Berkeley Gateway Accelerator

5-Month Immersion in Silicon Valley's Innovation Hub

Based in Berkeley, California—steps from UC Berkeley —the Berkeley Gateway Accelerator Program transforms breakthrough technologies from UC Berkeley and global founders into enduring companies by building a community of exceptional talent, interdisciplinary collaboration, and strategic capital.

Everything a Deep Tech Startup Needs

  • Technology landscape analysis to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities & threats.

  • IP strategy and regulatory navigation designed for commercialization.

  • Market analysis and business model strategy and validation tailored to your innovation.

  • Customer discovery campaigns targeting LOIs, early adopters, partners, and key industry players.

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5 month Berkeley Residency Program

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  • Live and work in furnished housing with dedicated office space in the heart of Berkeley.

  • Full time, T-shaped entrepreneurial fellows, with startup and venture creation experience

  • Founders gain structured management support and access to a supportive peer cohort.

  • In-person programming designed for execution, reflection, and long-term traction.

Full-Time Team Embedded in Your Startup, Aligned with your Success

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  • Each startup is matched with full-time Entrepreneurship Fellows from UC Berkeley’s top graduate programs.

  • Fellows integrate as part of your core team, offering daily, hands-on execution support.

  • Support includes customer discovery, partner outreach, technical/market/IP validation, and regulatory positioning.

  • Curated access to Bay Area entrepreneurs, domain experts, and investors.

Credibility & Access to the World’s Leading Innovation Hub

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  • Direct access to UC Berkeley’s research, engineering, and business talent.

  • Build in proximity to Silicon Valley’s most active deep tech investors and institutions.

  • Gain instant credibility from your Berkeley presence.

  • Tap into one of the most mature ecosystems for translating scientific research into companies.

What We Look For

We partner with startups that demonstrate:

  • Full-time founding teams with deep domain expertise who are willing to relocate to the Bay Area and incorporate in the US

  • Large addressable markets (>$1B TAM) with validated pain points, sensible unit economics, and clear regulatory pathways

  • Articulate, coachable founders with strong communication skills who are commercially minded and patient

  • Strong intellectual property position with clear competitive advantages, owned/licensed technology, defensible moats

  • Demonstrated technical feasibility in large markets - future TAM >$1B

  • Validated customer pain points, scalable growth path, a clear regulatory pathway, and viable economics & business model

  • Capital-efficient growth path with 12-18 month roadmaps, achievable milestones, and realistic funding requirements

  • Mission-driven focus on addressing significant societal challenges while maintaining commercial viability

Connecting Deep Tech Founders to Berkeley's Thriving Innovation Ecosystem

Your Gateway to Deep Tech Startup Success

The FFC Gateway Program provides the foundation to:

  • Establish and scale your startup

  • Secure strategic partnerships and key customers

  • Access the world’s largest talent pool and capital networks

  • Build your team and advisory board

Download Program Brochure

Contact Us to Begin Your Journey into Berkeley’s Deep Tech Startup Ecosystem.

Submit your application today

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