Berkeley Gateway to Innovation
Your gateway to the Berkeley innovation ecosystem
UC Berkeley is one of the most storied innovation ecosystems in the world. BEGIN connects you with the resources, opportunities, events and news to take the next step in your journey — wherever you’re starting from.
Not sure where to start? Ask BearGPT
The Campanile and the San Francisco Bay · Photo: Joe Parks
The #1 university for venture-backed founders — four years running
- For undergraduate alumni founders, 2023–2026
- #1For undergraduate alumni founders, 2023–2026
- Undergraduate alumni founders
- 2,380Undergraduate alumni founders
- Venture-backed companies
- 2,155Venture-backed companies
- Raised by those companies
- $139.4BRaised by those companies
- Female founders — the most of any university
- 345Female founders — the most of any university
Source: PitchBook Universities 2026
The innovation roadmap
Four stages, from first spark to significant scale. Find where you are, then explore the resources that meet you there.
- 1
Stage 01
Ideation
Explore problems worth solving, test assumptions and shape a first concept — no company required.
- 2
Stage 02
Early formation
Commit to the idea: validate it with real customers, find co-founders and form the venture.
- 3
Stage 03
Accelerate
Grow fast with structured support — accelerators, funding and lab space on the way to market.
- 4
Stage 04
Scale
Expand operations, customers and revenue — with the capital and networks to match.
Today UC Berkeley I&E Ecosystem
Every program, lab, fund and network in one view — 150 resources across eight categories.
