Berkeley Catalyst Fund (BCF)

Berkeley Catalyst Fund (BCF) is a venture capital fund headquartered in San Francisco, California. It was established in 2015 by Dr. Laura Smoliar, Dr. Ted Hou, and Mr. Drew Lanza in collaboration with the UC Berkeley College of Chemistry Prof. Douglas Clark. The fund provides seed through early stage funding to startups developed within the University of California system with a particular focus on startups developed through the UC Berkeley College of Chemistry.

BCF operates a sister fund the Berkeley Catalyst Philanthropic Fund (BCPF) which is managed by the UC Berkeley Foundation and accepts donations from alumni and other donors who wish to invest in the entrepreneurial ecosystem developed in part by the Berkeley Catalyst Fund and the College of Chemistry.