Venture Capital Trends & Family Office Activity
- Family office direct investment strategies and co-investments
- LP/GP dynamics and late-stage funding in tech and bio
- M&A, strategic roll-ups, and corporate venture capital
About Frontiers
A summit built for real relationships
Frontiers is Phase Capital's annual gathering of founders, investors, scientists, and healthcare leaders at the intersection of tech, bio, and data science.
Our Story
A Deal-Making Summit at the Intersection of Technology, Biology, and Healthcare.
Frontiers is Phase Capital's annual summit. We bring together 250 founders, investors, scientists, and healthcare leaders for two days of curated programming, structured networking, and honest conversation.
The conference has grown from 150 attendees in year one to a cap of 250. We keep it intentionally small. Every structural decision, from roundtables to an invitation-only VIP reception, exists to create the conditions for real relationships and real business.
Now in its fourth year, Frontiers has become the place where the earliest signal in the ecosystem surfaces, where founders meet partners before decisions are made, and where capital and science meet on equal footing.
What We Believe
The principles that shape every decision
Intentionally small
Capped at 250 attendees. Scarcity keeps every conversation worth having.
Peer-to-peer only
No pitching, no selling, no badges that signal hierarchy. Just people who can move things forward.
Engineered for connection
Roundtables, curated introductions, and an invitation-only VIP reception create the conditions for real business.
Frontiers 2027
Frontiers 2027 Focus Areas
Capital trends and activity alongside technological advancements in tech bio.
Physical AI & Autonomous Science
- Embodied AI, lab automation, and robotics
- Closed-loop scientific discovery and automated wet labs
- Biomanufacturing and hardware infrastructure
TechBio Breakthroughs & Commercialization
- AI-native drug discovery and next-generation diagnostics
- Translating academic research into commercial ventures
- Space biology, synthetic biology, and multi-omics
More to come.
2026 Recap
Frontiers 2026 at a glance
Frontiers 2026 convened February 19-20 in Nashville. Two days on where biotech, AI, and life science capital are heading.
170+
Attendees
51+
Cities represented
$27B+
AUM in the room
24
Facilitated roundtables
2
Astronauts on stage
3
Pitch showcase blocks, 15 startups
Conference Themes
What we talked about
The conversations that defined two days in Nashville.
Where capital is actually going in 2026
The opening investor panel gave attendees a candid read on what is being funded, which modalities are breaking through, and how the financing environment is reshaping company formation. Led by Xontogeny and RA Capital.
Space meets biotech
A NASA Mission Commander and a physician-astronaut joined Rhodium Scientific on stage to examine how microgravity environments are opening new biological research pathways and commercial opportunities.
AI in biology: past the hype
Form Bio, March Health, Brown Advisory, and Vanderbilt unpacked where AI is delivering real biological insight today, how teams decide what to build versus partner, and what the next generation of tools actually looks like.
Health systems as partners
Memorial Sloan Kettering, MD Anderson, Sarah Cannon, Mayo Clinic, and Rush Medical Center shared what it actually takes for a startup to get a yes from a major institution.
“We go to many different conferences, and this is the one that was most memorable and least tiring. Thank you for being so thoughtful putting this together.”
Frontiers 2026
Frontiers 2026 Speakers
The founders, investors, scientists, and operators who shaped the 2026 conversation.
Dr. Michael "Jeff" Donahoo
Executive Director, Belmont Data & AI Collaborative; Professor of Computer Science
Belmont University
Edward Magee
Chief Operating Officer, Thomas F. Frist, Jr. College of Medicine; Vice President for Strategic Operations
Belmont University
Frontiers 2026
Roundtable leads
Facilitated market-mapping conversations, led by these operators and investors.
Frontiers 2026
Pitch showcase
All 15 companies in the 2026 showcase have raised capital.
Day in the Room
The full 2026 agenda
Thursday, February 19, 2026
7:30 – 8:30 AM
Registration + Breakfast
8:30 – 8:45 AM
Frontiers Opening Remarks
8:45 – 9:00 AM
Welcome to Nashville
9:00 – 9:20 AM · Opening Keynote
Mapping the Frontiers Ahead
9:20 – 10:00 AM · Panel
The Investor Landscape: What's Getting Funded in 2026
10:20 – 11:00 AM · Panel
Space × Biotech: Microgravity, Orbital R&D & Commercial Biology in Space
Part I – Introducing the Space Industry. Part II – Meet an Astronaut and the Company Leading the Charge.
11:00 – 11:20 AM
Networking Break
11:20 – 12:00 PM · Panel
Beyond the Hype Cycle: Practical Applications of AI
12:00 – 1:00 PM
Networking Lunch + Live Music
1:00 – 1:40 PM · Curated Roundtables
Market Mapping in Action
Facilitated tables that turn Frontiers conversations into real-time market maps across investment, science, clinical strategy, and commercialization.
Roundtable Leads
1:40 – 2:00 PM
Networking Break
2:00 – 2:20 PM · Afternoon Keynote
From Policy to Impact
2:20 – 3:00 PM · Panel
Partnering with Cancer Centers and Health Systems
3:00 – 3:20 PM
Networking Break
3:20 – 3:40 PM · Case Study
A Blueprint for an Academic – Startup Partnership
3:40 – 4:20 PM · Panel
Pharma M&A: Strategy, Integration & Market Timing
4:20 – 4:50 PM · Closing Keynote
Future Outlook: Setting the Stage for 2026
Ron Andrews5:00 – 7:00 PM
Celebratory Reception
Networking, hors d'oeuvres, wine tasting, and live music.
7:00 – 9:00 PM
Small Group Dinners
Self-assembled small group dinners at some of Nashville's premiere restaurants.
Friday, February 20, 2026
8:00 – 9:00 AM
Networking Breakfast
9:00 – 9:45 AM
Pitch Showcase Block I & Office Hours
Moderated by Gracie Francis (Caduceus Talent).
Presenting founders
9:45 – 10:00 AM
Networking Break
10:00 – 10:45 AM
Pitch Showcase Block II & Office Hours
Presenting founders
10:45 – 11:00 AM
Networking Break
11:00 – 11:45 AM
Pitch Showcase Block III & Office Hours
Presenting founders
12:00 – 1:30 PM
Lunch & Microgreens Tasting
2:00 – 5:00 PM
Explore Nashville
Rest, recuperate, and take self-guided tours through Nashville.
5:00 – 8:00 PM
Happy Hour sponsored by Endurance Venture
Afterparty at Acme Feed & Seed heated rooftop bar on Nashville's historic Broadway.
Featured Foundation
Jordan Thomas Foundation
Frontiers 2026 was proud to partner with a Nashville-based nonprofit working at the intersection of healthcare access and innovation.
The Jordan Thomas Foundation provides high-quality prosthetic care, community, and advocacy so that children and teens with limb loss or limb difference can live active, healthy, and self-defined lives. They fund customized prosthetic devices through age 18, surround families with a caring network of peers and professionals, and fight for insurance and policy changes that recognize limbs are not a luxury.
Learn more about the Jordan Thomas FoundationPhoto Gallery
Moments from past Frontiers summits
Keynotes, panels, roundtables, receptions, and the pitch showcase. Tap any photo to expand.
Phase Capital / Frontiers
Ready for Frontiers 2027?
Join the next room of founders, investors, scientists, and healthcare leaders.