Nucleate Activator Demo Day and Biotech Pitch Competition
On Friday, June 5, 2026, Nucleate Chicago hosted Activator Demo Day to bring together founders, scientists, investors, and industry partners for a dynamic pitch competition showcasing breakthrough biotech startups.
Congratulations to all those who presented and to the winners:
Scientific Excellence Award: Rosa Therapeutics
Market Impact Award: Plantnano
Talent and Impact Award: Slideflow Labs
People's Choice Award: Plantnano
In 2026 Nucleate's Activator program paired 10 early-stage biotech founders with expert industry mentors, while also hosting educational workshops on technical risk, market risk, regulatory strategy, and fundraising. The program runs from January to June every year, culminating in Demo Day pitch competition.
Amanda Waldhauser, Executive Director of Roivant Social Ventures, served as a judge in the pitch competition.
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.