Berkeley gets even friendlier to startups

BERKELEY STARTUP CLUSTER HIGHLIGHTS

City Council supports Zoning Changes to
Keep Innovation in Berkeley

Image: Berkeley zoning districts where R&D will be permitted with a Zoning Certificate, for uses under 20K square feet

Berkeley City Council voted unanimously on Dec. 3 to update the City's zoning to Keep Innovation in Berkeley. The new rules, proposed by City staff after years of outreach to Berkeley Startup Cluster Advisors, startup founders, UC Berkeley innovation ecosystem leaders, and health and safety experts, will make it possible for businesses to get over-the-counter zoning approvals for R&D uses under 20K square feet in key commercial corridors near campus and decrease the restrictions on where labs using Bio Safety Level-2 organisms can locate. As reported by SilconValley.com, these zoning changes are just the latest effort by Berkeley councilmembers to encourage growth of the city’s innovation sector.

See the staff presentation or watch the Council discussion on this topic in the live recording (starting at timestamp 2hr:49min).

Expanded tax waiver opportunity will help Berkeley startups' R&D grant funding go further

On Nov. 12, Berkeley City Council unanimously voted to approve Mayor Jesse Arreguin's recommendation to update Berkeley Municipal Code Section 9.04.165 to exempt the taxation of business gross receipts relating to philanthropic and government research and development (R&D) grants in the public interest. Berkeleyside reports how former Mayor Arreguin saw the tax credit as a way “to help grow our innovation sector” and Councilmembers Mark Humbert (District 8) and Igor Tregub (District 4) co-sponsored the item. The update will be meaningful for early-stage startups as they file for their annual business license renewals at the end of this year, as renewal fees are calculated based on annual gross receipts. The waiver opportunity will also allow the full value of government and philanthropic R&D grants to be used to develop climate solutions, healthcare treatments and other technologies to address the world's greatest challenges.

See the OED presentation regarding R&D grant tax waivers or watch the recording of the Nov 12. Council discussion on this topic (starting at timestamp: 1hr 47 mins).

Made-in-Berkeley induction stove from Copper lets users ‘plug and play’

A November 21 Berkeleyside article shared how West Berkeley startup Copper produces an induction range that enables faster, healthier and more precise cooking while still operating on a tradition 110-volt outlet. Plus, the embedded battery provides households with resilience to power outages. Copper is proud to be a certified California Green Business.

Read the Berkeleyside article on the DiscoveredinBerkeley website and follow @DiscoveredinBerkeley on Instagram to see more about other innovative Berkeley businesses.

Learn more about the CA Green Business certification program.

EVENTS

Harnessing the Power of DEI & Belonging
for Solopreneurs and Small Businesses

TODAY, Dec. 11, 12-1:00pm Zoom Join the Berkeley Chamber for a one-hour session that will cover the importance of diversity, equity & inclusion (DEI) and belonging, offer practical strategies for implementation, and describe business performance benefits and community engagement.  The session will feature group activities and case studies to ensure an engaging and impactful learning experience. Register to attend virtually at lunchtime today.

Collider Cup XV: UC Berkeley's Premier Student Startup Pitch Competition 

Friday, December 13, 1:00-5:00 pm Banatao Auditorium, UC Berkeley Join the Sutardja Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology (SCET) for their fifteenth Collider Cup, where top student teams pitch their projects to professors, investors, and industry experts for a chance to win the grand prize! The Collider Cup is SCET's all-star showcase of the best student teams each semester. RSVP today to watch the top student teams pitch their innovative business ideas.

Show Her the Money: Film Screening & Panel with Women VC and Founders

Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, 4:30-8:00pm Splet Theater 2600 Tenth St. Berkeley CA 94710 Join the Women Entrepreneurs of Berkeley, Berkeley SkyDeck and the Berkeley Startup Cluster for the film screening of Show Her the Money and a panel discussion with Squishy Robotics Founder & CEO Alice Agogino, Activate Berkeley Managing Director Jill Fuss, and Wealth Builder Bridgette Smith, moderated by Sibyl Chen, General Manager of Berkeley SkyDeck. The film demystifies venture capital and addresses how women are getting less than 2% of venture capital funding. RSVP to attend the film screening and panel discussion.

RESOURCES & OPPORTUNITIES

Refine your value proposition and identify target customers with I-Corps

Application deadline: January 3, 2025
course on January 21, January 23, & January 30 

The Bay Area National Science Foundation (NSF)-I Corps at UC Berkeley is a free remote one-week course based on Steve Blank's Lean LaunchPad. The three evening sessions teach you to identify your top customer segment, refine your value propositions, and accelerate finding product-market fit.

Apply by Jan. 3, 2025.

Best Places to Work: Nominate your company

Deadline: Friday, January 17, 2025

Do you work for (or run) a fantastic company? 

The San Francisco Business Times and Silicon Valley Business Journal are accepting applications for their annual Best Places to Work Awards program. A company must have a minimum of 10 employees in the Bay Area to qualify and also needs to pay a $250 entry fee to participate.

Learn more or nominate your Berkeley company before the January deadline.

Basic Steps to Getting a Berkeley Business License

The Berkeley Chamber and the City of Berkeley Office of Economic Development partnered to produce a step-by-step guide to getting a Berkeley business license. City regulators explained the process on a Nov. 15 Berkeley Chamber webinar, for any Berkeley-based business including how business license applications need to accompany a zoning certificate. Download the guide from the City of Berkeley Business License webpage or listen to the Chamber webinar.

BERKELEY INNOVATORS MAKING NEWS

New R&D developments in Berkeley

Berkeleyside examines the new R&D developments in Berkeley, and how today’s lab vacancy rates aren’t scaring City of Berkeley staff who expect that innovation “will be happening in Berkeley for many years to come”. Learn more in Berkeleyside about Berkeley’s R&D spaces, built, planned and paused.

Keep in Touch

To submit information or questions about Berkeley Startup Cluster contact: oedmailbox@berkeleyca.gov

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