Xconomy: Largest Startup Class Yet Enters UC Berkeley's Expanding Accelerator

More than a hundred startup teams are beginning a training and mentoring program this month at the Berkeley SkyDeck Accelerator--the largest group ever accepted to the UC Berkeley program since it was founded in 2012. Aside from the funding, free office rent, and other resources offered by the startup accelerator located near the edge of the Berkeley campus, the program is also setting an example for its young companies--as an organization going all out for growth. SkyDeck, originally launched as free office space where startups could roost and benefit from the advice of mentors from the university community, now partners with an affiliated venture capital firm, Berkeley SkyDeck Fund, which invests $100,000 in each company entering the program's formal six-month session as a "Cohort" member. That's comparable to the $120,000 invested in each startup nurtured by the influential Silicon Valley accelerator program Y Combinator. For the fall session, 22 Cohort startups were chosen, and an additional 80 teams were admitted as "HotDesk" members who can attend workshops, consult mentors, use office desks as available, and prepare for their company's next stage.