDL)FREEFLOW Iaso Ventures Jude Gomila LongeVC +14 more

Cooler Headscoolerheads.com in

Cooler Heads develops scalp cooling technology to prevent hair loss in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.

HealthtechMedical DevicesSan Diego, US

Kate Dilligan(Founder & CEO)in

Board Maria Gonzalez-Blanch(Director)in MICHAEL SCHOTZINGER(Director)inLIZ TODIA(Director)LIZ ZAMBORY(Director)in JASON PESTERFIELD(Director)in

Co-investorsAd Astra Ventures Aloft VC Astia Bacchus Venture Capital CAL Innovation Golden Seeds +6 more

EditPep inDec 2024

A Berkeley spinout developing a new generation of medicines for the brain and other hard-to-treat tissues using breakthrough science from UC Berkeley and the Innovative Genomics Institute.

BiotechBerkeley, US

Ross Wilson(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)Dana Foss(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)in

BoardJaromir Tesar(Director)

Co-investorsCAL Innovation

EdVisorly, Inc.edvisorly.com in 𝕏

EdVisorly is an AI-based enrollment platform for higher education institutions, used to manage admissions and enrollment operations.

AI & Machine LearningEdTechSaaS

Manny S.(Founder)inManny Smith(Founder)Christine Wyatt(Chief Operating Officer)in Landon Lewis(Chief Technology Officer)in

Co-investorsCAL Innovation Dorm Room Motley Fool Ventures Potencia Ventures Silicon Valley Black Operator

Eko Healthekohealth.com in 𝕏

Eko develops FDA-cleared digital stethoscopes and AI-powered software that enables healthcare professionals to detect and diagnose cardiovascular disease with greater accuracy.

AI & Machine LearningDigital HealthHealthtechMedical Devices

Connor Landgraf(Co-Founder and CEO)inTyler Crouchin Jason Bellet(Co-Founder and Chief Business Officer)in

Co-investorsQuesta Capital Highland Capital Partners Artis Ventures Better Ventures Central Llc CAL Innovation DigiTx Partners LLC +14 more

Encellinencellin.com in 𝕏

Encellin develops next-generation therapies for patients with chronic unmet clinical needs, using technology originating from Dr.

BiotechDeep TechHealthtechMedical DevicesSan Francisco, US

Tejal Desai(Technology Expert, Founder)Ronald Martell(Strategic Advisor, Founder)inCrystal Nyitray(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)inGrace Wei(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)in

BoardMaria del Consuelo Valverde(Director)

Co-investorsEndurance28 Evolution VC Partners How Women Invest ITERATIVE Metaplanet Sand Hill Angels +4 more

Engage Bioengagebio.com inAcquired

EngageBio develops DNA-based medicines using proprietary non-viral delivery technology to achieve extended therapeutic expression from a single dose with low manufacturing complexity.

BiotechDigital HealthHealthtechSan Francisco, US

Will Olsen(Founder)inKathryn Kwant

Co-investorsCAL Innovation Metaplanet SciFounders VentureSouq WorldQuant Ventures Y Combinator +9 more

FreeWire Technologiesfreewiretech.com

Android for EV charging - software solution that works with any 3rd party hardware

CleantechEnergyMobility & TransportationSan Leandro, US

Arcady Sosinov(Executive Officer, Director)

BoardChad Bown(Director)Michael Mahan(Director)Richard Steele(Director)Gary Moskovitz(Director)

Co-investorsAlumni Ventures Blue Bear Capital Partners Foothill Ventures MarketX Ventures Momenta Ventures Red Sails Investment +10 more

Gcgc.ai in 𝕏

GC AI is an AI platform built for corporate in-house legal teams, letting lawyers draft, review, and analyze legal documents, research case law, and run contract-review workflows.

AI & Machine LearningLegalTechSaaSSan Mateo, US

Cecilia Ziniti(Founder)inBardia Pourvakil(Founder)inCecilia Ziniti Bardia Pourvakil(Founder)

Co-investorsAZURO CAPITAL VENTURES Fellows FJ Labs Northzone Scale Venture Partners Tech Square Ventures +4 more

Kytedrivekyte.com 𝕏Defunct

Kyte was an on-demand car rental startup that delivered and picked up rental vehicles at customers' locations, aiming eventually to support teleoperated and autonomous vehicle delivery.

