How We Help
Equity Management
The Venture Capital Services team is responsible for management of all innovation equity portfolios, and the implementation of best practices to support and enhance the Berkeley campus innovation ecosystem. In contrast to investments managed in the Office of the Chief Investment Officer, VCS is focused on innovation equity programs and partnerships across UC Berkeley and its partner UC campuses. Equity portfolios managed by VCS on the Berkeley campus comprise securities of companies along the entire spectrum of the investment lifecycle from private startup equity to mature publicly traded equities. This includes equity from IP licenses, accelerator/incubators, donors, facilities services, and other commercial arrangements.
Berkeley Equity In - Sourcing Partnership (BEIP)
Under the authority granted by DA2650.
As the first dedicated equity-mangement team on the UC Berkeley campus with a fully operational platform, we are uniquely positioned to extend our services to other UC campuses seeking to leverage Berkeley’s capabilities through inter-campus partnership agreements. This aligns with the UC system’s and our Chancellor’s mission to spread innovation and best practices system-wide. Such partnerships enable participating campuses to integrate more seamlessly and rapidly into UC Berkeley’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship ecosystem, while allowing Berkeley to broaden the universe of investible opportunities across our own portfolio and those of our partners.
Advisory Services for UDAR
VCS provides specialized consulting and advisory support to the campus’s Gift Services unit, which has recently further expanded its focus on accepting and managing private-equity gifts across the entire equity lifecycle. As more donations arrive as equity in startups, VCS offers the technical expertise needed to evaluate these assets, navigate compliance and valuation requirements, and ensure they are accepted and administered in alignment with UC policy and best practices. This partnership streamlines the intake process, mitigates risk, and enables Berkeley to fully leverage the growing volume of private-equity philanthropy.
Shared-Return VC Funds
UC Berkeley’s affiliated venture capital funds are independent investment funds that maintain formal partnerships with the campus to support its innovation ecosystem. These funds focus on backing startups emerging from the Berkeley community - students, faculty, researchers, and alumni - and often provide mentorship, capital, industry connections that help accelerate company growth. In return, their close collaboration with UC Berkeley strengthens the campus’s entrepreneurial infrastructure, expands resources available to founders, and increases the overall volume and quality of investible opportunities tied to Berkeley innovation.
UC Berkeley Chancellor’s Fund, LLC
The UC Berkeley Chancellor’s Fund, LLC is a for-profit investment entity wholly owned by the University of California and created to strategically invest in UC-affiliated startups and venture funds. Operated by UC Berkeley’s Venture Capital Services team, it allows the Berkeley campus to support and scale its innovation ecosystem with greater flexibility while keeping university oversight and governance intact. Seeded by unrestricted philanthropic gifts, the fund strengthens the startup pipeline, deepens collaboration across the UC system, and provides a new mechanism to invest in and amplify Berkeley-affiliated VC funds - helping them grow, increasing their deal capacity, and ultimately expanding the investable opportunities that flow back to UC Berkeley.