Nucleate New Haven <> Demo Day 2025
Nucleate is a student-led nonprofit organization focused on helping academic trainees become founders and translate world-class research into impactful life science ventures. By pairing innovators with resources, mentorship, and a global network, Nucleate aims to break down barriers to company formation and create a new wave of biotech innovation.
The Activator program is Nucleate’s core venture-building initiative, designed to equip academic founders with the skills, guidance, and network they need to launch successful companies. Through tailored workshops, expert mentorship, and access to a broad community of innovators, Activator participants gain hands-on experience accelerating their early-stage ideas from the lab to the market.
Demo Day marks the culmination of our flagship Activator program—featuring ventures led by academic trainees from across Connecticut. Over the course of the program, teams refine their ventures and hone their pitches in preparation for this final showcase. These emerging biotech founders will present their solutions, demonstrating how collaboration, mentorship, and innovation can drive the future of life sciences.
Attendees can engage in a fireside chat with industry experts and network with founders, investors, and industry partners during our closing reception. Our tentative agenda is outlined below.
We thank our local sponsors and partners for their generous support and commitment to building the biotech ecosystem here in New Haven!
Sponsors: DTN Ventures, Wiggin and Dana, BioLabs New Haven
Partners: Yale Ventures, Tsai Center for Innovative Thinking at Yale
We also thank our HQ supporters for championing our open-access mission and empowering the next generation of biotech founders!
Platinum: Eli Lilly and Company, Genentech, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, MilliporeSigma
Philanthropic Support: Lyda Hill Philanthropies
Preferred Partners: Pillar VC, Amino Collective, Excedr, Mercury, Brex, Fedsprout
In-Kind Support: AcademicLabs, Lens.org, SynBioBeta
Tentative Agenda
1:00 to 1:30 pm — Check-In & Networking
1:30 to 2:20 pm — Opening Remarks & Keynote Address
2:30 to 3:30 pm — 2025 Activator Showcase
3:45 to 4:30 pm — Fireside Chat
4:30 pm onward — Closing Reception: Meet our A25 Cohort
About the Event Host
Nucleate is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering the next generation of biotech leaders. With chapters spanning 41 geographic regions and participation from over 280 academic institutions, Nucleate fosters new intellectual communities and embeds emerging talent within a global biotech community. Through open-access educational programming, Nucleate helps democratize biotech innovation—removing barriers and enabling founders to focus on building transformational technologies.
Visit nucleate.org to read our privacy policy.