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IGI-Bakar Labs and Bakar Labs for Energy & Materials construction site July 2026

Berkeley makes its startup pitch

The Berkeley Innovation Zone on the west side of UC Berkeley -- between campus and downtown -- showcases how the City of Berkeley is working with the university to welcome and support entrepreneurs, in a cultural change that could ultimately bring in more revenue. BIZ includes two incubators currently under construction: IGI-Bakar Labs and Bakar Labs for Energy & Materials.

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Rendering of a daytime view from the corner of Oxford Ave. and University Ave. (Credit: Weiss/Manfredi. Lead design architect: Weiss/Manfredi Architects. Executive architect: DGA.

Turner Celebrates Groundbreaking of the Innovative Genomics Institute – Bakar Labs Building

Turner Construction Company joined the University of California, Berkeley, the Innovative Genomics Institute (IGI), Bakar Labs, project partners, researchers, and community leaders to celebrate the groundbreaking of the Innovative Genomics Institute – Bakar Labs building, marking a major milestone for one of the most transformative life sciences developments in the Bay Area. The groundbreaking represents the culmination of years of vision, planning, and collaboration among UC Berkeley, the Innovative Genomics Institute, Bakar Labs, philanthropic supporters, architects Weiss/Manfredi and DGA, engineers, consultants, and construction partners working toward a shared goal: creating a world-class hub where scientific discovery, entrepreneurship, and innovation can thrive together. The project will become a cornerstone of Berkeley’s Innovation Zone and further strengthen the city’s position as a global leader in biotechnology and climate-focused research. Read post
Four men in a panel presentation sit on stage in an auditorium filled with people

Genentech-adjacent Japanese drugmaker sets up Peninsula office, looks for deals

Even if you've never heard of Chugai Pharmaceutical, you may have heard of some of the drugs that started there: the inflammation and autoimmune disease-fighting drug Actemra and the hemophilia drug Hemlibra, for example. Or you may recall some of its partnerships, like a pact earlier this month with age-related disease company Gero or a partnership with Eli Lilly and Co. around oral GLP-1 weight-loss drug Foundayo. Now the Japanese drugmaker — related to Swiss drugmaker Roche and its Genentech Inc. unit — is prepping for more deals and more visibility. It is setting up a U.S. partnering beachhead in South San Francisco, a three-person office focused on connecting its antibody engineering and small-molecule expertise with life sciences innovators in academia and early-stage companies. Chugai recently became an industry affiliate of Bakar Bio Labs. Read post

Startups from UC Berkeley incubator cross $1 billion funding mark

SAN FRANCISCO BUSINESS TIMES – The early results are in — companies birthed or cradled at UC Berkeley's four-year-old Bakar Labs have hit a cumulative funding mark of $1 billion, operators of the incubator say. The total includes money raised by 55 companies currently housed in the incubator or that have graduated to space of their own. Read post
Six people, dressed in business attire, standing side-by-side in front of a colorful, abstract mural.

Jill Fuss, champion for science and tech entrepreneurship, awarded the 2026 QB3-Bakar Labs Award for Entrepreneurship and Innovation

We are delighted to announce that Jill Fuss, managing director of Activate Berkeley, was awarded the QB3-Bakar Labs Award for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. The award celebrates innovation and enterprise across the life science sector by spotlighting thinkers and leaders who have not only excelled in their own careers but also work to strengthen the broader community of bio-entrepreneurs. Read post
A rendering of the Innovative Genomics Institute–Bakar Labs building, which will be constructed at the corner of Oxford St. and University Ave. on the north edge of the Berkeley Innovation Zone. Image: DGA + Weiss/Manfredi

Bakar Labs Expands Life Science Ecosystem with New R&D Facility for Growing Biotech Companies

Bakar Labs, the University of California, Berkeley's flagship incubator for life science, energy, and materials startups, announced today the launch of a new building on campus that will provide critical infrastructure for life science startups scaling beyond the earliest stages. Launched in partnership with the Innovative Genomics Institute (IGI), the IGI-Bakar Labs building will house expansion space for biotech companies transitioning out of early incubators as they exceed 20-30 employees. This space will help retain high-potential startups in the Berkeley ecosystem by offering state-of-the-art labs and offices, flexibility, community support, and proximity to campus resources so companies can continue to grow. Construction is projected to be complete in late 2028. Read post
A rendering of the Innovative Genomics Institute–Bakar Labs building, which will be constructed at the corner of Oxford St. and University Ave. on the north edge of the Berkeley Innovation Zone. Image: DGA + Weiss/Manfredi

