This conceptual subway-style map (or circuit board if you prefer) of Sacramento’s startup and innovation ecosystem represents the connections and relationships of the various resources and support services available to entrepreneurs and innovators in our region’s growing startup community.
Click on the nodes throughout the diagram for more details about a given resource.
Startup Digest is a weekly newsletter curated by Laura Good and Jeff Bennett that highlights news and events in the Sacramento startup community.
Startup Grind Sacramento hosts monthly startup events to teach, inspire, and connect entrepreneurs. Rich Foreman is the founding director of the Sacramento Chapter of Startup Grind.
Networking. Entrepreneurship. Drinks and Snacks. This is a semi-informal event organized by Bryan Barton held several times a year, intended to foster a sense of community for Sacramento startups of all sizes- from napkin sketch to IPO!
Startup Hustle, a program from Hacker Lab and Sierra College, is an 9-Week Lean Startup Incubator designed to help participants launch a new startup.
Startup Weekend Sacramento is a weekend-long hackathon where aspiring entrepreneurs and startup enthusiasts pitch ideas and create a startup in the course of a weekend. The Sacramento organizing team typically holds an event in the Spring and Fall each year.
Hacker Lab, a coworking and maker space with locations in Midtown, Rocklin, and Rancho Cordova offers coworking and maker space. A community space that educates folks and supports entrepreneurs and creatives. Hacker Lab fosters technology by offering community driven mentoring and education! Build Code Unite!
I/O Labs, a new downtown innovation space will house Sacramento’s largest community of innovators, along with technology, design, civic innovation, urban prototyping and media labs. I/O Labs will be additionally supported by several leading companies and organizations in the region with a focus on innovation and growth.
As a Code for America Brigade, Code for Sacramento is part of a national network of civic-minded volunteers who contribute their skills toward using the web as a platform for local government and community service.
The purpose of Sacramento Developer Collective (previously known as IGDA Sacramento) is simple: To create opportunity for developers & designers, both aspiring & veteran, to connect & empower one another within our up & coming Sacramento game industry!
Local Meetup groups, organized through the site Meetup.com, are host to dozens of tech meet ups monthly in the Sacramento area. Meetup groups focus around areas such as web development, Javascript, Ruby, WordPress, Drupal, Oracle, Virtual Reality, 3D Printing and many more.
Hackathons provide a great way to get involved with the community and create apps for specific causes. The Sacramento region is home to several hackathons each year, typically sponsored by city, county, or state governements or programs like Code for America.
Health 2.0 Sacramento is a grassroots group of innovators who meet up regularly with the mission to cultivate and propel health technology — especially mobile, wireless, and Internet technology. Health 2.0 Sacramento brings together health, technology, innovation, & entrepreneurship enthusiasts in Sacramento & the Central Valley.
AgStart, an activity in operation since 2013 supporting our region’s ag-and-food technology startups, has transitioned from SARTA to its own 501(c)3 non-profit, and currently operates a business-mentorship and incubator/co-working program in the region. AgStart showcases ag-and-food tech startups in events throughout the year and connects entrepreneurs to people and organizations who can move their business forward.
CleanStart, a former program of the now defunct SARTA, has relaunched as an independent nonprofit to support green technology companies and startups. The nonprofit will focus on supporting businesses and technologies that focus on developing forms of sustainable energy. CleanStart will be housed in the new downtown Sacramento co-location offices of Velocity Venture Capital.
The Urban Hive offers creatives and entrepreneurs shared work space, private offices, meeting rooms and conference rooms for collaborating, connecting and creating.
Modern style, high class amenities and a central Midtown location; Outlet is a place where artists, start-ups, and professionals can all come to work... together.
an express coffee shop, and a coworking experience.
Founded in 2008, Capsity is an owner-occupied professional workplace located on 21st Street, south of Sacramento’s Broadway Corridor. Originally built in 1949 as a US Post Office, modern renovations provide a spacious interior of over 4,500 sq. ft., featuring clean and secure work habitats, accented by ample sunlight and a community Art Gallery.
InnoGrove is a shared coworking environment for mutual benefit that inspires creative thinking, sharing of ideas and mutual support. InnoGrove was founded by innovators living and working in Elk Grove. We felt the need to create a space for technologists and innovators to meet, work, and collaborate on a range of subjects.
Another former program of the now defunct SARTA, MedStart is the Sacramento region's virtual medtech incubator. MedStart represents over 140 entrepreneurs and startup companies and boasts an active advisory and mentor network focusing on the nine-county Sacramento region
Davis Roots is a non-profit start-up incubator dedicated to growing the entrepreneurial community in Davis and Sacramento.
The Big Bang! offers mentorship, team building, education, financing and networking for aspiring entrepreneurs.
