UC Berkeley Innovation & Entrepreneurship

🎉 Exciting News! CITRIS at the University of California is excited to unveil a new collaboration with the Academic Innovation Catalyst (AIC) to launch the CITRIS Innovation Fellowship program and AIC Awards. This initiative is designed to transform faculty research into practical solutions for society's most critical challenges. 🌍 AIC, a DeepTech funding platform established by Matt and Lisa Sonsini, will partner with principal investigators from the four CITRIS and the Banatao Institute campuses – UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UC Merced, and UC Santa Cruz. Each year, three recipients will be awarded up to $200,000 in funding. 🏆 “It’s an honor to partner with the AIC team as they give back to the next generation of entrepreneurs. Funding proof-of-concept projects is essential to maintaining our reputation as the leading university for startups” – Rich Lyons, Chancellor of University of California, Berkeley Applications for the inaugural AIC Awards will open in August 2024. For more information, please contact Ravnit Plaha, CITRIS Development Manager, at ravnit@berkeley.edu. 📅 ------------ #Innovation #Entrepreneurship #DeepTech #CITRIS #AIC #UC #FacultyResearch #StartupSupport #ClimateResilience #AIforGood #Aerospace #TechForGood

💡The Entrepreneurship Hub Is Hiring Three Community Managers This Fall 2024, the Berkeley Haas Entrepreneurship Hub (eHub) will open its doors, providing a vibrant space for Berkeley students to connect, innovate, and thrive. The eHub is set to become a central resource for any student, mentor, or investor committed to building a better future by offering open meetings and working areas and free snacks and coffee to fuel your creativity! ☕ The eHub is looking for Community Managers to: welcome guests, connect members, spread the word about the eHub, set up eHub spaces, and create social/learning experiences or outreach activities. eHub Community Managers should: (1) be available to work onsite 10-15 hours per week, including Thursday evenings and (2) be skilled socially in order to connect with a diverse group of people and potentially sell volunteer opportunities. 🌟 Interested in any of the following three positions? Send your resume and cover letter to ehub@berkeley.edu Position 1: Community Manager – Student Volunteers ($24/hr) Key Responsibilities:  - Partner with Executive Director to build a student volunteer organization of greeters, peer facilitators, peer mentors, and peer navigators  - Recruit, train, and manage volunteers 🚀 If you have a demonstrated ability to create something out of nothing, this position is for you! Position 2: Community Manager – Social + Outreach ($20/hr) Key Responsibilities:  - Plan, execute, and lead student team in social media activities with emphasis on short-form video  - Create and distribute newsletters 🎨 If you have strong design, writing, and Canva skills and know how to create compelling short-form video content, apply! Position 3: Community Manager – Data + Systems ($20/hr) Key Responsibilities:  - Utilize HubSpot, Tableau, and other tools to collect and manage data and produce dashboards and reports  - Assist executive director with event, micro-community, and mentor match planning  - Provide recommendations of ways to use data to improve operations 🖥️ Apply if you have a demonstrated experience with organizing and learning from large volumes of data as well as a background in HubSpot and Tableau. Any questions? Contact Dawn McGee at dmcgee@berkeley.edu, Executive Director at Berkeley eHub and the “BEST boss ever!”, according to Gabby T. (Venture Development Manager at the UC Davis Student Startup Center) and Mariela Padilla (Social Media and Marketing Manager at the UC Davis Student Startup Center) 💯

Attention UC Berkeley Newcomers 🐻 Are you a rising freshman or transfer student eager to make the most out of your first year at Cal? Participate in First Year Fridays events to get a head start on your career journey! 📅 Session Details: - Friday, July 19, 1:00-2:00 PM: https://lnkd.in/gzaFDR2u - Friday, August 9, 1:00-2:00 PM: https://lnkd.in/gPchNifD Each session will include a presentation followed by a Q&A segment to explore job/internship opportunities, how to connect your major to careers, and other essential career topics. 🔬 Special Focus on Pre-Health Careers: - Pre-Health Essentials for Freshmen, Friday, August 2, 1:00-2:00 PM: https://lnkd.in/gvghpXuf - Transfer Pre-health Essentials Orientation, Friday, July 26, 11:00 AM-12:00 PM: https://lnkd.in/gDTB2Ezh These sessions are perfect for those particularly interested in Pre-Health, covering everything from first-year recommendations and requirements to coursework, extracurricular activities, and tailored resources to support your career goals. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with the Berkeley Career Engagement staff and gear up for a successful start at the University of California, Berkeley! ------------------------------- #UCBerkeley #CareerDevelopment #FirstYearFridays #PreHealth #NewStudents #GoldenBears

