Making Berkeley a more vibrant, accessible and equitable place for startups to launch and grow.

Objectives

Provide local innovators with information about resources and opportunities.

Host quality events & cultivate networks for Berkeley entrepreneurs.

Improve Berkeley’s image as a place for startups.

Develop local infrastructure to meet the needs of the innovation sector.

Match businesses with suitable office & wet lab space.

Align city policy to support local innovation and startup growth.

Increase the diversity of participants in the innovation sector.

Stay Informed: Sign up for our monthly newsletter.

Berkeley Ventures, Berkeley Values

The Berkeley Ventures, Berkeley Values (BV²) initiative works with Berkeley companies that want to diversify their workforce and actively engage in our community.

For more background, see the Give Back page of our website, including info on the STEM CareerX program that exposes Berkeley High School students to real world careers that will leverage their STEM skills.

UC Berkeley's Local Economic Impact on Innovation & Entrepreneurship

Check out the 2026 report by the UC Berkeley Haas Institute for Business Innovation (IBI) detailing the economic impact that campus-affiliated startups have on the city of Berkeley.

Check it out

Innovation Sector Contributions to the Berkeley Economy

The City of Berkeley Office of Economic Development annually prepares a citywide economic dashboard to share key information about on the local economy, including stats on Berkeley's innovation ecosystem.

Check out the most recent report for local economic data or see the presentation that was delivered to Berkeley City Council on March 10, 2026.

The Berkeley Business Environment

A mid-sized city of 120,000, Berkeley punches above its weight when it comes to the diversity and vibrancy of its business community. Home to one of the world’s top public universities (UC Berkeley) and the nation’s oldest federal research laboratory (Lawrence Berkeley National Lab), Berkeley institutions enable people with ideas to launch innovative companies, create high-quality jobs and generate technologies with a global impact.

Berkeley is also connected by BART and the Bay Bridge to San Francisco, and approximately an hour’s drive from Silicon Valley’s globally recognized technology hub. Additionally, the city has many connections to other parts of California and global destinations through its rail transportation networks and proximity to two international airports and the Port of Oakland.

Entrepreneurs with an independent spirit, progressive values, and a focus on quality find Berkeley to be a natural home.

Thinking about starting a business in Berkeley?

Read the City of Berkeley’s Business Resource Guide to chart your path forward.

Read it Here