Sign up

By sector

Find a co-founder for your biotech startup

Biotech companies develop products derived from living organisms for human or animal health, agriculture, food, materials or the environment. They share common traits: demanding science, many validation steps, heavy funding needs and development timelines often measured in years.

Publish my project for freeBrowse talent

In short

To find a biotech co-founder, identify what is missing between the science, development and funding of your project, publish your project for free on EasyCofounder describing the technology, its maturity and the state of its intellectual property, and choose a partner ready to share what is often a long development horizon.

The founding team often combines the scientist behind the technology, someone able to run development and regulatory work, and a leader who drives strategy, industrial partnerships and fundraising. Investors look closely at each of these skills.

On EasyCofounder, describe your technology in plain terms, its maturity and the role you are looking for, then talk to PhDs, engineers, regulatory affairs specialists and business profiles interested in the life sciences.

In the UK and Ireland, many biotech projects begin inside a university and move out through a technology transfer office such as Oxford University Innovation, Cambridge Enterprise or UCL Business, and negotiating the licence, the university’s equity stake and the inventors’ roles is often the first job the founding team does together.

A credible team usually brings together the scientist who knows the data, someone with drug development, diagnostics or bioprocess experience who can plan the route to the clinic or the market, and a business co-founder able to talk to pharma partners, grant bodies and specialist investors with the same clarity.

Building a Biotech startup: what matters

  • Intellectual property and origin

    Patents, know-how and agreements with the lab the technology comes from determine the value of the project, and a clear, documented position is a prerequisite for any fundraising.

  • Long regulatory milestones

    Depending on the field, preclinical and clinical trials, health authorisations or procedures specific to agriculture and food set the pace of development, and a co-founder who knows them helps build a realistic timeline.

  • Funding in stages

    Grants, public loans, specialist investors and industrial partnerships are often combined, with each milestone expected to remove a clearly identified scientific or regulatory risk.

  • Regulators to know

    Medicines and medical devices are overseen by the MHRA in the UK and the HPRA in Ireland, with clinical trials subject to approval, so a co-founder who has worked through these processes helps build a realistic plan, and specialist regulatory advice remains essential.

  • Common business models

    Licensing an asset to a larger company after an early proof of concept, co-development with an industrial partner, selling research tools or services, or building a platform that generates several programmes, each model implies a different capital need and team.

  • Ecosystem and support

    Innovate UK and its Biomedical Catalyst, the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult, the BioIndustry Association, NIBRT and Knowledge Transfer Ireland are useful places to find partners, programmes and people who know life sciences companies from the inside.

Find your co-founder in 4 steps

  1. 1

    Create your free profile

    Describe your skills, your availability and what you bring to a founding team.

  2. 2

    Publish your project

    Say which role you are looking for (CTO, CEO, CMO…), the commitment expected and the equity on offer, in Biotech.

  3. 3

    Let the matching work

    Filter talent by skill and location, or get suggestions of compatible profiles from the AI matching.

  4. 4

    Talk, then meet

    Chat through the built-in messaging, test your collaboration on a first project and put your agreement in writing in a shareholders’ agreement.

Frequently asked questions

Can a researcher co-found a biotech while staying in their lab?

In some cases and under conditions, usually with the authorisation of their institution. The rules depend on the person’s status and country, so check with the technology transfer office or human resources first.

What business profile does a biotech need?

A leader who understands the science without necessarily practising it, knows how the sector is funded and can build partnerships with industry. Experience in the life sciences is a major advantage.

How long does it take to develop a biotech?

It depends heavily on the field. A diagnostic tool or an industrial process can reach the market faster than a drug, which is why co-founders need to agree on a realistic horizon and milestones.

Where can I find a biotech co-founder?

Publish your project for free on EasyCofounder describing the technology and the missing profile, then extend your search to specialist incubators, university networks and life sciences clusters.

How much equity does a university usually take in a spin-out?

It varies widely between institutions and depends on what is licensed, the founders’ contributions and the funding plan, so discuss it openly with the technology transfer office and take legal advice before signing.

Should a biotech co-founder have a PhD?

The scientific founder generally does, but the business or operations co-founder does not need one, as long as they can follow the science, explain it to investors and manage the regulatory and partnership milestones.

Guides to partner well

Find a co-founder in another city

Find a co-founder by sector

Find a co-founder by role