Billed as a "heavy incubator," Area 52 is geared towards building products and starting a manufacturing business. The space features office space acccessible to a full fabrication facility, as well as experienced engineers and fabricators.
The Glue Factory is shaping Roseville’s future with a three-fold approach.
1. Entrepreneurial Development: We provide space, education and connections for the next generation of entrepreneurs to begin building their businesses.
2. Community Building: We offer professional training and networking connections to create growth opportunities for local professionals.
3. City-Wide Health: Through a partnership with The Health Education Council, we offer health-focused events and programs to inspire city-wide wellness.
Located in the Capital Region (CR) of California, the CR AR VR Accelerator is a unique program for start-up and early-stage augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) companies that covers the entire continuum of digital reality: from virtual, to augmented, to mixed, plus everything in between.
The Sacramento Entrepreneurship Academy helps develop successful entrepreneurs by providing real world mentoring, training and a network of support from local business leaders.
UC Davis is recognized as a national center for new, creative, & innovative ideas and is ranked 16th highest in research funding. According to the Sacramento Business Journal, UC Davis launched 14 commercial startups for the 2014 fiscal year. Since 2003, 62 startups using UC Davis-originated technology have launched.
Sacramento State works with UC Davis in cellular biology and stem cell research and is associated with the Sutter Institute for Medical Research.
The Art Institute of California – Sacramento, a branch of The Art Institute of California – Los Angeles, offers among other programs, a bachelor of science program in Game Art & Design. The bachelor’s degree program in Game Art & Design prepares graduates for careers in the game and other industries as 2D and 3D artists, texture mappers, and project managers.
Formerly known as Velocity Venture Capital, Impact Venture Capital teams with Bay Area investors to focus on the triangle between Sacramento, Silicon Valley and San Francisco.
Velocity Venture Capital presents an annual Entrepreneurs Showcase and Demo Day, an invitation only forum that provides a unique opportunity for angel, corporate, venture and institutional investors from the Sacramento and Silicon Valley regions to hear pitches from promising seed stage technology startups from Velocity’s Entrepreneurs Showcase Accelerator program.
UC Davis’ Venture Catalyst facilitates the translation of University research and technology by driving the development of new ventures.
Through the Venture Catalyst DRIVE™ (Distributed Research Incubation & Venture Engine) Program, UC Davis is taking a distributed approach to developing a network of lean, thematically oriented business incubators both on-campus and off-campus. DRIVE will consist of a network of start-up incubation facilities (the DRIVE™ Network Innovation Centers) to be facilitated through the Office of Research by Venture Catalyst with management of the actual incubation facilities handled by the physical facility owners. Startups will enter into leases directly with the Innovation Center landlord.
Founder Academy is a Sacramento-based Silicon Valley training and mentoring program for entrepreneurs.
Greater Sacramento is a non-profit that promotes the Sacramento Region through domestic and international marketing missions, industry conferences, professional networks, and other channels, and works to recruit high-value companies, jobs, and new investment to the area. Greater Sacramento assists companies with corporate locations and expansions, delivering information and coordinating resources to assist companies from early in the site location process to permitting and hiring and everything in between.
Akers Capital, LLC is a venture capital firm dedicated to making private equity investments in emerging technology companies. Akers Capital manages Pac West Technology Fund I, LP, an investment partnership that invests in emerging technology companies in the Northwest and Northern California.
Aside from capital investment, the Moneta team works closely with stellar entrepreneurs, developers, and sales and marketing teams to build on their ideas to optimize growth and profitability, so promising early stage startups can thrive.
The Sacramento Angels™ and their Venture Capital strategic members believe in the journey of the entrepreneur and startups; the journey to make the world a better place, to create jobs and to keep America strong, competitive and at the forefront of innovation. We believe in this journey because we have traveled the path ourselves, either as entrepreneurs, working as executives in onetime startup companies, or as investors in the venture capital industry. If you are on such a journey or if you want to help guide and support those who are, then we encourage you to join us. Whether you are a potential member wishing to join our group as an investor or an entrepreneur seeking early stage capital we encourage you to take a trip around the site to learn more about us and our activities.
Almond Tree Capital and its founders identified a unique and pressing opportunity to capitalize on medical technology and device businesses and assets. With deep passion and knowledge from the financial, marketing, legal, and technical world, the founders joined forces and developed a novel playbook for medical device and technology investing.
CVF Capital Partners is a California-based investment firm that provides the capital and resources needed to help small and medium-sized businesses thrive. We offer a flexible capital solution through subordinated debt and preferred equity securities, as well as the relationships and expertise to take businesses to the next level.
