PearX vs Berkeley SkyDeck
How PearX and Berkeley SkyDeck compare on investment, equity, format, stage and timing. Every figure comes from the programs' own sites, verified November 4, 2026.
| PearX | Berkeley SkyDeck | |
|---|---|---|
| Investment | $500K | $210K |
| Equity | 7% | 7.25% |
| Deal terms | $500K–$2M per company depending on stage; Pear targets ~7% ownership; terms not standardized | $210K for ~7.25% (post-money SAFE or similar) + $7.5K program fee; option to invest up to 10% of first institutional round |
| Format | In-person | In-person |
| Headquarters | Menlo Park, United States | Berkeley, United States |
| Stage | pre-seed, seed | pre-seed, seed |
| Sectors | general, ai | general, deep tech, ai, health, fintech |
| Duration | 12 weeks | 6 months |
| Application cycle | 2 cohorts a year (Winter Jan–Apr, Summer Jul–Oct); applications reviewed on a rolling basis | 2 batches a year |
Investment is the full standard package; where part of it is an uncapped SAFE, the equity stake covers only the fixed part (see deal terms). Terms change; confirm on each official site before applying.
About
PearX
PearX is the accelerator run by Pear VC, a pre-seed and seed venture firm in the San Francisco Bay Area. It invests $500K to $2M per company and targets about 7% ownership, running two 12-week cohorts a year of fewer than 25 teams, who must relocate to the Bay Area. Support includes free Pear Studio office space, recruiting help and a kickoff retreat (Camp Pear).
Notable alumni: Vals AI, Bobyard, Andera
About
Berkeley SkyDeck
UC Berkeley's startup accelerator, a partnership of the business, engineering and research schools. The six-month cohort program takes about 20 startups per batch, invested in by the Berkeley SkyDeck Fund, and runs specialized tracks such as Bio+Health, Chip & Quantum, Air & Space, and FinTech & Blockchain. It also runs the Pad-13 incubator for startups that receive no investment.
Notable alumni: Xendit, Krisp, DeepScribe, MindsDB, Chemix
Key differences
PearX or Berkeley SkyDeck?
- Does PearX or Berkeley SkyDeck invest more?
- PearX invests more: $500K against $210K from Berkeley SkyDeck.
- Which takes less equity, PearX or Berkeley SkyDeck?
- PearX takes 7%, against 7.25% for Berkeley SkyDeck.
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