Whether you’re a startup navigating early funding rounds or a mature organization planning multi-year R&D investments, financial agility determines how quickly your science can move forward.

From equipment leasing and Master Lease Agreements, to Extended Terms Agreements (ETAs) and Payment Deferral Options, Thermo Fisher Scientific’s programs are designed to help teams access technology, conserve cash, and align financial planning with scientific goals.

Across the past five success stories, biotech and pharmaceutical companies have demonstrated how the right financial structure can turn capital constraints into competitive advantages.

Table of Contents

• Solution Overview: Choosing the Right Financial Strategy
• Comparing the Core Financial Solutions
• Case Study Highlights: Applying the Right Tools to the Right Challenges
• How to Get Started with Thermo Fisher Financial Solutions
• Key Takeaways for Biotech and Pharma Leaders

Key Takeaways

• Biotech and pharma organizations are using tailored financial solutions to balance innovation, liquidity, and growth
• This guide summarizes real-world examples across five company types—from startups to global R&D leaders—and shows how to select the right approach for your stage, goals, and budget
• Key tools include:
  • Equipment Leasing: acquire and refresh essential lab technology without large upfront costs
  • Master Lease Agreement: enable scalable, multi-year planning across research programs
  • Extended Terms Agreement (ETA): defer large payments to match milestones and funding rounds
  • Payment Deferral Options: conserve cash and align expenditures with grant or investment cycles
  • 0% Interest Promotion: unlock essential equipment now with no financing cost, subject to credit approval
• Learn how to identify the right structure for your organization and how to get started with Thermo Fisher Financial Solutions

Solution Overview: Choosing the Right Financial Strategy

Each financing tool addresses a different challenge in the R&D lifecycle:

Financial Tool	Ideal For	Key Benefits	Example Applications
Equipment Leasing	Growth-phase labs and scaling diagnostics firms	Reduce upfront CAPEX; refresh equipment; maintain predictable operating costs	Expanding testing capacity or upgrading analytical systems
Master Lease Agreement	Academic or enterprise R&D with recurring equipment needs	Simplify procurement; lock in fixed rates; refresh tech on schedule	Multi-site R&D programs, long-term lab modernization
Extended Terms Agreement (ETA)	Pharmaceutical or contract research projects with long lead times	Defer large payments to align with delivery or funding milestones	CDMO/CRO contracts*, delayed manufacturing deliverables
Payment Deferral Options	Startups or grant-based labs managing uneven revenue cycles	Conserve cash and synchronize payments to grants or investments	Early-stage programs aligning costs to grant timing
0% Interest Promotion	Fast-growing companies seeking to maximize capital efficiency	Access high-end technology with no financing cost (subject to approval)	Equipment expansion during funding gaps or capital freezes

Each of these tools can be customized to your organization’s structure, timing, and cash-flow profile. Subject to credit approval.

Comparing the Core Financial Solutions

Feature	Equipment Leasing	Master Lease	ETA	Deferral Options	0% Interest Promotion
Upfront Cost	Low	Moderate	Deferred	Deferred	Low
Term Length	3–5 years	3–7 years	1–2 years	Flexible	Up to 60 months*
Ideal Use Case	Scale operations	Plan long-term R&D	Align to delivery milestones	Match funding cycles	Help accelerate  investment
Ownership	Lease or buyout	Lease or buyout	Ownership at completion	Lease	Lease or buyout
Best For	Growth-phase firms	Academic & enterprise labs	Pharma & CDMO partners	Early-stage startups	High-growth innovators

Subject to credit approval.

Case Study Highlights: Applying the Right Tools to the Right Challenges

Early-Stage Biotech: Stretching Funding with Customizable Financial Solutions

A stealth cell therapy startup used an Extended Terms Agreement (ETA) to delay payments while maintaining development momentum, while an AI-driven biotech secured key instruments under a 0% Interest Promotion, transforming board hesitations into approvals.

Growth-Phase Diagnostics and Analytics: Scaling Smart with Equipment Leasing

From cancer diagnostics to metabolomics, multiple organizations used equipment leasing to expand capacity and modernize fleets. Leasing helped them lower CAPEX, standardize technology, and future-proof operations.

Academic and Enterprise R&D: Sustaining Long-Term Innovation with a Master Lease Agreement

A premier university and a global biotech leader leveraged Master Lease Agreements to streamline procurement and enable 3–5 year technology refresh cycles, helping ensure consistent access to advanced tools while managing budgets predictably.

Pharmaceutical Development: Aligning Capital to Milestones with an ETA

A VC-backed pharma company avoided a cash strain by using an ETA to defer payments for one year, followed by quarterly installments, preserving liquidity and maintaining R&D timelines.

How to Get Started with Thermo Fisher Financial Solutions

Whether you’re expanding research capacity, outfitting a new facility, or managing multiple project timelines, Thermo Fisher Financial Solutions offers a range of customizable programs to help you move forward confidently.

To explore your options:

1. Assess your funding model. Identify when and where your capital pressures occur—for example, during grant cycles, investment rounds, or contract milestones.
2. Choose the right structure. Select from leasing, ETAs, or deferred payment programs to align with your organization’s goals.
3. Engage with Thermo Fisher Financial Solutions. Our team can help tailor the right plan for your R&D strategy.

Learn more or connect directly through:

• Thermo Fisher Financial and Leasing Solutions
• 0% Interest Promotion Details

Key Takeaways for Biotech and Pharma Leaders 

• Financial agility enables scientific continuity. Tailored programs keep R&D on track regardless of funding cycles.
• Each structure fits a growth stage. From early innovation to global R&D, the right tool can extend runway and simplify planning.
• Partnership matters. Aligning with an experienced provider ensures flexibility, transparency, and continuity across milestones.
• Plan ahead for sustainability. The best financial frameworks anticipate growth, upgrades, and evolving scientific needs.

Ready to evaluate your options?

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.

> Explore Thermo Fisher Financial Solutions

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All offerings and solutions are subject to credit approval. Determination of eligibility is at the sole discretion of the Thermo Fisher Financial Solutions credit committee. Financing is subject to standard contract terms and conditions. Offerings may vary and are subject to change without notice.

*This program is available only to customers in the United States, excluding Puerto Rico, for clinical development, analytical, peri and post-approval, CDMO, or clinical supply chain services. Interest rates and offerings may vary. Not all applicants may qualify. Program offerings are subject to change without notice. Other restrictions may apply.