What do investors actually think when a founder walks into the room? And what quietly kills a deal before a second meeting happens? Three investors across sovereign wealth, venture, and company building share what they look for, what gives them pause, and how fundraising in Kendall Square actually works.

What the panel will cover

  • The real reasons deals die. Not the polite reasons investors give founders, but the actual ones.

  • What's genuinely exciting right now. The signals, theses, and business mechanics that are getting investors off the fence in 2026.

  • Pitching Kendall Square specifically. This ecosystem has its own dynamics. What works here doesn't always translate from SF or NYC.

  • How founders should position themselves. What to lead with, what to save for later, and how to frame your story so investors actually remember you.

  • Term sheets, valuation anchoring, what "we'll follow" really means, and how to read the room.

The panel

Benson Chang, Managing Partner at Epipelagic Ventures

Entrepreneur and angel investor for over a decade. Works hands-on with founders across operations, strategy, and growth. Moderating tonight.

Louis Leblanc, Head of Investments at Epipelagic Ventures

Leads deal evaluation and portfolio strategy. He's the person founders eventually sit across from in diligence.

Arif Padaria, Managing Partner at Faris Capital Partners and Co-founder of NeuBlox

Managing Partner at Faris Capital Partners, and co-founder at NeuBlox, building real-time edge compute infrastructure for physical AI and robotics. Most recently Investment Director at the NEOM Investment Fund in Saudi Arabia, where he led the deployment of $500M+ in deep tech investments on behalf of one of the world's largest sovereign funds.

Over a 30-year career, he has been both GP and LP in early-stage venture funds including Broom Ventures, Pilot House Ventures, and Microsoft Ventures, led fundraising from pre-seed through growth stage, and built innovation ecosystems for institutions, including KAUST and MassCEC. YPO member and active in the Boston deep tech and startup community.

Schedule

4:00 PM - 5:00 PM VC Panel

5:00 PM - 6:00 PM  Startup Social

Space is limited. Register to hold your spot.

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