UC Berkeley has a long legacy of innovations and leaders that have created groundbreaking products, revolutionary companies, and entirely new industries. The university plays a critical role in California’s economy and the contributions of our entrepreneurs have a global reach.

The campus continues to expand the dynamic ecosystem that fosters research and its translation into real world applications. Numerous programs that are deeply integrated into the research, educational and service activities of the university help incubate, accelerate and expand tech transfer and a strong pipeline of start-ups. Many campus programs and centers help bridge the gap between lab and marketplace. Learn more about this vibrant community of entrepreneurs and innovators. All of Berkeley's innovation and entrepreneurship resources can be found at begin.berkeley.edu.

UC Berkeley accelerates the translation of ideas and inventions developed by faculty, researchers, and students into products and services that benefit society.

• Over the last decades, more than 310 startup companies have been founded to commercialize IP rights under license from UC Berkeley.
• As of July 2025, companies under the IP licenses from Berkeley have commercialized more than 840 products.
• The Berkeley Research Infrastructure Commons (RIC) enables early stage startup  companies affiliated with UC Berkeley to temporarily conduct new product R&D in faculty labs - under certain conditions and rigorous oversight.
• The university holds an extensive CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing portfolio in the United States with 61 patents to date.
• A drug royalty, monetized for $93 million, helps fund biological research facilities, students, faculty recruitment and retention, and new initiatives.
• Two thirds of all biotechnology companies in California are spin-outs from five universities, including UC Berkeley.

See also UC Systemwide Economic, Fiscal, and Social Impact Analysis, Jan. 2021

At UC Berkeley innovators and entrepreneurs are creating groundbreaking products, revolutionary companies, and entirely new industries. The University plays a critical role in California’s economy. The campus continues to expand the dynamic ecosystem that fosters novel approaches to research and its translation into real-world applications. As of July 2025, UC Berkeley has: