Berkeley SkyDeck Europe, Milan
Origins & Strategic Partnership
In 2021, Fondazione Cariplo and the Lombardy Region promoted the “Skydeck Europe, Milan” project, the result of a synergy between the University of Berkeley and Cariplo Factory. The main objective was to support the growth of academic spin-offs and innovative start-ups through a structured programme that fosters entrepreneurial development, research and technology transfer.
Mission & Leveraging Talent
The distinctive mission of “Skydeck Europe, Milan” is to support the best entrepreneurial talents, both in Italy and internationally, through an advanced training course. This pathway has been made possible by the engagement of scientists, business leaders, technology experts and investors, who provide skills and know-how to foster the growth of the start-ups selected.
Structure of Accelerator Programme
The acceleration activities take place at two hubs of excellence: Lombardy, especially in Milan and at the MIND Milano Innovation District, and Berkeley, in the United States. As part of the programme, expertise from the local university system is also leveraged. In the first year, the institutions offered start-ups a wealth of opportunities: networking meetings, themed workshops, testimonials from prominent key speakers and access to cutting-edge laboratory infrastructure for the testing of technological solutions.
Investment opportunities
At the end of the acceleration process, start-ups are given the opportunity to access investments provided by long-term investors. By 2024, six acceleration batches had been completed under the programme, with a total of over 4,000 applications submitted. The start-up investments were provided by Lendlease and Cariplo Initiative, which subsequently transferred the signed agreements and any start-up shares to GDA Impact, a new investment programme promoted by the Giordano dell’Amore Social Venture Foundation (FSVGDA) and the GDA Impact fund.