Starting August 1, 2021, the University of California (UC) Berkeley SkyDeck accepts startup applications for their Batch 13 cohort. 

Berkeley SkyDeck has a special place in developing the Armenian ecosystem, thanks to one name- Karén Gyulbudaghyan, the founder of Strategic Value Ventures. Since 2017, Karen Gyulbudaghyan has helped transform Berkeley SkyDeck into Forbes Top-5 university accelerator globally and simultaneously opened the door to a score of Armenian startups, including Krisp, Superannotate, AppearMe, Netris, Grovf, AimHub, HireBee.ai , PlayEngine and PeaceofMind.ai. Armenian founders is now the largest SkyDeck alumni group globally.

Startups from 100 countries apply to Berkeley SkyDeck every year, yet only 1% get selected. Berkeley SkyDeck offers rich access to UC professors, research students, MBAs, laboratories, and $750,000+ in-kind resources. It provides a home base for startups to launch in Silicon Valley. In addition, SkyDeck provides access to an unparalleled network of 350+ exceptional advisors, talents, and the opportunity to pitch to over 700 investors at SkyDeck’s Demo Day. Startups selected into the Cohort Program will receive a $105K investment from the Berkeley SkyDeck Fund backed by top venture capital firms like Sequoia, Sierra, and Mayfield.

Minimum requirements for the startup candidates:

• MVP / proof of concept ready
• global product or solution in any industry
• Meaningful traction,  but pre-revenue is ok

Karén Gyulbudaghyan highly encourages Armenian deep-tech startups in AI, engineering, MedTech, biotech/life sciences, airspace, chip design, and battery to apply. He is Berkeley SkyDeck’s Global Ambassador, Key Advisor, and member of the selection committee. For questions and assistance, reach out to: [email protected] or via LinkedIn.

The application for Batch 13 accelerator cohort is free. The deadline to apply is September 5, 2021, 11:59PM California time. Apply today! https://tinyurl.com/SkyDeckApplication

Stay tuned! In the coming days, Karén Gyulbudaghyan will share details about a brand new opportunity developed by Strategic Value Ventures in partnership with UC Berkeley SkyDeck. It is a 5-8 months long business development and U.S. market expansion program explicitly designed for established Armenian companies and is unprecedented for Eastern Europe / CIS countries.