Sierra Angels is Nevada’s premier angel investment group founded at North Lake Tahoe in 1997. Our Membership consists of 50 highly experienced executives and entrepreneurs who provide funding, mentoring and strategic introductions for meritorious early-stage technology companies primarily in Nevada and Northern California. We also proactively collaborate with other angel groups throughout the Western States. To date, our Members have funded greater than 60 companies in a wide range of industries, including software, Internet, wireless, social media, IT, health tech, and clean tech, among others. Sierra Angels is a founding member, and on the Board of Angel Capital Association (ACA) and Angel Resource Institute (ARI).
DCA Capital Partners makes direct investments in promising businesses led by talented and committed management teams. In addition to providing capital, we will partner with you to accelerate revenue growth, increase market share, enhance margins, and optimally position the company for a high-value, strategic sale. We typically take minority positions, which allows you to get the capital you need (for growth or shareholder liquidity) while still maintaining operating control of your business.
Silicon Bay Partners is a holding company established to acquire and develop new leading edge technologies as well as promising early growth stage companies within the Software, Internet, Mobile Applications, and Real Estate sectors.
We partner with entrepreneurs who think differently and generally invest in founder-led, bootstrapped companies with fast-growing usage.
AGR Partners is a capital provider that cultivates profitable, long-term growth in companies we see as indispensable assets of our food chain. AGR invests internationally in food and agriculture companies.
WayUp’s cornerstone workforce development and employment initiative is the creation of a Medical Innovation Zone (MedZone) on Stockton Boulevard in close relationship with UC Davis Medical Center, Sutter Health, Kaiser Permanente, and Dignity Health.
While MedZone’s primary benefit will be the creation of jobs, including those for local residents, fundamentally the initiative is a strategic tool for community economic development that will result in a vibrant and healthy neighborhood.
A successful MedZone will strategically create a thriving local economy, an educated local workforce, and jobs for local residents. It will, in essence, become a national model for the kind of community economic development that truly benefits all stakeholders.
In his State of the City address in January 2016, Mayor Kevin Johnson announced an initiative to invest $2 million into the startup accelerator “500 Startups” which would invest in at least 10 new companies in Sacramento.
In his State of the City address in January 2016, Mayor Kevin Johnson announced the investing $1 million from new city innovation fund into Sacramento startups, $500,000 to fund small grants for organizations that “grow and train entrepreneurs” and an effort to find & develop additional innovation zones that provide physical space and resources for entrepreneurs.
In his State of the City address in January 2016, Mayor Kevin Johnson announced an initiative to create a “Mayor’s Innovation Office” focused on helping startups.
TBD
Pollinate Davis is a shared downtown Davis coworking community that promotes collaboration in a professional, inspirational and self-sustaining space to grow and nurture entrepreneurialism. Pollinate provides creatives, entrepreneurs, freelancers and startups a space they can call “home,” without the hassles of a traditional office.
The Los Rios Community College District is a two-year public college district serving the greater Sacramento region of California.
Sierra College, a California community college, has its main campus located in Rocklin, California. With approximately 125 degree and certificate programs, Sierra College is ranked first in Northern California (Sacramento north) for transfers to 4 year Universities, offers career/technical training, and classes for upgrading job skills.
The UC Davis-HM.CLAUSE Life Science Innovation Center is a 3,100 square-foot, off campus facility that is administered and owned by HM.CLAUSE, a global leader in the production and sale of vegetable seeds. It is equipped with biochemistry, molecular biology and chemistry lab space, and also offers 1,800 ft² of contiguous greenhouse space.
As a business incubator, the center provides the technical services and support needed in order to turn viable ideas into successful businesses. The shared goal of UC Davis and HM.CLAUSE is to create an environment that breeds innovation, fosters creativity and inspires synergy. As is common for incubators such as this, tenants are able to lease space for a maximum term of two years in order to allow others to benefit.
Women Who Code is a global nonprofit organization dedicated to inspiring women to excel in technology careers by creating a global, connected community of women in technology. The Women Who Code Sacramento branch holds technology and coding learning sessions in and around Sacramento County and are eager to help startups/individuals working on tech startups in the region.
1 Million Cups is a free, national program designed to educate, engage, and connect entrepreneurs. Developed by the Kauffman Foundation, 1MC is based on the notion that entrepreneurs discover solutions and network over a million cups of coffee.
1 Million Cups Sacramento will be launching September 21, 2016. Each week, one or two early-stage startups will present their companies to a diverse audience of their peers, mentors, educators, and advisors. Each founder presents for six minutes, followed by a 20-minute question-and-answer session with the audience.
Davis Funding Club invests in smart people solving difficult problems using startups to commercialize intellectual property coming out of U.C. Davis and the local Davis economy. Club membership is focused on investors that are local to the city of Davis or associated with U.C. Davis in some way.
