The Battery is a private members club in San Francisco, California, founded in 2013 by Michael Birch and Xochi Birch. Michael Birch is the British tech entrepreneur who co-founded the social networking site Bebo, which he sold to AOL in 2008 for approximately 850 million dollars. The club is located at 717 Battery Street in the Jackson Square neighborhood, occupying a complex of connected historic buildings including a former warehouse and a 1907 Edwardian-era building, totaling approximately 60,000 square feet.

The Battery was established with the explicit goal of fostering real-world social connection in a city dominated by digital technology. The club includes multiple restaurants and bars, a 14-room boutique hotel, a library, a screening room, a penthouse events space, art galleries, and a garden courtyard. The food and beverage program is led by a full-service kitchen, and the club hosts regular cultural programming including artist residencies, live music, film screenings, and speaker events. The club also operates a philanthropic arm through the Battery Powered initiative, which provides grants and support to Bay Area nonprofits.

Membership at The Battery costs approximately 2,800 dollars per year for members over 30, with a reduced rate of 1,600 dollars for members under 30. A one-time initiation fee of 1,000 dollars applies to all new members. The application process requires nomination by a current member, completion of an application, and attendance at an open house event. The club has grown to over 5,000 members drawn primarily from San Francisco's technology, venture capital, arts, and nonprofit sectors.

The Battery has distinguished itself from other tech-adjacent social clubs by emphasizing arts, culture, and community engagement rather than networking and deal-making. The Birches have described the club's mission as creating a space that encourages members to put down their devices and engage in face-to-face conversation, a philosophy reflected in the club's policy of discouraging laptop use in common areas.

Luxury Private Members Clubs

The Battery is a private members club in San Francisco founded in 2013 by Bebo co-founder Michael Birch and his wife Xochi. Located in a 60,000-square-foot complex of historic buildings on Battery Street, it includes restaurants, a boutique hotel, art galleries, and a garden courtyard. The club has over 5,000 members drawn primarily from the Bay Area's technology, venture capital, and arts communities.