|
|
Strengthened disaster preparedness. Clearer information about supportive housing. Less waste in landfills. These priorities aren’t unique to the City of Berkeley, but their potential solutions might be. The UC Berkeley’s Big Ideas Contest has opened the window for students to apply to participate in the first-ever Berkeley Civic Innovation Challenge. A collaboration between UC Berkeley and the City of Berkeley, selected student teams will compete in a seven-day innovation sprint early next year, developing creative prototypes and service models to address five pressing civic issues.
Big Ideas is UC Berkeley’s 20-year-old accelerator that has helped launch more than 550 social ventures across 50 countries. Civic Innovation Challenge winners will receive up to $4,000 in funding, feedback from City of Berkeley leaders, and a fast-track into the Big Ideas final round.
If you are a UC Berkeley undergrad and want to solve a real world civic challenge, apply here. Read more about the Civic Innovation Challenge in the UC Berkeley News.
|
 For the third consecutive year, UC Berkeley leads the world in producing venture-backed startups and founders. According to the 2025 PitchBook rankings, Berkeley undergraduates launched 1,650 companies and produced 1,804 founders, more than any other university. UC Berkeley also holds the top slot for having the most female graduates who have founded companies. Berkeley bested Stanford, Harvard and MIT in the annual Pitchbook rankings, a testament to the campus' investments in innovation and entrepreneurship. Chancellor Rich Lyons described the ranking as “independent confirmation that we’ve built something truly remarkable here at Berkeley,” citing the university’s sustained commitment to innovation, entrepreneurship, and startup support.
 Berkeley SkyDeck and the Berkeley Startup Cluster co-hosted Voices of Venture: Women in Innovation earlier this month. The event brought together four female founders: Michelle Kiang, Julie Lein, Wendy Lim, and Danielle D’Agostaro to share insights on raising capital during challenging economic times. The key takeaway from the event was that it is more important than ever for founders to connect, share experiences, and build relationships with active investors and fellow entrepreneurs.
In September, more than 200 UC Berkeley students gathered for the UC Berkeley Entrepreneurship Mixer, hosted by the Sutardja Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology (SCET) and sponsored by the City of Berkeley’s Office of Economic Development (OED) and the Berkeley Startup Cluster. The evening featured pizza, presentations, and pitches, connecting aspiring founders with campus and community resources to help them launch and grow their business ideas.
Event partners included: UC Berkeley SCET, Berkeley BEGIN, Big Ideas Contest, UC Berkeley School of Public Health, The eHub at Berkeley, CITRIS and the Banatao Institute, and PepsiCo.
For more resources for local startup founders, visit the Berkeley Startup Cluster or UC Berkeley BEGIN websites.
|
On National Manufacturing Day (Oct. 3), East Bay Economic Development Alliance members toured the cultivated meat facility (the world’s largest) of Berkeley-HQed startup UPSIDE Foods. UPSIDE Foods has been making great strides to improve cell productivity and decrease the costs of media so the world can eat meat without the environmental impacts the meat industry produces today. And the attendees’ reaction to the samples shared? “It tastes like chicken.”
UPSIDE Foods was featured in the City's #DiscoveredinBerkeley campaign in 2021. Read the story on DiscoveredinBerkeley.com.
|
 UC Berkeley's Mike Cohen shared five life lessons from the story of Startup Campus at the UC Berkeley book celebration at Bakar Bio Labs. It's incredible how many campus leaders helped develop the university's position as global leader in innovation & entrepreneurship! The Berkeley Startup Cluster is thrilled to have played a part in this story.
Read all about it in Startup Campus.
|
|
EVENTS
Talking Tech Transfer: Patenting & Licensing IP Fundamentals
TODAY, October 23, 12:00pm
Learn more about intellectual property and licensing in a university setting. We will go over different forms of intellectual property and how to protect each one, delve into inventions and patents in more detail, and discuss licensing.
Register to attend.
