Funding at the Frontier: hosted by ARIA, Bakar Labs, and IGI

About Event We're gathering the Bay Area's leading scientists, engineers, founders, and technical leaders pursuing research at the edge of what is possible. Join us for an evening exploring how ambitious science gets funded, and how exceptional technical leaders can shape entirely new research directions. We'll begin with an introduction to ARIA from Programme Director Alex Obadia, followed by lightning talks from researchers and founders working on ambitious technical problems, before continuing the conversation over food and drinks. What is ARIA? The Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) is the UK's high-risk, high-reward R&D funding agency, created to unlock scientific and technological breakthroughs by supporting research that is too ambitious, speculative, or interdisciplinary to pursue elsewhere. ARIA operates through Programme Directors: exceptional scientific and technical leaders who spot overlooked opportunities, define bold technical visions, and bring together the people and projects needed to pursue them. ARIA will soon start recruiting its third cohort of Programme Directors, with applications opening in August 2026 for a May 2027 start. Who should attend? This event is intended for deeply technical people who: Have experience leading ambitious, outcome-driven scientific or technical work Enjoy uncovering non-obvious approaches to difficult problems Care about shaping the future of science and technology May be interested in becoming a future ARIA Programme Director or applying for ARIA's funding Schedule 17:00-17:30 Arrival, food & drinks 17:30-17:35 Welcome from Bakar Labs 17:35-17:40 Intro from the Innovative Genomics Institute 17:40-18:00 What is ARIA? Programme Directors and funding opportunities 18:00-18:30 Lightning talks from researchers and founders 18:30-20:00 Food, drinks & networking Speakers Alex Obadia (ARIA Programme Director leading the Scaling Trust programme) Tim McGee (Resident @ Astera) Amy Locks (Co-Founder and CEO @ tera + 5050 UK alumnus) Brendan Fong (CEO @ Topos Institute + ARIA Creator) Lightning talks will feature researchers and founders from the ARIA, Bakar Labs, and Innovative Genomics Institute communities, including ARIA Creators and Bay Area technical leaders working on ambitious scientific and engineering challenges. All speakers will be announced soon.