The Next Unlock: Bottlenecks and Breakthroughs in DeepTech for Biology and Chemistry

AI/ML is reshaping biology and chemistry at a staggering pace. Breakthroughs are overtaken by newer ones almost weekly, and as one barrier falls, the next one appears. Each corner of the field seems to face its own challenges in data, models, and capabilities. But how many of those challenges are actually shared, and what can one sector learn from how another solved them?

Join us for a panel discussion, where we're bringing together academic researchers, industry builders, and investors to compare notes on the latest breakthroughs and what made them possible, the bottlenecks standing in the way of the next one, and the lessons that carry across fields.

Speaker Panel:

• Roopa Ramamoorthi, PhD, Director - Catalyst Program UCSF

• Kate Stafford, PhD, CEO - Halftone Bio

• Dan Hansen, PhD, Co-founder and CEO - Bactobio

Panel Moderator:

Paul Donohoue, Co-founder and CEO, Umbra Bio

About Umbra Bio: Umbra Bio is building a machine learning platform to enhance scientific control during biotherapeutic design. Our approach allows for encoding of desired functional attributes from the outset, producing hit molecules that do more than just bind to a target, but also reflect key characteristics to match the desired therapeutic profile.

About the Berkeley Gateway Accelerator
BGA is a deep tech accelerator and fund in Berkeley, California, that turns breakthrough science into world-changing companies. Our founder-centric, five-month commercialization program includes funding, housing, and office space. Founders work with an embedded team of entrepreneurs in residence, UC Berkeley faculty and students, and outside experts, with warm introductions to VCs. We’ve evaluated 120+ technologies and made two dozen early-stage investments, including modular robotics, solid-state power electronics, and quantum AI hardware.

Building a deep tech company? Apply to the next BGA cohort here