Inside the Deal: Dealflow and How Investors Judge Science Startups
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<h3 class="wp-block-heading">February 22, 2027 | 6:00 PM &#8211; 7:00 PM ET</h3>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Once a scientific venture begins seeking investment, it enters a highly selective process in which investors may review hundreds or thousands of opportunities to identify a small number worth pursuing. This session examines how early-stage investors source science startups, move opportunities through the investment funnel, and decide which ventures merit deeper diligence or funding.&nbsp;</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Participants will learn where investment opportunities come from, including professional networks, universities, founders, and scouts, and why scientists themselves can be valuable sources of new ventures. The session will introduce the core areas investors assess during diligence, including the founding team, technology, market opportunity, timing, and intellectual property (IP), as well as common red flags that can stop a deal from advancing. Participants will also gain a plain-language introduction to term sheets and explore how scientific expertise can strengthen technical diligence and investment decision-making.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">This 60-minute webinar will include a concise primer on key concepts, a moderated fireside conversation with an early-stage investor from a deep tech seed fund, and audience Q&amp;A. The guest may also walk through how they would assess an example science startup. Participants will receive a one-page resource sheet highlighting key concepts and resources for further learning.</p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">About the PhD to VC Course</h2>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Scientific discoveries can hold enormous promise, but translating an idea from the lab into a startup or other commercial opportunity requires scientists to navigate an unfamiliar landscape of funding, investors, technology transfer, and venture creation. This four-part short course introduces scientists to the fundamentals of venture capital and research commercialization in accessible, practical language, with an emphasis on how these systems apply to science-driven ventures.&nbsp;</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Across the course, participants will learn how venture capital funds work and why their economics shape investment decisions; trace the pathway from scientific discovery to commercialization; examine how investors source, screen, and evaluate early-stage science startups; and explore the many ways scientists can participate in the venture ecosystem. The course will also consider where venture capital fits alongside grants and other non-dilutive funding, why promising science does not always translate into an investable opportunity, and how scientific expertise can contribute to venture diligence and decision-making.&nbsp;</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Each 60-minute webinar will combine a concise primer on key concepts with a moderated fireside conversation featuring a guest expert and audience Q&amp;A. Participants will also receive a one-page resource sheet for each session highlighting key concepts and resources for further learning.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">To earn a <strong>Certificate of Participation</strong>, register by <strong>January 25, 2027</strong>, and attend all four sessions live in full. Registration remains open after the series begins and includes access to all recordings for one year, but late registrants are not eligible to receive a certificate.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">This course is being offered exclusively for Academy members. Nonmembers can purchase membership directly during event registration in order to participate.</p>
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