Whether you’re getting ready to raise or have just closed a funding round, Kat Arney shares how your biotech startup story and comms need to evolve at each stage.
For biotech startups, every funding milestone creates a new version of your company. With each iteration, the expectations change too.
As the science matures, the data gets stronger, and the team expands, so the way you present yourself to the outside world needs to evolve in step.
What feels scrappy and authentic early on starts to look flakey and unprofessional as the stakes rise. And in a world increasingly driven by AI search, failing to build a coherent digital footprint risks being overlooked entirely.
Ignore it, and you could find yourself struggling to get through to the investors, partners and potential hires that you need to make your bright scientific ideas become reality.
I’ve been teaching storytelling and communication skills to scientists for two decades, and one of the things I always say is, “The science cannot speak for itself – we must speak for it”.
Increasingly, that speaking doesn’t happen in the room where you pitch. AI tools, LinkedIn profiles, company websites and third-party coverage provide the first impression of your company – and you! – long before a conversation ever starts.
Investing time, effort and money in developing and telling your biotech startup story isn’t merely a ‘nice to have’ – it’s a ‘must have’, from the earliest stages onwards.
Early stage biotech founders – your time starts now
In the early days of a biotech startup, it’s tempting to focus purely on what’s happening on the inside and leave thinking about external-facing comms for further down the line.
We often hear founders say, “We know we need to sort this – just not yet”. But by the time it feels urgent, you’re already behind.
While it makes no sense to embark on a massive PR campaign when you’ve got nothing worth shouting about, a consistent strategic comms plan focused on LinkedIn and thought leadership can help to attract investor attention and boost your fundraising efforts.
It takes time for this to bear fruit – usually we’d allow 6-12 months to build momentum – so don’t leave it too late.
Credibility and awareness compound slowly, through repeated exposure to clear, coherent messaging. They’re not switches you can suddenly flip on a few weeks before you need to close.
For life science startups developing commercial products, creating a bold narrative and coherent online presence will set a strong foundation to help you ‘cross the chasm’ as you scale.
On the flip side, some founders of R&D-focused companies don’t see the need for any of this ‘marketing’ stuff at all. This is a pernicious and damaging misconception.
Even though they’re not conventional customers, you’re still ‘selling’ your company and your ideas to potential investors, partners, collaborators and new hires. You need these people to see, understand and believe in what you’re doing in order to persuade them to come on board.
Building a strong biotech startup brand from the start
What I’m really talking about here is establishing your brand.
Many people think of ‘branding’ as purely visual, such as the logo, colours and fonts you use on your website. But that’s just a teeny part of it.
Your brand lives in people’s heads as the sum of all the things they know and feel about you.
To quote marketing guru Seth Godin, “A brand is the set of expectations, memories, stories and relationships that, taken together, account for a consumer’s decision to choose one product or service over another.”
By the time you’re closing a serious Seed round or thinking about Series A, people are building a picture of you and your company in their minds based on the signals you’re putting into the world.
Future investors want to see whether you’re a good fit (and a good bet) for their portfolio. Job applicants are digging about on LinkedIn. Potential partners are searching for solutions that match their needs. And your competitors are always watching.
Most of these people won’t ever tell you what they think about your company and your work. They’ll just make decisions based on what they see and hear, and act accordingly.
The same clarity also matters internally. A shared, well-articulated story helps your team stay aligned and present a consistent front as you grow, rather than pulling in different directions.
And if you don’t get out there and tell a clear, compelling story about who you are, what you do, and how your science is going to change the world, then either somebody else will do it for you – which might be incorrect or even highly damaging.
Even worse, nobody will. As Oscar Wilde said, “There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about”.
The Holy Trinity of life science comms and marketing: Credibility, differentiation, and awareness
Over the years, we’ve identified three pillars of effective communications and marketing for life science companies of any size.
- Credibility: Demonstrating that you’re legitimate and trustworthy, both scientifically and professionally.
- Differentiation: Highlighting the unique points of difference that enable you to stand out from the crowd and the competition.
- Awareness: Ensuring that the right people know about you at the right time.
We’ve also seen the same pressure points appear time and again as biotech startups move through the funding stages from Pre-seed to Seed to Series A and beyond.
Each stage needs a different strategy and tactics – which, of course, depends on your budget and resources.
It’s also highly likely you’ll need to tweak the underlying narrative and messaging as the company develops. This is even more important if you make any kind of strategic pivot.
(If I had a pound for every time I found a biotech company website that’s hopelessly mismatched with what they currently do, I’d have several pairs of very nice shoes.)
Here are the four key stages of a typical biotech startup journey and their key comms objectives. You’ll probably recognise where you are – or where you’re heading – in at least one of them.
Pre-seed biotech startups preparing to raise a Seed round
Clarity and simplicity are key here. Focus on telling a convincing investor story about your science and its potential value without tipping into over-hype.
Biotech startups that have just raised a Seed round
Now’s the time to build on the buzz from coming out of stealth, start growing the team, and get down to work. It’s much easier to find the right people and partners if it’s obvious what you do and the values that matter to you.
Biotech startups gearing up for Series A
Home in on coherent, clear messaging that matches across all your channels, and roll out a strategic programme of well-placed communications to build momentum and awareness at this crucial time.
Biotech startups that have just raised Series A
You’re making the transition from startup to scaleup, so it’s time to show the world you’re fully buttoned up and ready to go to the next level.
Whatever stage you’re at, you should be thinking about how to craft and tell the boldest possible true story about who you are, what you do, and how you’re trying to change the world.
In our next blogs, we’re going to take a deep dive into the comms and marketing needs at each of these four key stages. We’ll provide practical advice on the strategy and tactics that will help you showcase your credibility, stand out from the crowd and attract the attention you deserve.
Need help with your biotech startup story?
First Create The Media acts as a plug-in expert life science communications and marketing team combining deep science knowledge and strategic chops with flexible, wide-ranging delivery support.
We’ve worked with many life science companies in the UK, Europe and the US, helping them stand out, showcase their science, and build buzz from the earliest stages onwards.
Get in touch to see how we can help you.
Image edited by ChatGPT.