💬 Pitch The Way VCs Think – Insights from Khosla Ventures We’ve just come across a fantastic guide by Khosla Ventures titled “Pitch the Way VCs Think”. Yes, it is 73 slides long, but no worries, we have compiled all the key takeaways you need to transform your pitching strategy: 1. Complexity scares investors: show a deep understanding of your product through simple explanations. Keep the technical details for your appendix. 2. Be transparent: don’t hide the risks that are associated with your startup. Acknowledge and explain how you’ll manage them instead to build trust. 3. Control the conversation: design your presentation for the VCs to ask the questions you want to answer. 4. Emotion drives investment: like Bill Reichert says in his book “Getting to Wow!”, VCs invest in startups that they “fell in love with”. Win your investors’ hearts, and their wallets will follow. 5. Make sure the person you’re pitching to knows what you do within the first 60 seconds of your pitch; otherwise, they’ll simply stop listening. 6. Avoid hyperboles: concrete proof beats superlatives. Replace “we are going to revolutionize the healthcare market” with “not only will our product decrease the death rate from breast cancer by 89%, it will also save insurance companies $30M annually.” 7. Brainstorm potential questions: make sure you include any possible additional information that an investor could request in your appendix. 8. Forget about generic slide titles: replace “Our Team” with “Leveraging 20 Years of Experience in Computer Science.” 9. Prepare a 30-second clear and concise pitch explaining what you are doing and know it by heart! Once again, be specific: Is your product a platform, an app, a medical device…? Who’s your target market? What impressive and verifiable milestones have you hit? What makes you unique? 10. Focus on essential data: data-driven pitches are effective, but don’t inundate the viewer with statistics.  11. Simplify financial projections: limit yourself to a maximum of seven rows which highlight only important figures. Keep the very detailed spreadsheet for follow up meetings.  12. Restate your “unfair advantages” (unique assets that give your startup a distinct edge over competitors) again and again. 13. Mention only one business model: this shows clarity and focus. 14. Before pitching to your top VC prospects, practice with 2-3 investors who aren’t your primary targets. 💡A final reminder that is not included in the presentation: your focus should be on solving an existing problem, not creating a product and then persuading people that they need it! Do you have any pitching tips or advice to share? Drop them in the comments👇 ---------- #VentureCapital #Startups #Entrepreneurship #Pitching

🚀 2024 UC Berkeley AI Hackathon Retrospective Over 1,000 hackers from around the world came together to revolutionize the AI landscape at the world's largest AI Hackathon, hosted by Berkeley SkyDeck and Cal Hacks! This 36-hour marathon of innovation culminated in an exhilarating awards ceremony with more than $100,000 in prizes. Out of 371 projects, the top 8 teams took the stage to pitch their groundbreaking AI solutions. 🏅Special Prizes: - Academic Innovation Catalyst AI for Good Award 2024 Winners: Dispatch AI & ASL Bridgify - Berkeley SkyDeck Climate Tech Track Winner: Greenwise - Intel Award Winner: Dispatch AI - Amazon Web Services Award Winners: SafeGuard, GPTEthics, DPAncestry, DisasterAid - Reach Capital AI in Education Prize Winner: Frodo - Hume Prize Winners: lock in., Bloom Buddy, ScamScanner - You.com Award: Transparify and Eventdash.ai - Gros Star Award: ScamScanner 🏆 Grand Prize Winner: Dispatch AI, who won $25k from the Berkeley SkyDeck Fund and a golden ticket for the Pad 13 Program at SkyDeck! See their story here: https://lnkd.in/gCqHtrUR Relive the excitement and watch the future of AI unfold at: https://lnkd.in/g5YBabEZ -------------------------------- #BerkeleyAIHackathon #CalHacks #SkyDeck #AIForGood #TechForGood #Innovation #Berkeley