Small Business Development Center provides first-rate, no-cost confidential consulting to small business owners interested in achieving growth and profitability. They utilize workshops and one-on-one advising with access to all kinds of loans and funding alternatives. They are a non-profit and funded by the Federal government as well as key local partners.
Cowo Campus and SacWork are colocated in the same building on the corner of 21st and O Street in Midtown Sacramento
Cowo Campus is workspace for entrepreneurs and creatives from all backgrounds with coffee, food, and events.
SacWork provides private, secure offices for teams of smaller size.
The “Sacramento Region Innovation Awards” is an annual program that recognizes and celebrates pioneering innovations and the local talent behind new products, services and processes in the Capital Region. It is presented by Stoel Rives LLP, Moss Adams LLP and the Sacramento Business Journal. Nomination period runs June-July with awards event in the Fall.
The Sacramento District Office covers the 21 North Eastern counties of California and has seen continuous growth in both technical assistance and loan guarantees over the last six years. The District serves close to 3.9 million people and has over 200,300 small businesses. The District Office and its strategic partners have counseled and trained over 100,000 business owners and provided loan guarantees to 6,000 businesses for a total exceeding $1 billion dollars. In fiscal year 2015, the District made loan guarantees and provided access to capital to 929 businesses for a total dollar amount of over $384 million dollars.
The District is home to Four Small Business Development Centers (SBDC), three SCORE Chapters, a Veteran’s Business Outreach Center (VBOC), and a Women’s Business Center (WBC) as well as a Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC).
California Capital was established as a SBA Women’s Center in October 2012. They are committed to helping entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses through educational workshops, one-on-one assistance, online learning, and connection with local resources. Although their services are available to all, they are committed to meeting the unique needs of women in business.
McClellan Innovation Center (MIC) helps startups in the Sacramento region grow to their full potential. Its 10,000 square-foot facility houses individuals, startups, and corporate partners to accelerate the pace of innovation in Sacramento.
The mission of Center for Entrepreneurship in the College of Business Administration (CBA) is to develop and nurture innovative business ideas and to capitalize potential entrepreneurial opportunities, both from CSUS and local entrepreneurship communities. The Center will provide entrepreneurs with the skills and resources needed to launch a venture and to identify and cultivate solutions to entrepreneurial problems, the network structure to bring the plan to fruition, and the technical training to grow the enterprises.
The Center for Entrepreneurship is designed to provide a new venture incubator service, providing residences, endowments, in-kind office hours, and limited business resources.
The Get STEAMED Digital Badge project, by Operation Innovate, is an educational leadership project that offers digital badge certification for underserved youth ages 16 - 24 in top three STEM/Tech Fields IOS App, Website and Video Game Development. The project aims to train and badge 45 youth in IOS App Development, Instructional Website Design and Development, Video Game Development, Startup Entrepreneurship and Workforce Readiness.
FourthWave catalyzes the growth of best-in-class women-led technology companies. They co-create with local public and private partners “capital readiness” entrepreneur programs in cities where women and diverse founders, especially in technology sectors, are underserved.
Yellow Circle is an organization committed to making careers in information technology more accessible. Yellow Circle’s CodeIT! Academy project aims to create an advanced online learning academy where students of all ages, races, genders, locations, or socioeconomic status can gain hands-on experience and education in all aspects of information technology.
Square Root Academy trains the next generation of engineers and scientists coming from underserved areas in the very communities this demographic resides in. It ensures that this program is accessible to those who need it most at no cost at all to the students. Using a hands on STEM based curriculum, in class mentors connect the mathematical and scientific theories taught in the classroom to real life applications. The projects created foster a sense of academic empowerment within the students creating by bridging the gap between the concepts in the classroom and their practical use.
The Green Tech Web Builders Bootcamp introduces low income youth from diverse ethnic backgrounds to high technology careers serving as a springboard to web development, design and manufacturing. Introducing underserved youth to high technology gives them an opportunity to join a workforce currently experiencing a disparity in women and minorities. The program also encourages self-employment and entrepreneurial skill building exercises and innovative project based learning.
MakerHQ is a nonprofit organization that exists to provide a collaborative community space focused on harnessing the technical, artistic, and scientific elements of our city through endeavours in education, research, and team projects.
Rocket Department will open a prototyping lab where entrepreneurs can validate and build their business ideas. The primary goal is to provide access to high quality equipment and technical experts who know how to use them. This lab will address the gap between entrepreneurs with the ideas and the people with the technical skills to build those ideas. Rocket Department will provide the tools and people needed to prototype and manufacture their products in Sacramento.
E49’s Suite 210 shared work spaces are designed to bring together like-minded entrepreneurs, businesses, nonprofits, churches and civic organizations to build connect, build relationships and grow in their businesses/ministries through collaboration.
