Nucleate

Nucleate is kicking off Activator 2025 with an interactive panel showcasing alumni and mentors from our Activator Program. This session will provide insights into the program’s benefits from the perspectives of those who have experienced our biotech accelerator firsthand. Panelists include Andrew Thomson (Boston Alum ‘23, Modulate Bio), Vinit Nijhawan (he/him) (Mentor, MassVentures), and Cat Donaldson (Mentor, Nilo Therapeutics). The event will include a 30-minute discussion followed by an open-floor Q&A session, offering attendees the chance to ask questions and engage directly with the panel. If you are interested in kicking off a startup, don’t miss this unique opportunity to learn about the Activator and network with Nucleate's inspiring community. ?? Register here: https://lu.ma/0mtvhg3e ??? Check out other events on our Global Calendar: events.nucleate.org ?? Application Deadline: Nov 6, 2024 ?? Apply now: apply.nucleate.org ?? Learn more: nucleate.org/activator

Activator Application Deadline Extended to November 6th! We’ve extended the deadline for the Nucleate Activator Program to November 6th. If you’re interested in accelerating your startup idea, there’s still time to apply. Take advantage of this extension to submit your application and join a community focused on growth, innovation, and network! Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Submit here: apply.nucleate.org Want to learn more? ??Find out how Activator is transformative through our alumni and mentors: https://lu.ma/0mtvhg3e ??Check out our global event calendar: events.nucleate.org

Join us for an exclusive event, co-hosted by Nucleate and Carta that delves into the current state of the biotech market and trends in fundraising for 2024. This event kicks off with a 15-minute market overview, drawing insights from the latest Carta x Nucleate report on biotech funding and market dynamics and presented by Peter Walter (Head of Insights, Carta). Learn about the key factors shaping the landscape for early-stage biotech ventures, including equity splits, pre-seed to Series A fundraising patterns, dilution trends, and exit strategies. Following the overview, Eric Dai (Investor, Dimension) & Becky Pferdehirt, PhD (Investment Partner, a16z) will join a moderated discussion with Peter to share their perspectives on navigating today’s fundraising climate. The panel will explore emerging strategies for securing capital, the evolving role of investors, and how startups can position themselves for success. Don’t miss the chance to engage with this dynamic panel and ask your most pressing questions during the Q&A session. ?? Thursday, October 17 ?? 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM EDT ?? Virtual Event RSVP here: https://lu.ma/ya88m5lp See full report here: https://lnkd.in/g9yncDUX For more events see our Global Calendar: events.nucleate.org

At Nucleate, we proudly celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month by recognizing the invaluable contributions of Hispanic and Latinx innovators in science, technology, and entrepreneurship! This year, we highlight and amplify the voices of Vanessa Alvarez, Jocelyn G. Olvera, Antonio Cordova, Cindy Catherine O., Belén Sotomayor Burneo, and Roger Romero — Nucleate leadership team members whose work paves the way for a more inclusive and diverse future in STEM. We are especially proud of the representation within our leadership team and 2023-24 Activator cohort: ??21% of finalists indicated they are Hispanic or Latino ??Among the finalist inventors, 20% of inventors identified as Hispanic or Latino ??In 2023, 48 of 517 leaders who responded to our re-onboarding survey identified as Hispanic/Latinx, with 23 of them attending Hispanic-serving institutions In order to further our mission, we have direct outreach efforts to engage more talents in these underrepresented groups through organizations like SHPE & SACNAS. It is our ongoing commitment to foster equitable opportunities and amplify the voices of Hispanic and Latinx communities in biotechnology and beyond. Together, we are shaping a more inclusive future in STEM. #HispanicHeritageMonth #DiversityinSTEM #Nucleate #STEMInnovation #SHPE #SACNAS **Correction: Cindy Catherine O. recently graduated with her master's degree.

Nucleate UK has been selected as an Activation Partner by Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA). Major congratulations to James Bayne, Federico Caso, Miroslav Gasparek, and the rest of the team! Learn more about our 3 year partnership here: https://lnkd.in/dhu4A5Nr ARIA’s commitment to advancing the UK’s robust ecosystem through talent and technology is strongly aligned with Nucleate’s mission of empowering future life science leaders, and our impressive track record of company formation (see: Activator Program), community building (see: Global Regional Presence + Annual Summit + The Forum UK), and open-access resource development (see: Nucleate Research + Education Initiatives), to date. Our partnership represents an exciting new "Force Multiplying" mechanism for bridging key gaps between academia and industry for emerging innovators. Immensely proud of Nucleate UK's incredible leadership team, and their vision for the UK life sciences ecosystem. While Nucleate is headquartered in Boston, USA, we pride ourselves on regional self representation. This grant will be led and managed by Nucleate UK who understand their own ecosystem best, while simultaneously promoting and strengthening US-UK ties through our collaborative frameworks. As always, a major team effort: Oliver Dodd, Caroline Steingard, PhD, Heer Joisher, Zach Cogan, Hannah Dayton, PhD Isabella A., Thank you to the ARIA team for your trust in us, we're built for this!