💫 June Highlights from UC Berkeley's Innovation Ecosystem 1/ Bakar ClimatEnginuity Hub for Climate Innovation 🌍 University of California, Berkeley is set to launch a new startup incubator dedicated to transforming climate technology discoveries into impactful solutions. The Bakar ClimatEnginuity Hub, opening in the 2027-2028 academic year, will offer lab space and flexible scale-up areas to support a diverse range of climate research. Mark your calendars for the inaugural symposium on September 6! 2/ Ambi Robotics and Bakar Labs Win East Bay Innovation Awards 🏆 Congratulations to Ambi Robotics and Bakar Labs for their recognition at the 2024 East Bay Innovation Awards! Bakar Labs, renowned as a global hub for bio-entrepreneurs, and Ambi Robotics, an AI and robotics company revolutionizing e-commerce shipping operations, showcased the power of innovation in the Berkeley ecosystem. 3/ CatenaBio Raises $2.35 Million 💰 Congratulations to CatenaBio, a biotech startup from the labs of Jennifer Doudna and Matt Francis at UC Berkeley, for closing its seed extension round with a $2.35M raise! Specializing in pioneering therapeutic structures, CatenaBio is pushing the boundaries of biotechnology with its multi payload conjugates (MPCs), which are advanced therapeutic molecules designed to deliver multiple types of therapeutic agents simultaneously to a target site within the body. Stay tuned for more updates on the amazing innovations and achievements from UC Berkeley! --------------- #ClimateInnovation #TechForGood #StartupSuccess #BerkeleyInnovates #VentureCapital #Biotech #AI #Robotics Source: Berkeley’s IPIRA newsletter 

💡Berkeley Leads the Way in Venture-Backed Startups💡 University of California, Berkeley tops the charts with 1,305 venture-backed startups, demonstrating our community's commitment to innovation and entrepreneurship! Calling all UC Berkeley founders: We need your help to ensure PitchBook's data accurately reflects your connection to Berkeley. If you're unsure whether your startup is correctly linked to UC Berkeley in Pitchbook, please reach out to us at iande@berkeley.edu. Keep it up, Bears! 🐻 ------------------------------ #Berkeley #Innovation #Entrepreneurship #VentureCapital #Startups

🏆 Omar Yaghi Wins Prestigious Tang Prize for Sustainable Development! University of California, Berkeley’s Omar Yaghi has just won the Tang Prize for Sustainable Development for his game-changing work in reticular chemistry! His innovative research with ultra-porous materials like metal-organic frameworks is tackling global issues like emissions, air pollution, and water scarcity. “It’s an incredible honor to receive the Tang Prize,” said Yaghi, co-director at BIDMaP and professor at the College of Chemistry. “Reticular chemistry advances our ability to control matter on the atomic level, which is key to finding sustainable solutions.” The Tang Prize, awarded in Taiwan, comes with a $1.7 million prize. Past Berkeley winners include legends like Jennifer Doudna and Arthur Rosenfeld.  “Omar’s work has led to materials that promise clean energy and environmental remediation,” said Douglas S. Clark, Dean of Berkeley’s College of Chemistry. “These advances hold great potential for mitigating climate change.” Born in the desert, Yaghi knows the struggles of water scarcity firsthand. Now, his research is making a real difference for communities facing similar challenges. With 60 U.S. patents, Yaghi’s work shows how academic research can change the world when societal benefit is prioritized 👏 Congrats, Omar Yaghi, your work is truly inspiring! ------------ #Sustainability #ClimateAction #Innovation #TangPrize #UCBerkeley #GreenTech Source: https://lnkd.in/gw6JDtJh by UC Berkeley College of Computing, Data Science, and Society

