Nucleate Germany Presents: The Innovation Forum 2026
9 teams. One stage. The future of German biotech.
This June, Berlin becomes home to the founders, investors, and ecosystem builders shaping what's next in European biotech.
The Innovation Forum is Nucleate Germany's flagship Demo Day — and the finale of Activator 2026. Nine scientific founding teams. Months of company-building. One night to show what they've built.
The audience reflects the full early-stage biotech ecosystem:
60+ startup and founder-track guests
50+ academic and research profiles
40+ investors
30+ pharma-stage industry professionals
... alongside ecosystem builders, operators, and life science leaders from across Germany and Europe.
But the pitches are just the start.
The Program
An evening built around the questions that matter most to early-stage biotech founders in Europe right now. Two panels, a keynote from a founder who's made the leap from scientist to CEO, and a poster session where you can meet every team in the 2026 cohort one-on-one.
The Room
Investors and VCs exploring early-stage biotech opportunities. Scientific founders building or considering building a venture. Industry professionals curious about what's emerging from Germany's academic ecosystem. Anyone who believes the best biotech companies start where bold science meets great people.
The Agenda
15:40 – 16:00 · Check-in & Arrival Guest registration and badge collection.
16:00 – 16:10 · Welcome Remarks
16:10 – 16:25 · Nucleate Germany & The Activator
16:25 – 17:05 · Panel I — From Breakthrough Science to Scalable Companies: Europe’s Biotech Company-Building Gap and EU.INC
17:05 – 17:35 · Activator Winner Pitches
The Activator 2026 prize winners — pre-selected at the Munich Semi-Final on 20 May, take the Berlin stage.
17:35 – 18:00 · Activator Showcase · Poster Session · Refreshments
Meet the 2026 Cohort. Activator 2026 teams present their ventures via posters, with dedicated time for one-on-one conversations.
18:00 – 18:25 · Keynote — From Scientist to CEO
18:30 – 19:10 · Panel II — Startups, Investors, and Big Pharma: How to Build Strategic Relationships Without Losing Leverage
19:10 – 19:30 · Prizes & Acknowledgments
Formal recognition of the 2026 Activator prize winners, the BioLabs Golden Ticket, and acknowledgments.
19:30 – 19:35 · Closing Remarks
19:35 – 21:30 · Networking, Food & Drinks · Poster Session
Open networking with participating teams, ecosystem guests, and partners.
21:30 · Afterparty The conversation continues at our afterparty venue.
Full speaker lineup to be announced soon
We're putting together something special. Speaker announcements will drop over the coming weeks.
Follow Nucleate Germany on LinkedIn for updates.
Details
Date: June 12, 2026 Time: 16:00 – 21:30 (afterparty to follow) Location: CIC Berlin
Partners
Proudly supported by VOSSIUS, WuXi AppTech, BioLabs, ChemPartner and Bio Molecule.
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
Philanthropic Support: Lyda Hill Philanthropies
Preferred Partners: Pillar VC, Amino Collective, Fenwick, Mercury, Fedsprout, Citrin Cooperman
In-Kind Support: AcademicLabs, Lens.org