We are honored to be selected as one of the Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA) inaugural Activation Partners alongside an absolutely stellar line up incredible partners such as Convergent Research, Google DeepMind, Pillar VC, Renaissance Philanthropy, Amodo Design, Fifty Years, Cambridge University Health Partners, CIC (Cambridge Innovation Center) & Venture Café Global Institute ?? ARIA's mission to catalyze breakthrough technologies aligns perfectly with Nucleate's vision of empowering the next generation of biotech leaders and fostering cross-border collaborations to tackle humanity's most pressing challenges. By nurturing early-stage innovations and bridging the gap between academia and industry, both Nucleate and ARIA share a deep commitment to advancing bold, high-impact science for global good. Reflecting on the conversation I had the privilege of moderating at the Nucleate Summit ?? with Ilan Gur and Tom Kalil, it’s clear that building & supporting local biotech ecosystems is more relevant than ever. As we discussed, the role of government policies and strategic partnerships—like ARIA's approach in the UK—are key to fostering innovation hubs that transcend national borders. Nucleate is proud to contribute to this effort and help shape the future of biotech in the UK and beyond ?? . I want to thank everyone involved from both Nucleate and ARIA that helped to make this dream a reality! Special thanks to the entire Nucleate UK team - your tireless efforts and undying passion to the mission of our organization is something that inspires me every single day ?? . Special thanks to James Bayne, Federico Caso, Miroslav Gasparek, Caroline Steingard, PhD, Mandi Williams, and Soufiane Aboulhouda. Also immensely grateful to the entire team at ARIA, with special thanks to Pranay Shah, Muji Ahmedi, Pippy James, Antonia Jenkinson, @Jazz Kang, Tammy T., and Ilan Gur! Stay tuned for what's next ?? , and DM me if you want to learn more or get involved with Nucleate! Zach Cogan, Heer Joisher, Julia Nanyi Zhao, PhD, Adam Marblestone, Tony Kulesa, Thomas de Vlaam, Stephanie Avraamides, Seth Bannon, Timothy Rowe, Isabella Cardona Barber, Inga Van den Bossche, Gabriel Manzanarez, Ph.D., Dante Dennis Acenas, II, Hannah Dayton, PhD, Chandra Ramanathan

We are excited to announce a new partnership between Nucleate and the Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA)! Nucleate UK has become an Activation Partner, joining a select group fostering science entrepreneurship within ARIA’s opportunity spaces. This is Nucleate’s first major collaboration with a governmental funding body. Since its founding in 2022, Nucleate UK has grown into one of our largest regions, with over 70 academic trainees across London, Oxford, Cambridge, and Manchester. Now preparing for its 3rd Activator program, having supported 31 teams in bio and eco, this partnership will allow Nucleate UK to scale its efforts in supporting teams commercializing breakthrough science. Over the next three years, Nucleate and ARIA will build a differentiated talent pipeline, focusing on identifying top talent, developing it through ARIA’s opportunity spaces, and translating breakthroughs into ventures through the Activator program. For more information about this partnership and opportunities for early-stage biotech companies, visit https://lnkd.in/gZv-gSJz.

Interested in supporting early-stage life science startups? ?? Nucleate’s Activator program helps academics translate their research into companies advancing human health and sustainability. Professionals with experience in founding, investing, industry, or academic entrepreneurship are invited to contribute as mentors or workshop experts. Ways to get involved: ??MENTORS: Collaborate with teams, providing guidance and support (1 hour/week, Feb-May). ??WORKSHOP EXPERTS: Share specialized knowledge during workshops on life science company creation (1-2 hours per session). As a mentor or expert, you’ll contribute to strategic development, foster new talent, and engage with emerging technologies from academic institutions. Sign up: mentor.nucleate.org

Are you an academic trainee (Post-doc/PhD/MBA/MD/JD/MS) eager to build a life science startup? Whether you're passionate about therapeutics, diagnostics, medtech, synthetic biology, or fields like food, energy, agriculture, climate, or consumer products, this is your opportunity to transform your research into a groundbreaking venture! Over the past 5 years, Nucleate's Activator Program has supported 409+ venture teams, with our alumni raising over $370M to develop cutting-edge technologies. Wenting Shi developed a pioneering molecular drug delivery platform, advancing the next generation of controlled release therapeutics. As a Nucleate Cohort 2023 alum, she has since raised over $250K in grant and university funding, further driving innovation in the biotech space. Curious about our flagship Activator program? Join us on October 9th for a virtual info session where we'll walk through everything you need to know about getting started. It's the perfect opportunity to learn more about the application process and program benefits. ?? Register for info session here: https://lu.ma/o1t763eq ?? For all events see our Global Calendar: events.nucleate.org ?? Application Deadline: Oct 15th, 2024 ?? Application: apply.nucleate.org ?? Learn more: nucleate.org/activator

?? Summit Keynote Highlights – Funding Trends in Life Sciences ?? The 2024 Nucleate Summit featured an insightful panel on “Funding Trends in Life Sciences,” led by industry leaders Jim Trenkle, PhD (Novo Holdings), Dr. Vasudev Bailey (ARTIS Ventures), Dr. Vineeta Agarwala, MD PhD (Andreessen Horowitz), and Dr. Mira Chaurushiya (Westlake Village BioPartners?). The discussion highlighted how investors prioritize team, platform, and profile when evaluating biotech startups, underscoring the importance of building a strong foundation. The panelists also emphasized the value of crafting a compelling narrative that sets founders apart in a competitive landscape. Their personal journeys, marked by experiences from founding companies to achieving success, served as a reminder that the road to success often involves learning from both triumphs and setbacks. We can’t thank Jim Trenkle, Dr. Vasudev Bailey, Dr. Vineeta Agarwala , and Dr. Mira Chaurushiya enough for sharing their powerful insights with the 490 attendees at the summit. As we reflect on these discussions, we’re excited to keep the momentum going and continue driving innovation in the life sciences. ?? Stay informed and inspired – Sign up for our newsletter: newsletter.nucleate.org ?? Be the next leader – Join the Nucleate community: join.nucleate.org ?? Build your startup – Apply to the Activator: apply.nucleate.org ?? Make a difference – Become a mentor: mentor.nucleate.org