Founder × Investor: Get Real Feedback Warm Intros & Fundraising Signal
Schedule
Thu Apr 23 2026 at 10:00 am to 01:00 pm
UTC-04:00Location
66 Galen St | Watertown, MA
About this Event
TopSignal Session — Venture Signal Room
Where founders meet real investor thinking — and start building their investor pool
TopContenders Venture Signal Room is a curated session designed to move startups beyond storytelling — into how real capital decisions are made.
This second edition introduces a new layer:
👉 From Signal → Investor Pool Formation
🎤 Keynote — How Investor Conviction Actually Forms
Sebastian Barriga
Founder & Managing Partner, milemark•capital
Former Carlyle, Citi | MIT Sloan (Lecturer, deltav)
Before the Venture Signal Room begins, Sebastian will share how investors evaluate early-stage opportunities:
• What creates real conviction (vs. surface-level interest)
• How investment theses are formed in applied AI
• What patterns he sees across portfolio companies
• Why many startups fail to become “investable”
👉 Sebastian will also join as a judge/respondent, engaging directly with founders.
🧬 Hosted at LabShares — Where Science Meets Capital
Held at LabShares’ second facility, a newly minted Biohub in Watertown, supporting emerging biotech companies through:
• Shared lab infrastructure
• Advanced equipment
• Capital-efficient environments
📍 LabShares Biohub, Watertown, MA
🗓 April 23 | 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
This is where science, infrastructure, and capital intersect.
👉 It is a decision-making environment
where startups are evaluated through the lens of real capital.
⚖️ Who Is In The Room
This session brings together a full-stack of capital decision-makers:
⚖️ Operator — Built, Raised, Exited
Greg Erman
Serial entrepreneur, ~$100M raised, multiple exits, former CEO, active biotech investor
👉 Knows what it takes to go from idea → company → outcome
📊 Active Investor — Early Conviction Formation
Sebastian Barriga (milemark•capital)
Applied-AI investor, former Carlyle & Citi
👉 Focus: Is this investable — or just interesting?
🏥 Institutional Capital — Scaling & Platform Thinking
Philip Borden (CEO, LabShares; former PE investor)
👉 Sees what survives beyond early-stage and what capital actually backs
📑 Deal & Structure — What Actually Gets Done
Laurie Burlingame (Morse)
👉 Works on financings, M&A, and venture deals — where theory meets reality
🏦 Capital Access & Banking — Market Interface
Vitaliy Schafer (Leader Bank)
Director of VC/PE & Tech Banking
👉 Brings perspective on how companies interface with capital markets and financial partners
👉 Together, this is not a panel — it’s how capital actually makes decisions
⚙️ What Happens in the Room
Each selected startup goes through a structured 15-minute evaluation:
• 5 min — Founder framing
• 5 min — Live investor Q&A
• 5 min — Direct, candid feedback
The Questions You’ll Hear:
👉 Is the problem real?
👉 Is the approach credible?
👉 Why now?
👉 What would make this investable?
👉 What breaks investor conviction?
🧬 What Founders Walk Away With
Each team receives:
✔ Where investor conviction forms
✔ Where it breaks
✔ Key risks and gaps
✔ Investor-type mapping
✔ Early relationship signals
👉 And most importantly:
the beginning of their investor pool
🧠 Why This Matters
Most events give exposure.
This one gives direction.
Fundraising doesn’t happen in a pitch.
It happens through:
• repeated conversations
• refined positioning
• growing investor conviction
🧬 Presenting Startups (Application Only)
We select a small number of teams for the TopSignal Beta Cohort.
This is designed for founders who:
- are preparing to raise (Pre-seed → Series A)
- want real investor feedback before going to market
👉 Presentation slots are curated and limited (4–6 teams)
To be considered, please reach out with a brief overview.
👥 Who Should Attend
Founders
• Preparing to fundraise
• Want to test their story under real scrutiny
Investors & Operators
• Looking for an early signal
• Interested in how conviction forms
• Seeking curated deal flow
Ecosystem Partners
• Legal, banking, BD, infrastructure
🚀 Join the Room
If you want:
• sharper feedback
• clearer positioning
• real investor perspectives
• early relationship building
👉 This is where signal forms — and where capital conversations begin
Where is it happening?
66 Galen St, 66 Galen Street, Watertown, United StatesEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
USD 33.84
