Raising a Round in 2026

Webinar scope: Provide founders with practical and timely information to navigate raising venture capital. The Current Fundraising Climate: A discussion with VCs on how the ""bar"" for investment has changed in the last 12 months, including what constitutes ""investor-ready"" data for different industries. Strategic Outreach & Relationship Management: Practical tactics for identifying and approaching the right investors. We will cover managing the ""Lead-Follower"" dynamic, and the nuances of investor communication and relationship building. Panelists: Keith Crandell, Co-Founder and Managing Director at ARCH Venture PartnersMira Chaurushiya, Managing Director at Westlake BioPartnersJim G MacKrell, Vice President & Global Head Lilly VenturesDeborah Palestrant, Partner at 5AM VenturesAgenda ​Welcome Remarks​Interview (30 min)Q&A (25 min)​Closing remarks About the 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 sparks 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 helping founders concentrate on building transformational technologies. Visit www.nucleate.org for more information, and visit https://nucleate.org/privacy-policy/ to read our privacy policy. ​We want to thank our HQ supporters for championing our open-access mission and empowering the next generation of biotech entrepreneurs! Platinum: Eli Lilly and Company, Genentech, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, MilliporeSigma  ​Silver: Sanofi, CDD Vault ​​Philanthropic Support: Lyda Hill Philanthropies ​​Preferred Partners: Pillar VC, Amino Collective, Fenwick, Mercury, Fedsprout, ​Citrin Cooperman ​​In-Kind Support: AcademicLabs, Lens.org