The Venture Debt Conference Announces Speakers for April 16 Event in New York

• Fourth Annual Conference to Address Venture Debt, Growth Debt, and Private Credit Trends

NEW YORK, NY / ACCESS Newswire / February 17, 2026 / DealFlow Events today announced the speakers for the 4th annual Venture Debt Conference, scheduled for April 16, 2026, in New York City.

Venture debt and growth debt have become established components of private credit and venture-backed company capital structures. Even as venture equity markets remain selective, demand for non-dilutive financing solutions continues, with companies and investors emphasizing capital efficiency, runway extension, structured downside protection, and disciplined underwriting.

The Venture Debt Conference convenes lenders, direct lending platforms, institutional investors, venture capital firms, venture-backed companies, legal advisors, and structured finance professionals active in venture and growth debt markets.

The 2026 program will address:

• The 2026 venture debt market outlook, including issuance trends, pricing dynamics, and capital availability

• Founder and VC perspectives on venture debt, examining how borrowers and equity sponsors evaluate non-dilutive financing

• Lessons from venture-backed companies that faced structural or liquidity challenges

• Offensive and defensive venture debt strategies in volatile markets

• Raising growth capital in Israel and cross-border markets

• Aligning venture debt timing with equity raises and M&A strategy

• Adjacent and specialty credit strategies within the broader private credit ecosystem

• Distressed borrower engagement and restructuring outcomes

• Risk management, workouts, covenant enforcement, and recovery processes

• The role of artificial intelligence in credit underwriting and risk assessment

The 2026 Venture Debt Conference is presented with the support of lead sponsor Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP.

Confirmed Speakers Include:

• Nick Acimovic, Managing Partner, Jovian Capital Management

• Ella Adhannah, Managing Director, Hercules Capital

• Michael Balkin, CEO, Horizon Technology Finance

• Charles Charpentier, Partner, Troutman Pepper Locke

• Prasant Chunduru, Managing Director, Head of Tech Credit Solutions, HSBC US

• Arthur Daemmrich, Professor, Arizona State U.

• Bob Eisenbach, Of Counsel, Cooley

• Eric Goldberg, Partner, DLA Piper

• Alexander Gorokhovskiy, Managing Director, Deutsche Bank Private Credit & Infrastructure, Deutsche Bank

• Jason Holley, Senior Director, Impact Partners

• Jonathan Jacobs, Partner, Morrison Foerster’s Finance Group

• Mike Lederman, Head of Innovation Banking, Western Alliance Bank

• Heidi Lipton, Founding Partner, Rock Creek Advisors

• John Markell, Managing Partner, Armentum Partners

• Nate McOmber, Managing Director, G2 Capital Advisors

• Andy Mizerek, Senior Director of Marketing, Runway Growth Partners

• Craig Netterfield, Managing Partner, Columbia Lake Partners

• Matt Pangle, Financial Services Associate, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP

• Martin Pichinson, Co-Founder & Co-Manager, Sherwood Partners

• Jennifer Post, Managing Partner, Thompson Coburn, LLP

• Brad Pritchard, Senior Managing Director, Structural Capital

• Mehak Rashid, Partner, Legal Scale

• Ruslan Sergeyev, Managing Director, Hercules Capital

• Mark Solovy, Co-Head, Technology Finance Group, Monroe Capital

• David Teten, Managing Partner, Versatile Venture Capital

• Melissa Wasser, Partner, Andreessen Horowitz

• Simon Weintraub, Partner, VArnon, Tadmor-Levy

• Troy Zander, Partner, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP

Additional conference information is available at: https://venturedebtconference.com/

About the Venture Debt Conference

The Venture Debt Conference is an annual capital markets event dedicated exclusively to venture debt, growth debt, and related private credit strategies. The conference brings together active market participants to discuss transaction structures, risk management frameworks, capital allocation strategies, and evolving trends in venture lending and structured finance.

About DealFlow Events

DealFlow Events produces industry-focused conferences covering private credit, venture debt, microcap investing, SPACs, PIPEs, and related capital markets sectors.

Media Contact

Phillip LoFaso

DealFlow Events

phillip@dealflowevents.com

SOURCE: DealFlow Events

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