Talking Industry Research Funding: Partnership Fundamentals
October 30, 12:00pm
Explore opportunities and mechanisms in working with industry sponsors of research. We’ll cover a spectrum from identifying industry partners to pitching your research projects and capabilities, to contracts, to publications, reports and intellectual property. We’ll also cover exchanges of information, data, software, and materials. Bring your questions! Most of our time will be spent in discussion
Register to attend.
November 5, 8-9:30am
Sconehenge Bakery (2787 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley)
The Women Entrepreneurs of Berkeley (WEB) are launching a Leadership Book Club and welcome female leaders from the Berkeley Startup Cluster! The first read: Being the Boss by Linda Hill — a practical and inspiring guide to strengthening leadership skills and thriving in business. Join the book club for thoughtful conversation, fresh insights, and community connection. Grab your copy at the library or a local bookstore and join the morning of Nov. 5 for a discussion and networking over fresh-baked scones.
RSVP here.
RESOURCES & OPPORTUNITIES
Apply by October 28.
Are you an entrepreneurial scientist ready to turn your breakthrough idea into real-world impact? The Cyclotron Road Program at Berkeley Lab, operated in partnership with Activate, empowers innovators working on hard tech and climate solutions by providing funding, mentorship, lab access, and a vibrant community.
Apply for the Cyclotron Road Cohort 2026 by Oct. 28.
|
Nominations due Nov. 3
The East Bay Innovation Awards, organized by the East Bay EDA, celebrates and honors the extraordinary companies and organizations that contribute to the East Bay’s legacy of innovation. For over a decade, the annual awards ceremony has showcased outstanding organizations that embrace innovation in their manufacturing, products, services, design, and information. The criteria by which winners will be chosen include innovation, culture, community impact & engagement, and economic impact. Winners must be in attendance at the event on Thursday, March 26, 2026.
Nominate a Berkeley company advancing innovation in their field by Nov. 3.
|
UC Berkeley is home to one of the most vibrant innovation ecosystems in the world. BEGIN features Berkeley innovation and entrepreneurship resources, opportunities, events, and news to help you connect with the Berkeley ecosystem and take the next step in your entrepreneurial journey.
Explore more here.
|
BERKELEY INNOVATORS MAKING NEWS
West Berkeley's plug-in electric stove manufacturer Copper is part of the shift in reducing the global reliance on fossil fuels to help mitigate climate change. Their induction stovetop optimizes when its battery recharges and can manage multiple power sources, such as solar and conventional grid power. The battery stores energy as well — notably helpful during a power outage.
Read the full story in the San Francisco Business Times.
|
Berkeley-based Jiminy’s has been recognized with the 2025 Dog Dental Innovation of the Year award by the Pet Innovation Awards! Selected from thousands of global nominations, Jiminy’s earned this honor for its Dental Chews, which stood out for their creativity, innovation, and positive impact on the pet industry.
The Independent Pet Innovation Award committee praised Jiminy’s commitment to developing sustainable, science-backed products that support pet health and the planet.
Learn more about what makes their dental treats unique.
|
Berkeley based Bellwether Coffee was recently featured in Canary Media (Clean energy journalism for a cooler tomorrow) showcasing their all-electric, efficient machines that replace gas-burning roasters, giving cafes a sustainable and affordable way to roast their own blends.
Read more about their process on CanaryMedia.com.
|
UC Berkeley’s Space Sciences Laboratory (SSL) is preparing for its first-ever mission to Mars and celebrating two major milestones in space exploration. The Carruthers Geocorona Observatory recently launched to study Earth’s outer atmosphere, while the upcoming ESCAPADE mission will send twin spacecraft to Mars to investigate how solar wind stripped away the planet’s atmosphere.
Led entirely from Berkeley and launching on Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket, this mission marks a major milestone for SSL and highlights UC Berkeley’s growing role in space exploration.
Read the article in Berkeleyside.
|
Keep in Touch
For questions about the Berkeley Startup Cluster, contact: oedmailbox@berkeleyca.gov
|
|
|
