How Biotech Startups Can Stretch Funding and Still Scale

For emerging biotech startups, progress depends on capital efficiency. When budgets tighten or investor rounds take longer than expected, scientific milestones can hang in the balance. Smart financing like equipment leasing or customizable financial solutions can help teams maintain momentum, access critical technology, and demonstrate operational discipline to investors.

Explore how two early-stage biotechs turned financial constraints into strategic advantages by leveraging our flexible funding programs.

Article Summary

• Two early-stage biotechs—one in stealth cell therapy development, another pioneering AI-driven lab automation—faced critical funding constraints and board hesitations
• Through customizable financial solutions and a 0% Interest Promotion*, each company secured essential technology and vendor partnerships without derailing budgets
• These flexible strategies preserved liquidity, extended runway, and built investor confidence during critical growth phases and demonstrated how equipment leasing and innovative financing can help startups scale strategically

Table of Contents

• Case Study 1: Stretching Runway Through Customizable Financial Solutions
• Case Study 2: Overcoming Board Hesitation with 0% Interest Promotion
• Why Financial Flexibility Matters for Biotech Startups
• Key Takeaways for Founders and Finance Teams

Case Study 1: Stretching Runway Through Customizable Financial Solutions

A pre-clinical, stealth-mode biotech developing novel cell therapies for solid tumors faced a familiar startup dilemma: they could move forward with development or conserve cash until the next funding round.

Initially, the company had not considered Thermo Fisher Scientific as a collaborator. Facing delays and cash preservation goals, leadership sought creative financing options to keep the project on track.

The Solution:
A customizable financial solution, an Extended Terms Agreement (ETA), offered the flexibility they needed. Thermo Fisher approved an agreement over a 12-month term, aligning payments with the company’s funding milestones.

The Result:
This arrangement differentiated Thermo Fisher in a highly competitive field of 12 CDMOs, ultimately leading to expanded collaboration across multiple business units (STS, CTx, TTM, CRG) and an RFP to PPD.

By matching financial structure to cash-flow realities, the company advanced development, secured key partnerships, and extended runway—all without overextending their budget.

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Case Study 2: Overcoming Board Hesitation with 0% Interest Promotion

An AI-driven biotech focused on building autonomous laboratories faced a different kind of barrier: internal budget cuts. Despite identifying the need for an advanced SEM/FIB/TEM workflow, the company’s funding allocation was reduced by its executive board, threatening to derail the project.

The Solution:
After Thermo Fisher’s Nanoport™ demonstrated high-quality results, the customer’s leadership petitioned their board to reconsider. With support from a 0% Interest Promotion* on a 6-month term, the company secured more in essential instrumentation.

The Result:
The financial flexibility provided by the 0% Interest Promotion allowed the board to approve the investment, giving the company the tools it needed to continue building its first-in-class scientific superintelligence platform.

This case demonstrates how equipment leasing and promotional financing can transform board hesitations into confident capital decisions.

Why Financial Flexibility Matters for Biotech Startups

In early development stages, cash preservation and agility are as critical as scientific innovation. These success stories show that:

• Customizable financial solutions allow startups to time expenditures to investor cycles.
• Equipment leasing and deferred payments remove capital bottlenecks without delaying progress.
• 0% Interest Promotions can help secure leadership buy-in when budgets tighten.

Together, these approaches help early-stage companies demonstrate fiscal responsibility, an attribute that strengthens investor confidence in future rounds.

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Key Takeaways for Founders and Finance Teams

• Extend your runway: Match payments to funding events instead of upfront purchases.
• Earn board confidence: Use data-backed outcomes and financial flexibility to gain approval.
• Stay competitive: Don’t let cost perceptions keep you from high-value partnerships.
• Scale strategically: Combine equipment leasing with promotional terms for capital-efficient growth.

Whether you’re a stealth-mode startup or a growth-phase biotech, Thermo Fisher Scientific offers customizable financial solutions to help you scale efficiently and preserve cash.

Learn more about flexible financing solutions available to help you stay current, competitive, and move forward with confidence.

Thermo Fisher Financial Solutions is committed to ensuring that science continues, even in uncertain times. We’re not just providing financing—we’re providing momentum.

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