Entrepreneurship at UC Berkeley
UC Berkeley combines world-class engineering and computer science with proximity to Silicon Valley. As a public university, it offers entrepreneurship resources at a more accessible price point than private institutions. Berkeley's startup culture is deeply rooted in both technology and social impact.
Entrepreneurship programs
- Haas School of Business - MBA with entrepreneurship focus
- SkyDeck - UC Berkeley startup accelerator
- SCET (Sutardja Center for Entrepreneurship & Technology)
- Berkeley Method of Entrepreneurship (BMoE) curriculum
- Lean LaunchPad course (origin of Lean Startup methodology)
Incubators and accelerators
- SkyDeck - accelerator with funding, mentorship, and office space
- CITRIS Foundry - hardware and deep tech focused
- Berkeley SkyDeck Hot Desk - early-stage co-working program
- The House Fund - VC fund focused on Berkeley-affiliated startups
Student clubs and organizations
- LAUNCH at Berkeley
- Blockchain at Berkeley
- Berkeley Innovation
- Net Impact Berkeley (social entrepreneurship)
Notable alumni founders
- Apple (Steve Wozniak)
- SoftBank (Masayoshi Son)
- DoorDash (Andy Fang)
- Marvell Technology (Sehat Sutardja)
- SunPower (Richard Swanson)
Local startup ecosystem
Berkeley is a short BART ride from San Francisco and sits on the edge of Silicon Valley. Students have easy access to Bay Area VCs, tech companies, and the broader startup ecosystem while benefiting from Berkeley's more affordable cost structure compared to Stanford.
Frequently asked questions
Related universities
Startup resources
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