Why community matters to startups

We like to tell prospective tenants that if you’re going to look for an incubator space, don’t just look at what’s in front of you; look at who else will be working alongside you. Are there potential synergies? Is there an opportunity for networking? Running a startup is an extremely difficult path, and the shared wisdom of a social network can be a huge advantage. New entrepreneurs sometimes tend to overlook the importance of community, but making new connections is vital for startups.

One of the biggest challenges new startups face is uncertainty, both in terms of outcome and approach. They usually have a lot of the same questions: How do I protect my IP? Who are the right investors to approach? What is a good experimental protocol to get this data? Having people around who are asking and answering those same questions can save a ton of time and energy. It can also be a great source of moral support to commiserate with other entrepreneurs who are going through the struggles most people face when they’re just starting out.

With 80 startups in the building at capacity, we think that Bakar Labs will give new entrepreneurs a rich opportunity for networking. Having a wide-reaching network usually means more collaboration, and the scale of Bakar Labs will help new startups make these connections faster than they could have ever done otherwise. Working in a community of like-minded people can help entrepreneurs grow in ways they didn’t expect to, and we’re excited to see what our new tenants will bring to the table. We plan on selecting for socially conscious startups, and we hope it will create a new and vibrant community for mission-driven work at Berkeley.

Interested in being a part of the Bakar Labs community? If you are, please don’t hesitate to reach out!