NEWS & UPDATES

SkyDeck draws large crowd for Signage Unveiling Party

(Photo: Courtesy of City of Berkeley Office of Economic Development)

UC Berkeley’s startup accelerator, SkyDeck, hosted a Signage Unveiling Party to celebrate the lighting of the SkyDeck sign on top of their 13-story building in Downtown Berkeley on November 2. More than 100 participants attended, including SkyDeck founders and advisors, investors, UC Berkeley leaders, and Berkeley City Councilmembers.  Mayor Jesse Arreguin discussed the importance to the City of Berkeley of supporting innovation led by local startups. 

Learn more about SkyDeck 

Berkeley startup Medinas wins $500,000 in Forbes Global Change the World Competition

(Photo: Courtesy of Forbes.com, #Under30Summit)

At the annual Forbes Under 30 Summit on October 2, Berkeley-startup Medinas won the Forbes Global Change the World Competition for early stage for-profit entrepreneurs. Medinas' founders (Chloe Alpert, Jesse Avshalomov, Tim Growney, Romy Seth) were honored for their company's data-driven exchange platform which helps healthcare organizations monetize near-expiry and surplus medical supplies. The global competition was hosted by Forbes, in collaboration with Ashton Kutcher and Guy Oseary, Co-Founders of Sound Ventures, and Boston-based Rough Draft Ventures (powered by General Catalyst). 

Read the Forbes Article Here 

Impact Hub Berkeley launches new series connecting the community with local entrepreneurs

(Graphic: Courtesy of Impact Hub Berkeley)

Impact Hub Berkeley is launching a new series designed to support entrepreneurs and build community within Berkeley: CommUNITY Café.  The bi-monthly event series, starting today (November 7) at 9:30am, will allow Berkeley businesses, social enterprises and startups to present their projects to the broader community and receive suggestions and connections. 

The series will run on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of each month, with the next session planned for Tuesday, November 21 at 9:30 AM. The series is free to attend, but seats and doughnuts will be limited, so advance registration is required.

Register Here

UPCOMING EVENTS

Start-Up Nation Tech Fair at UC Berkeley

Wednesday, November 15 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
West Pauley Ballroom // UC Berkeley

Bears for Israel is hosting the UC Berkeley Start-Up Nation Technology Fair, a professionally organized Expo featuring early-stage Israeli companies exhibiting innovative products and technologies. The program will consist of an panel of entrepreneurs panel followed by networking with the start-ups. The event is free and walk-ins are welcome. 

Find out event details

Nasdaq Hosting Two Events for Global Entrepreneurship Week

Thursday, November 16th 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM and 2:30 PM - 4:00 PM
Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center, 505 Howard Street Plaza Level // San Francisco

As part of Global Entrepreneurship Week (#GEW2017), Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center will be hosting two events next Thursday:

1 - The Biggest Lie in Building and Scaling a Business with Shinjini Das: help your business build better connecitons with a targeted audience in order to maximize growth.

2 - Inside the Mind of an Angel Investor: Investment Optionality Series with Nicola Corzine: learn what angel investors desire and how to make your business stand out when applying for funding.

Learn more and register here

Silicon Valley Venture Capital World Summit 2017 

Wednesday, November 22 9:30 AM - 4:30 PM
156 2nd Street  // San Francisco

The Silicon Valley Venture Capital World Summit is an opportunity to meet dynamic pre-selected companies with high growth potential, senior public sector representatives, fund managers, investment managers, and VIPs from across the world. Attendees will be able to learn, debate, invest, and connect with leaders on the future challenges facing Venture Capital and Private Equity in dynamic markets.

Find out event details

City of Berkeley Small Business Brunch Forum

Wednesday, December 6 8:30 AM - 10:30 AM
Gaumenkitzel Restaurant, 2121 San Pablo Avenue  // Berkeley

The City of Berkeley Office of Economic Development (OED) and Buy Local Berkeley invite the owners and managers of Berkeley small businesses, including startups, to provide feedback on the ways the City in Berkeley can best support local businesses. OED will also share info about resources and services available today. 

Please email the City of Berkeley Office of Economic Development to RSVP

RESOURCES & DEADLINES

Applications due this week for 4th Annual VC Connect

November 10 (this Friday): deadline to apply for VC Connect's November 28 event

Apply for the UC Berkeley Haas Venture Fellows 4th Annual VC Connect event by 11:59pm this Friday! This signature event gives Berkeley’s best startups a chance to pitch to the most influential venture capitalists on Sand Hill Road and other Bay Area investors.

Apply Here

Pre-Proposals due for 2017-18 Big Ideas Contest

November 15 (next Wednesday): deadline for Big Ideas Contest Pre-Proposals

The first deadline for the 2017-18 Big Ideas Contest is coming up! Big Ideas is an annual contest aimed at providing funding, support, and encouragement to interdisciplinary teams of students who have “big ideas.”  If chosen to move forward, finalist teams will have the opportunity to develop and refine their pre-proposals into 10-15 page “full proposals” (due in March 2018). 

Learn More and Apply Here

Department of Energy Offering $23 Million in Grants to Small Business

December 4: Phase 1 application deadline

The Department of Energy is offering funding to small businesses working on innovation research and technology transfer. The Phase 1 Release 1 has $23 million in advanced funding in order to allow small businesses to establish the technical feasibility of new innovations that advance the mission of the Office of Science.

Learn More and Apply Here

BERKELEY ENTREPRENEURS MAKING NEWS

Berkeley-based Sugarlogix shows not all sugar is bad

Berkeley based bio-tech startup Sugarlogix is working on teaching manufacturers and consumers that not all sugar is bad. In fact, some varieties, such as those made by Sugarlogix through yeast fermentation, can offer functional benefits people need. The FoodNavigator-USA article discusses the benefits of sugar and the future goals of Berkeley-based startup founder Kulika Chomvong.

Read the full article.

UC Berkeley students use startup class to help peers "Build The Future"

Jimmy Liu and Zuhayeer Musa, current undergraduates studying computer science at UC Berkeley, have already co-founded their first startup. However, they noticed that there was no easy way for students to know about entering Berkeley's startup environment. Their response? They created a class to provide their peers with direct experience from well-known founders and professors.

Read the full article.

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