Suite 210’s incubator intensive program, operated by E49 Corporation, is focused on equipping and mobilizing nonprofit and for profit businesses that solve social issues in the Sacramento Region through networking, mentoring and training. Suite 210 serves as a co-working space designed to blend incubator programs for nonprofit and for-profit businesses to solve social issues through networking, mentoring and training.
Sacramento State's Center for Entrepreneurship hosts the Sac State "Pitch" Competition coinciding with Global Entrepreneurship Week in November. Students have the opportunity to pitch any business idea they want in front of a panel of judges, venture capitalists, and millionare business owners.
Square One Clubs is a software and game developer business accelerator made up of game developers and organizers wishing to give back to the emerging game development community in Sacramento. Square One will secure a location that will include the addition of a training/event space and studio, enabling the organization to build an educational program and host both private, member only events, and public events to server the larger community.
Blacktop Capital is a seed-stage venture capital firm focusing on companies with pre-money valuations in the $5 million range. They focus on companies they feel can can achieve returns of 10 times or more. Blacktop’s primary interest is software companies, although they're open to other businesses.
The newly-launched Project SlingShot is an initiative of the California Workforce Development Board (CWDB) to encourage and support regional partnerships across the state to engage in new collective actions that can “move the needle” on workforce challenges.
After an extensive planning and review process, SlingShot was approved for implementation in August 2016 and will include an innovation fund of $750,000 to provide grant and contract funding to support the ecosystem for entrepreneurs, start-ups, and small businesses. The project is being implemented in the Capital Region by a partnership of four local workforce development boards: the Sacramento Employment and Training Agency (SETA), Golden Sierra, the North Central Counties Consortium, and the Yolo County WDB, with SETA acting as the lead partner.
The goals of Project Slingshot are to catalyze entrepreneurship, business and employment growth across high growth economic clusters, such as Information and Communication Technology, Health Services and Advanced Manufacturing. SlingShot will foster the development of entrepreneurial skills within career pathways and provide robust resource systems to start-ups and small businesses.
A collaborative incubator-style project with Google, YouTube, and McClatchy Video Lab West will host entrepreneurs working in groups to explore ways of using cutting-edge technologies, including virtual and augmented reality, to improve video storytelling.
MedCatalyst @ UC Davis is one of several DRIVE Program Incubators.
The Mike and Renee Child Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship integrates science and business for social benefit.
They bring together researchers in science and engineering with faculty, MBA students, UC Davis undergraduates, experienced entrepreneurs, investors and corporate leaders to support technology transfer and commercialization activities.
Their programs help researchers and students build the networks, knowledge and tools to communicate the value of their work, explore commercialization strategies, connect with industry partners, and design research programs that address and align with practical applications.
Food and Ag Entrepreneurship Academy
The Food + Ag Entrepreneurship Academy is the premier academic program for commercializing innovations in food and agriculture. It is a springboard for moving research out of the lab and into the world.
Biomedical and Engineering Entrepreneurship Academy
The Biomedical + Engineering Entrepreneurship Academy (BMEA) is the premier academic program for commercializing science and engineering innovations. It is a springboard for moving research out of the lab and into the world.
National Labs Entrepreneurship Academy
The three-day National Labs Entrepreneurship Academy is the premier academic program for commercializing science and engineering innovations coming out of Lawrence Livermore National Lab (LLNL) and Sandia National Labs (SNL). It is intended for employees of the National Labs, and is a springboard for moving research out of the lab and into the world.
UC Entrepreneurship Academy
The three-day UC Entrepreneurship Academy is the premiere academic program for commercializing science and engineering innovations. It is a springboard for moving research out of the lab and into the world.
The Ignite conference provides entrepreneurial MBA students and others with a chance to meet some of the most successful and up-and-coming entrepreneurs in the Bay Area.
The Angels on Campus mentoring program is designed for students, postdocs and faculty to meet with angel investors on campus and explore commercial opportunities surrounding their ideas.
The Engineering Student Startup Center is an on-campus innovation space where students can prototype ideas and collaborate on technology ventures.
The World Food Center elevates and enhances the excellence across UC Davis for greater societal impact on food and health and has ties to the Food and Ag Entrepreneurship Academy.
The Sacramento Kings are committed to local entrepreneurs and growing the innovation economy of the Sacramento region. The annual Capitalize event extends this committment to the community by providing an opportunity for innovators to showcase their products and services on NBA’s global stage.
The Work Shop is a coworking experiment in downtown Davis intended for freelancers,telecommuters, poets, playwrights, programmers, designers, dissertators, educators, and anyone else who needs a productive space to work on a short-term or long-term project.
