Accelerate Your Early Stage Startup at SCET's Summer Venture Lab
SCET's Summer Venture Lab Program (May 20 – June 28, 2023) provides student founders the opportunity to take their new venture project or research one step closer to market. Utilizing the Berkeley Method of Entrepreneurship, the curriculum provides best practices along with an emphasis on leadership, mindset, and networking in one of the most robust entrepreneurial ecosystems in the world.
About SVL
Designed to accelerate your early-stage venture, our program begins with an honest, fact-based assessment of what stage your startup is in, then we prioritize decision-making and establish aggressive but realistic milestones to measure success. We emphasize a deep understanding of the customer and market, product-market fit, paths to market and the importance of storytelling in the Silicon Valley context.
Applicants will earn 6 academic units and a certificate of completion. Note: Students are responsible for working with their home university on acceptance of course credits toward their respective degree programs.
Program Foundations
Business Idea Validation
Students will run experiments and honestly address real and difficult startup challenges to seek the truth about the future for each idea, team, and market opportunity.
Proven Teaching Method
The Berkeley Method of Entrepreneurship leverages best practices with an emphasis on leadership, mindset, and networking in one of the world’s most robust entrepreneurial ecosystems.
Grow Your Network
Build your network with like-minded entrepreneurs in a hands-on collaborative environment actively engaging your own startup’s challenges while learning from other teams, the instructors, and outside speakers & mentors.
Summer Venture Lab
Watch our information session to learn more about how you can accelerate your startup at Berkeley this summer.
Applying to SVL
Eligibility
Preference is given to students enrolled in master's or PhD programs. Exceptions may be made for accomplished undergraduates with compelling projects.
All students must be in good academic standing (GPA of at least 3.0) and be proficient in English (TOEFL 90, IELTS 6.5 or DuoLingo 115).
Applicants must have a technology or science-based project and a team (at least one other founder or team member). This may be a new venture project or a commercialization of research. Note: it is not required that the entire team enroll in the course, but projects with only one team member will not be accepted.
Timeline
- For any non Berkeley UC student (UCD, UCSD, UCLA, etc) or any UC Berkeley student attending Cal on an F1 visa, the deadline to apply is May 12, and for Berkeley students with U.S. citizenship, the deadline to apply is May 17
- The program spans May 22 – June 30, 2023
International students are encouraged to apply as early as possible to allow time to secure housing and visas.
"The program helped my startup tremendously. When I first came into the program, I was a little confused about the direction I wanted to take my company. The program really helped me get my footing and understand what to do next in terms of customer discovery, the business model and other important aspects of running a business."
– DANIEL TSENTSIPER, CEO, VERIPLY
FAQs
If your question is not already answered below, please reach out to David Law (dlaw@berkeley.edu) or Ricardo Rodríguez (rrodriguezi@berkeley.edu) for more information.