Originally Published on Yahoo Finance via AccessWire on December 17, 2019
SACRAMENTO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / December 17, 2019 / The City of Sacramento is proud to announce a partnership with Berkeley SkyDeck, the startup accelerator program from the University of California (“UC”) Berkeley, which will bring seven startup companies to Sacramento to work with the City to identify investment opportunities.
Berkeley SkyDeck will refer the city a minimum of seven program alumni a year at no fee. All the startups’ founders are alumni of one of the UC campuses and are evaluated through a rigorous process. Berkeley SkyDeck currently accepts less than 3% of applicants.
The City of Sacramento’s Urban Technology Lab (SUTL) will work with these companies to navigate the regulatory environment and connect with potential customers and business partners in the public and private sector. The City also will introduce these startups to the local workforce, with the ultimate goal of growing industry in Sacramento and creating more new, high-paying jobs in the region.
The City already has shown that it is a strong partner for emerging tech companies. For example, the City has been working closely with autonomous vehicle company Phantom Auto.
“Our new partnership with Berkeley SkyDeck reflects how Sacramento is emerging as a statewide leader in the testing of new and emerging technologies,” said Mayor Darrell Steinberg. “The steady flow of young companies looking to prove their products in our city could eventually pay off with new jobs and new investment in growth industries that could further diversify our economy and provide opportunity for young people growing up in our neighborhoods.”
“We are excited to formalize our first large-scale innovation agreement,” said Louis Stewart the City’s chief innovation officer. “This is all part of our effort to put Sacramento on the map as an innovation hub where startup companies know that the City is open, and that we’ll partner with them to help develop, test and showcase their programs. I look forward to leading the City’s efforts alongside our partners to assist the companies in finding success in Sacramento.”
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