The mission of StartupSac is to connect the various players in the Sacramento startup innovation community, empower founders and entrepreneurs to be leaders in the community, and help build, galvanize and catalyze Sacramento as the next great startup innovation ecosystem.
The Founder Institute, the world’s premier idea-stage accelerator and startup launch program, has officially launched its newest chapter in Sacramento, California. The Silicon-Valley based program decided to officially launch in Sacramento after a successful test launch this year attracted over 150 potential applicants in the city.
The HaneyBiz Sacramento Opportunity Fund invests in promising Sacramento companies with great growth potential. We typically focus on companies that generate more than $500k in annual revenue and are searching for capital to fulfill orders, implement marketing campaigns, hire sales people, acquire companies, or other growth-oriented activities. In rare circumstances, we will consider an early stage investment when there is intellectual property or a proven competitive advantage.
HaneyBiz takes a creative approach to investing and can place capital as debt, equity, or a combination of both. In some cases, the HaneyBiz Fund can assist in securing traditional bank financing.
In addition to providing capital, HaneyBiz provides valuable connections, mentorship, and business support services so you can grow your company fast. If you’re a passionate, hard-driving entrepreneur that wants to aggressively grow your company, we want to hear from you today.
WorkFlow Lounge Coworking Space Business Development Center is the first coworking space to open in Rancho Cordova. WorkFlow Lounge is a beautiful, community-driven, co-working space for entrepreneurs, location independent workers, startups, founders, and anyone interested in working in affordable, professional comfort while building their business. They provide all the tools necessary to run your business in one convenient location.
Inventopia is a non-profit business incubator / Microfactory / Co-Laboraory and / Co-Working space in Davis CA.
A new collaborative wet laboratory space in West Sacramento to help incubate technology startups.
Women in Data is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that was established in 2015 with the mission to foster and celebrate diversity to create connection and give meaning to data.
California Asian American Professional Society (CAAPS) serves as the connecting point for American professionals throughout California in three focus areas: Commerce, Community, and College Students. CAAPS locally promotes economic development for California, provides business resources for business owners and entrepreneurs, enhances college education with Internship and Scholarship Programs, and a key leader in community giving and philanthropic efforts.
Coffee and Coworking was established with the mission of not only providing affordable coworking, office and event space, but to provide entrepreneurs with a place where they could come to learn more about how to successfully launch their companies, raise funds and grow their companies strategically.
The Makers Place™ is an intentionally-designed multipurpose space where working parents can create, connect, and collaborate while their young children are cared for onsite in our Mini Makers™ Studio. We offer a variety of flexible membership types to meet you exactly where you’re at now and help you grow your vision as we support your family.
I/O Sacramento will serve as the non-profit arm of I/O Labs and plans to engage and connect entrepreneurs through regular networking events, workshops, education programming, annual conferences, incubation, and connections to funding.
In 2013, Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. codified the California Innovation Hub (iHub) program by signing Assembly Bill 250 (Holden, Chapter 530, Statutes of 2013) into law. The goal of the iHub program is to improve the state’s national and global competitiveness by stimulating partnerships, economic development, and job creation around specific research clusters throughout the state. iHubs are operated through a cooperative agreement between GO-Biz and geographically distinct regions within California.
The Sacramento iHub used to be managed by the now defunct SARTA. When SARTA closed shop, the I/O Labs Foundation assumed leadership role for the Sacramento region's iHub.
The STAIRTM (Science Translation and Innovative Research) Grants help campus innovators move cutting-edge technology towards commercialization by providing funding to generate proof-of-concept results, research milestones and prototypes.
The Venture Catalyst STARTTM program provides the building blocks to equip UC Davis affiliated entrepreneurs with the tools they need to form and grow successful companies. Innovators who engage with the START program have access to the following suite of tools and services.
The Little Bang! Poster Competition is designed to help UC Davis students define their business idea and communicate it concisely using a poster. This is an entry-level competition, no business experience is necessary.
More info coming soon.
A cross-campus collaboration between the Office of Research, the Internship and Career Center, GradPathways (Graduate Studies) and the Mike and Renee Child Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, this five-month program helps Ph.D. students and postdoctoral scholars connect with applied experiences beyond academia through immersives (internships, job shadowing, projects) while supporting business skills development.
The Creator Challenge Series is an initiative inspired and propelled by the growing interest in entrepreneurship and technology at UC Davis.
Today’s engineers, designers, and entrepreneurs become tomorrow’s leaders in innovation and we are here to give them the tools and opportunities necessary to solidify their visions and make them competitive players in the industry. Our vision is to bring together students, mentors, and leading companies to create 'A Brighter Future' focusing on our theme of OneHealth and Sustainability.
