SkyDeck welcomes  prominent climate tech investors as Chairs of its Climate Tech Track

Berkeley SkyDeck, the global hub for entrepreneurship and a leading accelerator, today confirmed its Demo Day for Batch 18 will take place on October 1, 2024. Nineteen new companies will present to some of Silicon Valley’s most connected and experienced investors, with 18 of those companies featuring climate tech or applied AI. Ahead of Demo Day,  Berkeley SkyDeck has welcomed August Fern, partner at Baruch Future Ventures with 20+ years of climate tech investment experience, as Chair of the Climate Tech Track. 

The full list of participating startups is available here.

Berkeley SkyDeck is a leading accelerator and the global hub for entrepreneurship. As UC Berkeley’s largest and most prominent accelerator, SkyDeck combines hands-on mentorship with the vast resources of its research university.

“Berkeley SkyDeck has always sought out companies with bold ideas and the vision to execute them. Batch 18 tackles some particularly pressing challenges, like rare earth metal processing and sustainable fibers for clothing, and we believe they have the potential to hit their ambitious growth targets,” said Caroline Winnett, Executive Director, Berkeley SkyDeck. “August has been at the forefront of climate-focused investment and innovation for decades, and we are honored to have her mentor the next generation of visionaries as our new Climate Tech Track chair.” 

The upcoming Demo Day follows on the heels of Pitchbook naming UC Berkeley the world’s leading university for the number of startups founded by undergraduates, the number of total undergraduate founders, and the leading university for venture-backed female founders. In total, UC Berkeley founders have raised a collective $59.7 billion in the last decade. 

So far, SkyDeck startups have raised nearly $2 billion.

Recent examples include SkyDeck alumnus Hylight, a company that inspects energy infrastructure and recommends climate-resilient changes, attracting investors like Y Combinator and Earth Venture Capital for venture funding. Hayden AI, another SkyDeck alumnus, focuses on AI mobile perception and has raised over $100 million from investors, including Mitsubishi Electric Innovation Fund and Bridgestone Corporation.

Moving forward, Fern will serve as the Chair of the Climate Tech Track to mentor and advise climate tech companies accepted to SkyDeck programs.  She has spent nearly two decades advising investors on climate tech companies, with a deep expertise in energy. A Berkeley alumna, she co-founded the International Youth Nuclear Congress, the globally recognized organization for young people in the nuclear industry, just after graduation.

”Cal set me on my path in energy and climate tech and taught me that a small group in Berkeley can change the world.  Joining Caroline, Chon Tang, founder of Berkeley SkyDeck Fund, and the entire SkyDeck team as a Climate Tech Track chair represents a meaningful way for me to give back and help these startups build the next generation of businesses to solve our climate challenge,” said Fern. “Having previously attended Demo Days as an investor, I know Batch 18 will wow the audience.”    

The Berkeley SkyDeck Demo Day for Batch 18 will be hosted at Zellerbach Hall in Berkeley, California, at 2:00 pm PDT on October 1, 2024. Accredited investors interested in receiving an invite can apply here.

SkyDeck is the only accelerator of its kind that offers the value of a dedicated investment fund alongside the resources and network of a top university.

To date, SkyDeck startups have raised more than $2 billion in aggregate. Participating startups have access to SkyDeck’s 700 advisors, 70 industry partners, and a network of more than 510,000 UC Berkeley alumni. 

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