Opening your company in Berkeley means immediate access to a supportive network of investors, collaborators, and customers, while enjoying a community that values innovation and wellbeing.
Innovation Ecosystem
The desire to create and nurture scientific innovation that benefits society is core to Berkeley’s business environment. This includes the historical mission of the University of California - Berkeley (UCB) and focus of UCB Chancellor Lyons, the City’s longstanding commitment to positive social change, and the innovators who have launched and built their businesses here. We share a vision to make Berkeley the world’s center of socially-impactful technology innovation.
With more than two million square feet of innovation-ready space, from co-working offices to 500,000+ SF campuses with wet labs, Berkeley’s commercial real estate is designed to accommodate startup growth, enable research & development, and facilitate productive meetings.
And city policies that foster innovation, networking events that facilitate connections, and sector-specific equipment and financing make Berkeley an unrivaled place to turn an idea into a commercial opportunity.
Talent
Home to UC Berkeley and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), three quarters of the adult Berkeley population has a bachelor’s degree or higher.
UC Berkeley’s smart, hard-working students and award-winning Berkeley Lab postdocs and researchers could be your interns, future employees, or co-founders!
Quality of Life
Berkeley founders frequently mention the food, cultural amenities and access to the outdoors (cycling, sailing, hiking, rock climbing!) as the reasons they chose Berkeley to live or work. West Berkeley, where nearly 100 R&D companies are located today, provides workers an opportunity to access freshly-baked mochi muffins, all things fermented, pickled and delicious, the Bay Trail, and a hub of artist studios all within a few blocks!