We work side-by-side with entrepreneurs in the areas most critical to the success for their new ventures. UC PLASMA provides early-stage companies with an extensive mentor network, educational sessions with industry leaders, seed capitol, and a rich entrepreneurial work environment within a twelve week cohort accelerator.
The CTSC serves as a catalyst to support biomedical research projects by providing services and resources to investigators, staff, scholars and trainees, and community partners. As an honest and resourceful broker, the CTSC partners with UC Davis schools and colleges engaged in life science and translational research to support collaborative projects with the potential to improve health care. The CTSC provides a centralized resource dedicated to facilitating biomedical research through innovation, collaboration, and expertise.
The Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society (CITRIS) and the Banatao Institute create information technology solutions for society’s most pressing challenges.
The core mission of UC Davis is to generate, advance, disseminate and apply knowledge. Technology commercialization plays a key role in accomplishing this goal, often leading to new products, services and startup companies that have a transformative impact on society.
Our office enables the transformation of technology to commercial applications through a wide range of services including educational and outreach programs (both within and outside the university), filing patents, managing trademarks and copyrights, establishing licensing and commercialization agreements as well as enabling the formation of new companies.
Our office works with industry, community partners and researchers to ensure that new discoveries and inventions reach society to improve the lives of others.
Five Star Bank Tank represents a return of the Golden Capital Network Venture Forum series which were created by Five Star Bank VP and Venture Banking Manager, Jon Gregory. From 1999 – 2011, Golden Capital Network hosted these events across California and Nevada with over 2,000 alumni presenters including companies like StubHub, Pandora Media, A Place for Mom, PowerSchool, Marrone Bio Innovations, and many others.
The Blocs is an innovation hub with shared desk space and private offices. Our mission is to connect freelance creatives with businesses to accelerate growth in the local community.
Our Sacramento community is all about local. Locally-sourced food, small businesses, family-owned companies: These are the groups that thrive in the region.
It’s no different when it comes to picking a coworking space. Our space’s anchor tenants are a local Real Estate Brokerage, and an Art Gallery. Additionally our space has 5 private offices/suites, 2 semi private offices, 8 open desk spaces, 6 workstation spaces, and drop in work spaces.
Willow Tree Roots' United States program seeks to empower women from underrepresented groups to and through entrepreneurship. "The Power of SHE" (Shaping & Honing Entrepreneurs) works with underrepresented and under-recognized women in the Sacramento area to manifest their business ideas from ideation, business plan creation, marketing and finances culminating in a showcase opportunity in front of potential investors. At the end of the program, young women entrepreneurs from underrepresented communities will have an entrepreneurial enterprise that is ready to be launched with committed funders.
Funded by the Small Business Administration and State of California, TFG is a non-profit that offers 100% free business advising to startups and entrepreneurs, taking no equity or cash. TFG focuses on helping technology startups raise capital from investors as well as government grants, and government loans. In addition to helping to raise capital they help entrepreneurs form strong organizational, marketing, and operating strategies.
Aggie Square will serve as a collaborative technology and innovation campus that leverages the university’s strengths to become the catalyst for economic change, creates jobs, and helps spur economic vitality of the surrounding neighborhoods and the broader Sacramento region. It will serve as a model public-private partnership, increasing technology transfer and creating equitable opportunities for residents in the community and region. It will support new jobs at a variety of education levels.
Building on the strengths of UC Davis and economic leverage of the City of Sacramento, the potential for public-private partners includes the areas of life sciences, food systems, mobility, government and civic technology, and arts and communications.
The Sacramento Center for Innovation (SCI) is a 240-acre area that is designated by the City of Sacramento to foster the exchange of technical knowledge and expertise between students, faculty and innovative businesses and technology companies.
Responding to a city initiative, the SCI’s newest project, The Crossings, is a state-of-the-art student housing community that will include an 11,000-square-foot Innovation Lab as a central location for students, faculty and businesses to exchange knowledge, build connections and stimulate innovation. It will also offer space for retails shops, an eatery and convenience stores. Sacramento State, the largest single land owner in the SCI, has 25 acres to develop.
On June 21, 2016, the Sacramento City Council adopted the Innovation and Growth Fund Policy and Guidelines to create new programs that expand the startup pipeline and engage the innovation ecosystem. In doing so, the council unanimously approved a framework for the Rapid Acceleration, Innovation, and Leadership in Sacramento (RAILS) program. The RAILS program offers up to $1 million in grants annually to support the development of Sacramento’s entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem through “startup enablers” — community-based initiatives and programs that help entrepreneurs take their startup from initial idea to viable company.
