# UC LAUNCH Startup Accelerator

> UC LAUNCH is the Berkeley Haas-based accelerator for UC-affiliated startups with evidence of demand. Its free, zero-equity, three-month program combines Lean Startup training, experienced mentors, business resources and investor pitch preparation, ending with a competitive Demo Day.

- **Founded:** 1999
- **Headquarters:** Berkeley, United States
- **Products:** UC LAUNCH accelerator, Mentorship and venture preparation, Demo Day, Partner resources
- **Notable:** Official homepage reports $2.54B+ raised by founders, 290+ companies accelerated, 15+ acquisitions, 16+ Y Combinator entrants and three unicorns. These are program-reported aggregates, not independently audited outcomes., Official homepage reports $1M in prize money awarded since 2015., The Spring 2025 Demo Day awarded $60,000 across four cash prizes.

## Products & services

- **UC LAUNCH accelerator** — Free, three-month, zero-equity accelerator offered in spring and fall for UC-affiliated teams with demonstrated demand.
- **Mentorship and venture preparation** — Operational guidance, customer and business-model validation, IP-related support, industry connections and pitch preparation.
- **Demo Day** — Selected teams pitch before investors and judges for competitive cash prizes; participation does not guarantee a prize.
- **Partner resources** — Access to startup resources from cloud, legal, banking, equity-management and HR partners; exact entitlements vary.

## Achievements

- Official homepage reports $2.54B+ raised by founders, 290+ companies accelerated, 15+ acquisitions, 16+ Y Combinator entrants and three unicorns. These are program-reported aggregates, not independently audited outcomes.
- Official homepage reports $1M in prize money awarded since 2015.
- The Spring 2025 Demo Day awarded $60,000 across four cash prizes.
- Xendit appears in the 2015 portfolio as second-place winner and YC S15 alumnus.

## Latest updates

- **2026-10** — Checked October 27: Fall 2026 applications are closed; the application page says Spring 2027 applications will open in November 2026.
- **2026-10** — The events and Demo Day pages advertise Fall 2026 Demo Day for December 1, 2026, at Berkeley Haas; the Demo Day page lists 10 AM-1:30 PM.
- **2026-08** — UC Merced promoted the virtual Fall 2026 cohort to all ten UC campuses and advertised a $50K+ Demo Day prize pool.

## Links

- Website: https://www.uclaunch.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/uclaunch
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/Cal_Launch
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uc.launch/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UCBerkeleyLaunch/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/uc-launch-startup-accelerator
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-27