Berkeley SkyDeck Europe, Milano Opens Applications for its Next Class

Berkeley SkyDeck Europe, Milano was launched by Berkeley SkyDeck (the accelerator of the University of California, Berkeley), the Italian innovation hub Cariplo Factory, and the international real estate group Lendlease. The project is financially supported by the Lombardy Region and the Cariplo Foundation.

Up to 10 startups will be selected to participate in a 6-month acceleration program (partly in Berkeley, USA, and partly in Milan), have access to financing and the opportunity to present their project to international investors during the concluding Demo Day.

Applications will be accepted through August 23rd at this link: https://skydeck.berkeley.edu/apply/

Milan, July 25th, 2024 – Berkeley SkyDeck Europe, Milano has now opened applications for its upcoming acceleration program for startups interested in fundraising in Europe. The program was launched by UC Berkeley SkyDeck (the accelerator of the University of California, Berkeley), the Italian innovation hub Cariplo Factory, and the international real estate, infrastructure, and urban regeneration group Lendlease, and is financially supported by the Cariplo Foundation and the Lombardy Region. SkyDeck Europe will take place in Berkeley and in SkyDeck’s first European headquarters, in Milan, Italy, at the Milano Innovation District (MIND).

This will be the sixth batch for SkyDeck Europe. In over two years, the program has become the benchmark for startups that are interested in the European market: it has received 3,335 applications from all over the world and has supported the growth of 45 startups from Argentina, Armenia, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Mexico, Switzerland, Ukraine, UK, and the USA. To date, these startups have received 6.5 million euros through the program and over 4.5 million euros from other investors and grants.

In line with Berkeley SkyDeck’s focus, SkyDeck Europe also centers its search for innovative solutions in aerospace, cybersecurity, B2B software as a service, enterprise software, fintech, generative AI, greentech, and healthtech. Applications will be accepted through August 23rd at this link: https://skydeck.berkeley.edu/apply/.

Berkeley SkyDeck, Cariplo Factory, and Lendlease will select up to 10 startups that will have the opportunity to enter one of the best accelerators globally and have access to the 6-month acceleration program that will start in early November.

The program will give participating startups the opportunity to connect with both the US and European ecosystems, as its first month will take place at the headquarters of Berkeley SkyDeck, one of the best accelerators worldwide, while the final part of the program will take place in Milan, Italy, at the Milano Innovation District (MIND).

Selected startups will be matched with 3 key advisors from Europe and the United States, selected on the basis of their experience and areas of expertise. Moreover, each startup will be given access to a network of investors and will participate in a rigorous program designed to accelerate their business towards the next level of success.

The program will also provide the founders with the resources and networks of some of the best Italian Universities, including Milan Polytechnic University, University of Milan, IULM Free University of Languages and Communication, University of Eastern Piedmont “Amedeo Avogadro”, University of Insubria, University Institute of Higher Studies of Pavia, and University of Bergamo.

Each startup will receive an investment of €145,000 and will have the opportunity to present their project to a network of investors during Demo Day in 2025.

The goal of SkyDeck Europe’s acceleration program is to accompany the growth of startups and to connect them with qualified financial operators that can support them with equity investments. SkyDeck Europe, created with the contribution of Lombardy Region and Cariplo Foundation, aims at shaping a strong European ecosystem of innovative companies. The program brings to bear the vast network and resources of what the UC Berkeley ecosystem has to offer, along with the support of the select Italian universities and local incubators to strengthen the local tech ecosystem in Europe.

Highlighting the success of the SkyDeck Europe program, the recent acquisition of Typeless by Doctolib stands out. Typeless, a SkyDeck Europe Batch 15 startup has developed software designed to streamline document creation in the healthcare field, aiming to enhance the work-life balance for doctors. Doctolib is a leading company in the healthtech sector.

“We launched Berkeley SkyDeck Europe, Milano with the vision of reaching more worldclass startups, and the results speak for themselves: nearly 50 startups supported in just over two years, including major successes like Typeless’ acquisition,” says Caroline Winnett, Executive Director, Berkeley SkyDeck. “As we stand at a global tipping point in industries such as climate tech and AI, selecting just 10 companies becomes increasingly challenging due to the abundance of strong ideas. On behalf of the entire Berkeley SkyDeck team, I wish all applicants the best of luck and recognize that we face some tough acceptance decisions ahead.”

“SkyDeck Europe has grown significantly over these past two years: 3,335 applications from all over the world, 45 startups supported that have received 6.5 million euros by the program. These numbers demonstrate how this acceleration program has become a benchmark for startups across Europe” – Anders Nilsson, SkyDeck Europe Program Leader at Cariplo Factory added. “With this sixth batch, we aim to attract top-tier startups that can compete and draw investments on the international stage.”

“This acceleration programme has supported the growth of 45 startup businesses across several key sectors. We’ve directly invested in 27 of them and they’ve made a significant contribution to the development of MIND. It’s helped us create an environment that attracts innovation and talent from around the world” – Andrea Ruckstuhl, Lendlease Group Executive, International concluded.