Co-investorsAmplo Ventures FJ Labs Flucas Ventures FundersClub Rosecliff Ventures 1984 Ventures Management, Llc +6 more

LILTlilt.com

LILT provides a multilingual AI platform that uses agentic AI models combined with expert human verification to translate and localize enterprise content such as product materials, technical documentation, and marketing campaigns.

AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareSaaSSan Francisco, US

John DeNero(Founder)in Spence Green(Founder)in

BoardWilliam Coughran(Director)Mark Rostick(Director)in

Co-investorsCAL Innovation Clear Ventures In-Q-Tel Intel Capital Kube VC Redpoint Ventures +3 more

Mammoth Biosciencesmammoth.bio in 𝕏

Mammoth Bio develops technology to read and write the code of life, operating in the biotechnology sector.

BiotechDeep TechMedical DevicesBrisbane, US

Jennifer Doudna(Founder)in Trevor Martin(Founder)in Janice Chen(Founder)in Lucas Harrington(Founder)in Ashley Tehranchi(Founder)in

BoardUrshit Parikh(Director)

Co-investors8VC Berkeley Frontier Decheng Capital Foresite Capital Mayfield Fund Mission Bay Capital +12 more

Modelwisemodelwise.ai

Modelwise develops Paitron, software that automates safety analysis such as FMEA for critical hardware systems using model-based failure propagation, AI, and qualitative models.

AI & Machine LearningDeep TechSaaS

Co-investorsAtlas Ventures (UK)Emerging Ventures

Prosperprosper.com in 𝕏

Prosper operates an online lending marketplace connecting borrowers with investors, offering personal loans up to $50,000 (issued by WebBank), a credit card, and investment products that let individuals invest in consumer loans.

FintechMarketplacesSan Francisco, US

David Kimball(Founder)inChris Larsen(Founder)John Witchel(Founder)

Co-investorsAkkadian Ventures Breyer Capital Emergence Capital Partners F-Prime Capital Fenway Summer Ventures Francisco Partners +9 more

Resemble AIresemble.ai in 𝕏

Resemble develops generative voice models and synthetic speech technology, alongside deepfake detection capabilities.

AI & Machine LearningCybersecurityDeep TechEnterprise SoftwareMedia & Entertainment

Zohaib Ahmed(Founder)in Saqib Muhammad(Founder)in

Co-investorsBerkeley Frontier Betaworks Bright Pixel Capital CAL Innovation Comcast Ventures Global Brain +13 more

Sequinsequincard.com in 𝕏

Sequin offers a debit card and financial product aimed at women, with a focus on building credit and financial education.

ConsumerFintech

Vrinda Gupta(Founder)in

Co-investorsDorm Room Emles Venture Partners First Check Ventures Scout Fund Scribble Ventures Abstract Ventures +9 more

SixMapsixmap.io in

SixMap provides a cyber defense platform that discovers digital assets across IPv4 and IPv6 using its 6Gen computational mapping algorithm and continuously scans all ports on each host to identify exposures.

AI & Machine LearningCybersecurityEnterprise SoftwarePasadena, US

Jason Kaplan(Chief Executive Officer)inGregory Levesque(Director)Austin Murdock(Chairman, Chief Scientist, and Founder)inWilliam Jr. Murdock(Executive Officer, Director)

Board Robert Ackerman(Director)in Michael Janke(Director)in

Co-investorsCAL Innovation DataTribe IAG Capital Partners

Space Kineticspacekinetic.com in

Space Kinetic develops technology to enable frequent, low-cost maneuvering and operations for spacecraft and space systems.

Deep TechHardwareSpace Tech

Scott Ziegler(Founder)in

Co-investorsBackswing Ventures Balerion Space Ventures CAL Innovation Industrious Ventures UP Partners CerraCap Ventures

Stylus Medicinestylusmedicine.com in

Stylus Medicine develops in vivo genetic medicines using engineered recombinases, with initial focus on creating CAR-T therapies delivered via lipid nanoparticles for oncology, autoimmune, and genetic diseases.

BiotechDigital HealthMedical Devices

Michael C. Bassik, Ph.D.(Scientific Founder)Emile Nuwaysir, Ph.D.(Chairman & Chief Executive Officer)inJason Fontenot, Ph.D.(Chief Scientific Officer)Ami Bhatt(Founder)Lacramioara Bintu(Founder)Michael Bassik(Founder)

Co-investorsBrainstorm Ventures CAL Innovation Khosla Ventures Neva Sgr.RA Capital Tachyon Ventures +1 more

Synviviasynvivia.comDec 2023

Synvivia engineers molecules designed to reprogram cells.