The Sacramento Urban Technology Lab (SUTL) is the living embodiment of the Triple Helix model of economic innovation, where government, academia and industry collaborate to transform Sacramento into that of a “living laboratory” for entrepreneurs, advanced technology businesses, and academic institutions to test, develop, and scale their ideas, products, and services. By actively supporting technology development and demonstration throughout different districts in Sacramento, SUTL will help align current City efforts to grow Sacramento’s existing base of high-tech workers, business incubators, and early-stage technology businesses and encourage established technology firms and research partners to test new technologies in a live city environment.
SUTL uses physical technology testing grounds, industry-specific programming, and city-wide branding to achieve the following initiatives:
Collectively, these programs are being coordinated to maximize the benefits of the recent surge of interest and investment in the Capitol region’s “innovation economy.”
SUTL aims to bring awareness to current and future city initiatives as well as develop programming to support the growth of the following industry verticals in Sacramento:
We are the antidote to the so-called 2% problem in Silicon Valley. We believe that the abundance of national black wealth and expertise combined with the youthful black genius and tech talent will produce successful next-generation technology companies with black techpreneurs at the helm.
The lab, part of the Department of Biomedical Engineering’s TEAM (Translating Engineering Advances to Medicine) prototyping facilities, extends the concept of rapid prototyping made popular by “makerspaces” into the broad domain of biotechnology. Researchers, students and entrepreneurs edit bacterial genomes. They design, build and test DNA-encoded devices. They express and study diverse proteins. They study the effect of genes on organismal behavior. They build new kinds of electrical devices that interface with biology.
Developing a strong and vibrant startup and innovation ecosystem requires a talent pool to pull from in the community. Several regional organizations and programs are dedicated to growing a strong and vibrant tech workforce in the region.
Networking and making connections is key to the success of startups and entrepreneurs. Networking meetups and groups provide an opportunity for entrepreneurs to meet others in the business community who may be able to help and make connections.
Launched in 2018, Wide-Awake Geek is a Workspace \ MakerSpace that is the result of a group of geeks, nerds and makers with too much coffee and not enough space to create.
Square One is a makerspace located in the courtyard of the Woodland Public Library. Opened in 2017, Square One offers a wide variety of equipment and projects for Woodland residents to create and learn from one another.
Sacramento City College has built an interdisciplinary, cross-sector digital fabrication lab and makerspace accessible to all students, faculty, and staff. With high tech equipment and traditional tools, the space promotes exploration and participation through hands-on workshops, new courses and programs. Faculty- modified curricula focus on project-based learning; students gain relevant experience and develop critical thinking skills in a team-based, supportive, learning environment.
Evolution Incubator is a privately funded not-for-profit association, run by experienced professionals and investors, for the benefit of regional entrepreneurs, investors and members of the startup ecosystem. Evolution Incubator provides selected entrepreneurs with structured training to organize their businesses, understand corporate finance, protect assets and efficiently raise early rounds of external capital. Evolution comprises a series of courses, activities and a large network of local supporters and interested funders.
AccelerateU connects your products and services to the decision makers that can move the sale forward through warm introductions from our advisor team. Whether you want to sell at scale to the U.S. government, large corporations, startups, or niche organizations we have all the introductions you need. Instead of cold calls, emails, ads and large fees upfront, our team sells your solutions on a purely commission base. We know the value of our connections and systems for reaching them so we take the risk with you and only make money when you do.
SCORE volunteers provides education and mentoring to help entrepreneurs create new businesses and small business owners take their existing business to the next level!
The Elk Grove City Council approved the Startup Elk Grove Incentive Program, a program designed to support the launch, growth, and attraction of innovative startup companies in Elk Grove by providing a mix of financial, permitting, and site selection assistance to entrepreneurs, startups, and operators of co-working, incubator, and accelerator spaces.
The cities of Sacramento and West Sacramento identified several challenges that they’re interested in exploring through a demonstration partnership with selected startups. The 16 week remote program connects startups with government agencies to co-develop technology solutions for government challenges.
All the amenities you expect and then some. Super fast wifi, Serving Folsom’s own Kingdom Coffee Roasters, great people. Oh… and just steps away from Sutter Street, American River Bike Trail, Lake Natoma access, and Light Rail/SmaRT ride.
The Mark Haney Radio Show is the business leadership platform focused on igniting the entrepreneurial revolution in Sacramento. Since it's debut in 2015, The Mark Haney Show has garnered widespread acclaim, attracting some of Northern California’s most notable billionaires, millionaires, and start-up founders as guests.
An interview style format, the show features Mark and his guests engaging in entertaining and informative discussions about the opportunities and challenges confronting entrepreneurs on a day-to-day basis. Topics covered include everything from raising capital, to managing growth, to leadership and attaining personal goals. It’s an hour full of the information and inspiration that it takes to succeed as an entrepreneur.
IIFH catalyzes and supports uncommon collaborations to accelerate the deployment of products and processes for safe, sustainable and secure nutrition for all.
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