Regents approve IGI-Bakar Labs Building to catalyze science innovation, entrepreneurship

The UC Board of Regents approved a new building for Bakar Labs and the Innovative Genomics Institute, or IGI, at the northwest corner of UC Berkeley’s campus last week. The seven-story,169,000 gross-square-foot facility will be part of UC Berkeley’s Innovation Zone at Oxford Street and University Avenue. After this building and the neighboring Bakar ClimatEnginuity Hub finish construction, Bakar Labs will be the largest hub of biotechnology, energy and materials incubators at any U.S. university, according to UC Berkeley News. The construction is scheduled to break ground in 2026, according to the regents’ Finance and Capital Strategies Committee. It is expected to open during the 2028-29 school year. Read post
A rendering of the Innovative Genomics Institute–Bakar Labs building, which will be constructed at the corner of Oxford St. and University Ave. on the north edge of the Berkeley Innovation Zone. Image: DGA + Weiss/Manfredi

Bakar Labs and Innovative Genomics Institute’s Partnership Create New R&D Facility for Startup Biotech Companies

The University of California, Berkeley’s incubator for life sciences Bakar Labs announced construction for a new research and development building on campus for early-stage biotech startups. Innovative Genomics Institute (IGI) partnered with Bakar Labs to create the IGI-Bakar Labs building, which will provide housing for expanding startups transitioning out of early incubation stages and aims to retain promising startups within the Berkeley ecosystem. Read post
A rendering of the Innovative Genomics Institute–Bakar Labs building, which will be constructed at the corner of Oxford St. and University Ave. on the north edge of the Berkeley Innovation Zone. Image: DGA + Weiss/Manfredi

University of California, Berkeley biotech incubator plots new building for expanding companies

A biotech incubator at the University of California (UC), Berkeley is getting a boost, launching a dedicated space for expanding companies that have outgrown their starter homes. The incubator, Bakar Labs, is teaming up with UC Berkeley’s Innovative Genomics Institute (IGI) to build a new, six-story facility with 72,000 square feet of space. The IGI-Bakar Labs building is slated to finish construction in 2028 and to house up to 14 biotech companies, the incubator said in a July 21 release. It’s intended to give companies enough space to stay in Berkeley once they hire more than 20 or 30 employees. Read post
David Hochschild of the California Energy Commission

Launch of Bakar ClimatEnginuity Hub Unites UC Berkeley Climate Tech Community

"Berkeley's different from Las Vegas: what starts here does not end here," said Dan Kammen, a UC Berkeley professor of energy and founding director of the Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory, in his keynote address at the symposium to launch the Bakar ClimatEnginuity Hub (BCH), Berkeley's innovation center and incubator for climate technology. BCH will accelerate the commercialization of new technologies, sending them forth to be adopted by humanity across the world as we adapt to and combat climate change. Read post
The Bakar ClimatEnginuity Hub, expected to open during the 2027-2028 academic year, will provide a home for entrepreneurs in the burgeoning field of climate technology. The donor-funded facility will be located on the west side of campus at the site currently occupied by University Hall. Rendering by Gensler

Bakar Climate Tech Incubator Recruiting Director of BD & Partnerships

The Director of Business Development and Partnerships of BCH will be responsible for developing highly innovative new programs and partnerships with local, national and international public and private entities to create and support a vibrant ecosystem that accelerates startup companies focused on the translation of scientific discoveries into solutions in the energy and climate tech marketplace. Read post
Gino Segre at Bakar Labs

‘Innovation Zone’ Is Coming to Downtown Berkeley

“You can see the ecosystem here is just flourishing and becoming … even bigger and bigger, [or] as I say, a flywheel for innovation and startups,” Gino Segre, managing director of Bakar Labs, told the Business Times. “The campus itself is dedicating more real estate and more of its attention to creating these kinds of programs over time – and it’s going to be more interdisciplinary too.” Segre said Bakar Labs could have a partnership with the new addition to campus, though specifics are not yet known. Read post