AI & Machine LearningBiotechHealthtechSan Francisco, US

Gabriel Lopez(CEO)in

Co-investorsCAL Innovation Creative Ventures Metaplanet Thundermark Capital Y Combinator For Good Ventures +3 more

TransCryptstranscrypts.com in 𝕏Oct 2025

TransCrypts is a blockchain-based platform for verifying and sharing employment, health and educational credentials.

CybersecurityData & InfrastructureFintechNewark, US

Zain Zaidi(Founder)inZain Z(Founder)Ali Zaheer(Founder)

Co-investorsAlpha Edison Alumni Ventures Atland Ventures Beyond Capital CAL Innovation Faction +13 more

Windfall Datawindfall.com in 𝕏

Windfall is a people intelligence and AI company that provides access to people data along with propensity modeling and machine learning to help go-to-market teams prioritize resources and engage the right prospects.

AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureSaaSSales Tech

Arup Banerjee(Founder)in Daniel Stevens(Founder)in

Co-investorsBullpen Capital Bonfire Ventures Great Oaks Venture Capital Valuestream Ventures Fortress Investment Group Kohala Ventures

Your360 AIyour360.ai in 𝕏Sep 2025

Your360 AI runs interview-based 360-degree feedback programs where an AI coach conducts voice conversations with employees and their feedback providers, then synthesizes the results into coaching themes and a prioritized growth plan.

AI & Machine LearningFuture of WorkHR TechSan Francisco, US

Jared Seth Goralnick(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)Sergio Kaszczyszyn(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)inRenata Elisabeth Bell(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)

Co-investorsCAL Innovation Capital Factory

Other

Tracked investments with no reachable website or further public details — typically companies that wound down, renamed, or were absorbed.

CalyxCatenaCatena BioscienceMammothMiistProsper MedicalSelva TherapeuticsVivereVivere OncotherapiesYeast Bay Bio

Portfolio news

latest coverage across their companies

Lilly and Engage Bio tie the knot with $202M acquisition - BioSpace

Engage Bio · biospace.com · May 20, 2026

Resemble AI Raises $13 Million in Funding

Resemble AI · thesaasnews.com · Dec 9, 2025

GC AI Raises $60M in Series B Funding

Gc · finsmes.com · Nov 12, 2025

TransCrypts Raises $15M Seed Round to Combat AI Fraud and Redefine Digital Identity Verification

TransCrypts · globenewswire.com · Oct 8, 2025

Space Kinetic Receives Investment from CerraCap Ventures

Space Kinetic · finsmes.com · Aug 19, 2025

Stylus Medicine Launches to Develop Precision, In Vivo Genetic Medicines and Unlock the Full Potential of CAR-T Therapy - BioSpace

Stylus Medicine · biospace.com · May 14, 2025

Windfall Data Raises $65M in Series B Funding

Windfall Data · finsmes.com · May 5, 2025

SixMap secures $7m in funding to expand visibility tech for CISOs

SixMap · fintech.global · Apr 29, 2025

Frequently asked questions

How many investments has California Innovation Fund made?: California Innovation Fund has 36 tracked investments, 1 of which have exited, including 4 dated in the last 24 months.
What stage does California Innovation Fund invest at?: California Innovation Fund invests at the Seed, Series A, Growth stages.
What sectors does California Innovation Fund focus on?: California Innovation Fund focuses on AI & Machine Learning, Biotech, Cleantech, Cybersecurity, Digital Health, EdTech, Fintech, LegalTech, Mobility & Transportation, Sector Agnostic, Space Tech.
Where is California Innovation Fund located?: California Innovation Fund is headquartered in Berkeley, US.
Does California Innovation Fund lead rounds?: Yes, California Innovation Fund leads investment rounds.
Who does California Innovation Fund co-invest with?: California Innovation Fund most often shares deals with CAL Innovation, Dorm Room, Metaplanet, among 149 tracked co-investors.

Media · Podcasts & interviews

featuring the team

Bryce Gilleland - GP - Cal Innovation Fund II California Innovation Fund

Charles Cormier - Founder Wisdom Podcast · Bryce Gilleland

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