Berkeley SkyDeck, the global startup accelerator of the University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley), along with Cariplo Factory, an innovation hub specialising in entrepreneurship programs, and Lendlease, a global real estate and investment group, have announced the launch of SkyDeck Europe, based in Milan, Italy. Startups will be able to leverage the expertise and resources of SkyDeck's extensive network of advisors, mentors, VCs, and corporations as they grow their businesses in the European startup ecosystem.

SkyDeck Europe, Milano will set up its program at the newly developed Milano Innovation District (MIND), a $4 billion innovation district in the northern Italian city of Milan, which is considered to have the biggest startup ecosystem in the country. SkyDeck Europe was created with the support of two Italian stakeholders: the philanthropic organiation Fondazione Cariplo and the Government of the Lombardy Region.

"We're absolutely thrilled to bring SkyDeck to Europe. We've seen tremendous growth in the quality and quantity of European startups that work with SkyDeck to plug into Silicon Valley each year, and we know that's just the tip of the iceberg. Now, we can offer part of the SkyDeck program a little closer to their homes," said Caroline Winnett, SkyDeck's executive director. "It's the best of both worlds as teams get the opportunity to learn from the programming available from our top accelerator, without necessarily committing to picking up and moving across the world."

As an international hub for innovation, Berkeley SkyDeck helps startups from around the world to build their businesses in Silicon Valley, and bring their cutting-edge ideas to life. Now, with an established presence in Milan, SkyDeck can expand its mission by helping European-focused startups grow and succeed, providing them access to the content and programming for which Berkeley SkyDeck is world-renowned.

"SkyDeck Europe, Milano aims to become the hub for startups across Europe," said Enrico Noseda, Chief Innovation Advisor, Cariplo Factory. "Thanks to top tier advisors, a strong network of academic and corporate partners and a dedicated fund, the accelerator will represent a game changer for the European ecosystem."

"Today we see the launch of a program in which we truly believe. SkyDeck brings international best practices to push innovation in Italy and Europe," said Andrea Ruckstuhl, Head of Continental Europe, Lendlease. "This is a fundamental piece in the MIND ecosystem. We will first launch the first venture capital fund that will be part of this ecosystem, involving national and foreign institutional capital."

SkyDeck Europe applications are open now, with the Batch 14 program starting May 2, 2022. European startups may submit an application for both the SkyDeck Europe and the Berkeley SkyDeck cohorts. Accepted startups will receive funding from the SkyDeck Europe Fund to get their ideas off the ground as well as access to top advisors and mentors. Cohort participants will have the opportunity to pitch investors on Demo Day in Europe, as well as participate in the Berkeley SkyDeck Global Innovation Showcase.

"Now more Europeans will have an opportunity to participate in UC Berkeley's world-class accelerator to launch their moonshots and positively impact lives around the world," said Alberto Sangiovanni-Vincentelli, chair of SkyDeck's Faculty Advisors, UC Berkeley Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences, and co-founder of top technology companies Cadence and Synopsys. "With SkyDeck Europe I am excited to expand our reach and bring this powerful experience to more international startups."

UC Berkeley is a growing hotbed of entrepreneurship, identified by Pitchbook in 2021 as the No. 1 public undergraduate program for producing startup founders.