Berkeley Catalyst Fund

Profile

Berkeley Catalyst Fund is a venture capital firm based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Founded by Dr. Ted Hou, Mr. Drew Lanza, and Dr. Laura Smoliar, the fund collaborates closely with UC Berkeley and other local institutions to support the startup ecosystem. Each founding partner brings a wealth of experience in fields like chemistry and entrepreneurship. The fund is uniquely positioned to benefit from its strong ties to the academic community, allowing it to leverage talent and resources from UC Berkeley and associated incubators and accelerators.

The fund primarily invests in life sciences, biotechnology, agriculture, cleantech, and sensors with a focus on Seed and Series A stages. Although specific check sizes are not mentioned, the fund is structured to finance early-stage ventures within its thematic focus areas. Additionally, Berkeley Catalyst Fund has a unique relationship with the UC Berkeley Foundation, which acts as a Special Limited Partner, thereby funneling benefits back to the university community.

Notable investments include companies like Mobius Photonics, which specializes in lasers, and other startups in biotechnology and cleantech. Berkeley Catalyst is also supported by a philanthropic sister fund, the Berkeley Catalyst Philanthropic Fund, which contributes to initiatives benefitting UC Berkeley's College of Chemistry through donations and alumni engagement.