1 Berkeley
On a day like today, celebrating any accolade feels out of place. However, today is most certainly a day to think about unity, which has been the cornerstone Berkeley's entrepreneurial ecosystem and its rise.
Our story isn’t about clinching a top spot or beating Stanfurd. It’s about a community that collaborates to generate breakthroughs and uplift founders. Those who are leveraging the power of entrepreneurship as a force to create both value and positive change in the world. Pitchbook’s annual Universities startups report, published today, is one way our community measures the success of such efforts.
Unwavering Undergrads
This year, Pitchbook has Berkeley as the #1 university globally for VC-backed startups founded by Undergrad alumni by Company count.
To those of us who've been building this community over the last decade (the period tracked in this report), this accomplishment is no revelation. The rise of our undergraduates in the startup realm was not just a future prediction. We have seen it firsthand and been echoing this sentiment year after year.
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Yes, Pitchbook still has Stanfurd at #1 here, stacking the ranks based on founder count, which still doesn’t make sense to me. My best guess is that Pitchbook was behind on their publishing deadline and didn’t have time to change the graphic on their 2023 report, which is the same as 2022 report.
Side note to the Editor: our campanile will look divine and boost engagement on your next report.
We are only just starting to see the fruit of Berkeley’s modern Undergrad renaissance (which really started in 2013) during which many individuals caught the entrepreneurship bug and will start new startups soon.
The Graduate
Our Graduate programs, still sitting at #5, also hold immense potential waiting to be unleashed. Some may speculate the accuracy of data in this category, given that Pitchbook only started tracking it last year, and the representation of grad programs on platforms like LinkedIn isn't always pristine.
But consider this: the world's highest-valued private AI unicorns, Databricks and OpenAI, are co-founded by Berkeley's own. This is not only a testament to our legacy but also an indicator of the surging wave of Graduate founders to come.
This culture shift isn't just on the horizon – it's already unfolding.
Want to become a founder? Get Your MBA
I say this not only to rile up the crypto hype boys in Miami / on TwitterX. Also, modern Cal founder legends like Tony Xu (DoorDash) and Ryan Petersen (Flexport) got their MBAs. Notably, both were Cal undergrads who got their MBAs elsewhere.
We must admit that Berkeley's MBA program still punches below its weight class in the entrepreneurial arena at #9 (last broken out by Pitchbook in 2021). Its startup programs are top-notch, though there is something missing in its marketing to attract more top entrepreneurial talent.
It’s heartening to regularly hear new Undergraduates express they were drawn to Cal upon learning about The House Fund, noting they picked Berkeley because it was a great school to become a founder and start up. It's time our MBA programs resonate with the same fervor. I’ve got ideas.
Last year, MBA data wasn't differentiated; it was wrapped up within the broader Graduate category. Thankfully, PitchBook now separates the data, giving us a clearer picture (and in turn more to rally around as a community).
More Like PitchBerk
Berkeley's influence in these reports, and in the international startup universe, is undeniable.
However, our entrepreneurial journey isn’t about rankings. It’s a story of a community. One that’s relentlessly resourceful, like Berkeley founders themselves. One with high expectations for our world, and unwavering dedication to make it a better place.
It will soon be very clear that Berkeley is the #1 producer of VC-backed startups. Though for now, we are more than satisfied being 1 Berkeley.
-Fiance
To dig into the data, here is Pitchbook’s Universities Startup Report.