exempting R&D grants from taxes

Do you work at a Berkeley startup? Want to inspire the next generation and build a diverse local STEM workforce?

The Berkeley Startup Cluster seeks “STEM CareerX” tour hosts willing to show Berkeley High School students how their STEM skills could apply in the workplace.

Organized by the Institute for STEM Education at Cal State East Bay and sponsored by the City of Berkeley Office of Economic Development and Berkeley Startup Cluster, tours usually last a few hours and include a presentation about the business, a demo, and some interactive STEM or career mapping activities.

STEM companies of all sizes and industry sectors welcome to participate.

To host or learn more, contact us. Or find other ways your company can contribute to equitable development locally on the Berkeley Ventures, Berkeley Values webpage.

More than 475 entrepreneurial Cal students signed up to attend a UC Berkeley Entrepreneurial mixer on Sept. 16, the largest ever! Many great opportunities for founders (and aspiring founders) were shared, including the Sutardja Center's Certificate in Entrepreneurship & Technology, Big Ideas Contest, CITRIS Workforce Innovation Program, Berkeley Changemaker program, and resources for growing a business in Berkeley from the City of Berkeley Office of Economic Development and Berkeley Startup Cluster.

Access resources and information for startups in real time (or post your own) on the Berkeley Startup Cluster page on LinkedIn.

Biocom CA hosted an informative "Meet the Inspector" workshop on Sept.10 for life science industry leaders at Foundry 31, one of West Berkeley's state-of-the-art R&D facilities. Participants learned the rules and were able to ask questions of local regulatory agency staff, including the City of Berkeley's Fire and Toxics Departments.

Learn more about Biocom CA and request the slides.

Thursday, October 17, 4:30-6:30pm
Study Hall Rooftop Lounge
2121 Center St., 12th floor, Berkeley

Join the Berkeley Chamber for a special night in Downtown Berkeley to unwind after your long workday. Mingle with other business leaders while enjoying refreshing beverages, delicious snacks, and a sweeping view of the Bay Area from the Study Hall Rooftop Lounge at Residence Inn Berkeley.

Register to attend here.

Activate transforms scientists and engineers into founders, empowering them to reinvent the world by bringing their research to market. Activate Fellows get two years of funding, technical resources, and unparalleled support from a network of scientists, engineers, investors, commercial partners, and fellow entrepreneurs, including many from the Berkeley Lab. In fact, Activate fellows broke $2.4B in total follow-on funding in 2024!

Apply before 10/23.

Apply to be a mentor or judge by October 15

Big Ideas student applicants must submit a 3-4 page pre-proposal by November 20, 2024

This year's Big Ideas Contest has launched and will support the game-changing innovations students develop, whether it's improving access to quality healthcare, eliminating plastic waste, or designing sustainable energy solutions.  Open to UC Berkeley students in any major or discipline, Big Ideas provides mentorship, training, networks and funding.

If you are an experienced startup founder, tech-entrepreneur or social sector leader looking to support the next generation of game-changing innovations and entrepreneurial leaders, join UC Berkeley's Big Ideas Contest as a judge or mentor to get a first-hand look at the top social ventures being launched by talented Cal students. 

Learn more about the Big Ideas program, judge and mentor requirements and apply by October 15 or inquire by email.

Do you have questions or want to discuss a Big Idea? DM @bigideascontest on Instagram or schedule 1:1 advising appointment

The nomination period is now open for the 2025 East Bay Innovation Awards. Nominate East Bay companies and organizations across categories that include: Catalyst, Community Impact, Manufacturing, and Product or Technology.

Contact iawards@eastbayeda.org with any questions you have on the process and nominate a Berkeley company today!

Tuesday, November 12, 6:00 PM

Want a lab or workshop closer to campus? Seeking to grow your business in Berkeley? Share your views on local zoning rules impacting Research & Development (R&D) companies when City of Berkeley staff present recommendations on ways to Keep Innovation in Berkeley to City Council. The proposed changes would make it easier for R&D to take place in commercial corridors near campus and lessen the restrictions on where biotech businesses can locate in West Berkeley.

To stay informed on this topic, contact OED. (The full staff report will be on the Council meeting agenda webpage by Nov. 1.)

At 1936 University Ave, The Promenade, a boutique 3-Story multi-tenant office building with a 120-stall parking garage is on sale.  One of the few ‘Off-Campus’ Berkeley buildings which satisfies challenging UC seismic occupancy requirements, the 43,193 SF building is within walking distance to UC Berkeley, BART & Downtown Berkeley retail and amenities.

Kobold Metals, a minerals exploration startup using AI to unearth new deposits of lithium and copper, has raised $491 million of its targeted $527 million funding round.  According to PitchBook data, this will be one of the largest climate-tech rounds of the year.

Read more from Pitchbook.

Berkeley startup Twelve received $645 million in funding including $400 million in project equity led by TPG Rise Climate, $200 million in Series C financing, and an additional $45 million in credit facilities from leading funders in the renewable energy sector. One of the largest financing rounds to date in the e-fuels space, the funds will help their efforts to turn carbon dioxide into sustainable aviation fuel.

Read more on the TPG website.

The biotech company, Pivot Bio, is using genetically edited microbes to deliver a usable form of nitrogen directly to the roots of crops, reducing the amount of synthetic fertilizer farmers need to use and the pollution that comes with it. Their product cuts climate emissions without reducing agricultural yields, and the company’s products were applied to 5 million acres last year.

Explore the 2024 list of 15 Climate Tech Companies to Watch in the MIT Technology Review.

The Berkeley SkyDeck's Batch 18 Demo Day on Oct. 1, 2024 was the accelerator's largest ever, with 1,400 people registered, including more than 500 who attended in-person. Around half of the startups that pitched are in the artificial intelligence space. Other sectors represented included climate, agriculture, materials, biotech and quantum computing.

View the startups that participated or read more in The San Francisco Business Times.