🚀From Passion to Profit: How to Turn Your Side Hustle into a Thriving Business Ever wondered if your side hustle could be more than just a hobby? Whether it’s tutoring, dog walking, content creation, or any passion project, side hustles offer more than just financial support—they provide a pathway to acquiring valuable marketable skills and a potential ticket to entrepreneurship. "The dream of transforming a passion into a profitable business resonates with people of every generation, but especially those of us newest to the workforce," notes Claire Siyan Li in her insightful article "Making the Time to Build Your Side Hustle" in the Harvard Business Review. This sentiment is mirrored in the fact that half of Gen Z are eager to take charge of their careers, seeking independence and aligning their work with personal values. In her article, Li candidly shares her journey of balancing her day job as a management consultant with her side hustle as a YouTuber and speaker. Through these multifaceted and challenging pursuits, she has honed skills in communication, self-branding, and consistency—attributes that have enriched all aspects of her career. Li’s advice and strategies are invaluable for students and aspiring entrepreneurs looking to maximize their side hustles: - ⏰ Effective Time Management: Overcome energy drains by committing 10 to 15 minutes daily to your side hustle. This small step can lead to increased productivity and creativity. - 🎯 Setting SMART Goals: Define goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound to maintain focus amid competing priorities. - 🛠️ Creating a Supportive Environment: Designate a workspace conducive to productivity, or use specific cues like music to signal your brain that it's time to focus. - ❤️ Finding Joy in the Process: Align your side hustle with your passions and strengths to sustain motivation and creativity, ultimately leading to greater fulfillment and success. Claire Siyan Li’s journey underscores the value of dedicating time and effort to a side hustle, illustrating how it can evolve into a fulfilling and profitable venture. To delve deeper into her insights on side hustles, you can explore her full article: https://lnkd.in/gp-mMtCY 💬 Comment below: What’s your side hustle, and how are you managing it alongside your main job? – – – – – – – – – – – – #SideHustle #Entrepreneurship #GenZ #SMARTGoals #Productivity #CareerGrowth

🚀 15 Terms You Need to Know to Talk Like a Startup Expert! Do you ever feel like you don’t understand a word of what entrepreneurs say? Are you tired of feeling out of the loop? With these 15 terms, you’ll never be lost in a startup conversation again! 1) Elevator pitch: memorable speech supposed to convey the essence of a startup in 30 seconds 🛗 2) Product-Market Fit: when your product has found a wide audience and meets its needs effectively 🌟 3) Minimum Viable Product (MVP): simplest version of a product released to early customers to gather feedback 🔧 4) Pivot: strategic change in direction for a startup (e.g., altering its business model) to improve viability 🔄 5) Bootstrapping: process of building a startup with minimal outside investment (usually personal savings) 💪 6) Angel Investor: a high net worth individual who provides early stage capital for startups in exchange for ownership equity 😇 7) Venture Capital: form of financing provided by a fund to a startup with a very high long-term growth potential, usually in exchange for equity 💼 8) Seed / Series A / Series B+ rounds - Seed round: early investment to help startups develop products and conduct market research 🌿 - Series A round: funding to scale the business model and improve the product 🌳 - Series B+ rounds: further rounds of funding aimed at expanding the business 🌲 9) Due Diligence: thorough investigation and evaluation of a business by a potential investor (e.g., reviewing financial records, evaluating market potential, identifying risks) 🔍 10) Letter of Intent / Term Sheet: preliminary agreement outlining the basic terms under which an investment deal will be made 📝 11) SAFE Note (Simple Agreement for Future Equity): agreement between an investor and a startup providing rights to the investor for future equity in the company 🔒 12) Capitalization table: spreadsheet showing the ownership stakes, types of shares, and investors in a company 📊 13) Exit strategy: planned approach to how the founders/investors will cash out and realize returns (e.g., acquisition, merger, IPO) 🏃♂️ 14) Initial Public Offering (IPO): process through which a private company offers shares to the public for the first time 📈 15) Unicorn: startup that has reached a valuation of over $1 billion 🦄 Curious for more detailed definitions and an extended vocabulary list? Drop your email in the comments and we’ll send it to you! 📩 ------ #DemystifyInnovation #BerkeleyIandE #Entrepreneurship #Startup #Unicorn #VentureCapital