Insights from Investors on Funding Your Business

What do investors really look for in the first 30 seconds of a pitch? At the 2025 London Biotechnology Show, Discovery Park hosted a panel discussion featuring five incredible biotech investors, who peeled back the curtain to share insights for founders and tips on perfecting your pitch.

Our expert panel included:

Key learnings from their discussion on the investor landscape and perfecting pitches:

Behind the Scenes of Being an Investor:

The Reality of Investment Timelines

Understanding investor timelines is crucial for planning your fundraising strategy. These timelines can extend significantly if investors aren’t familiar with your sector.

Investor Type  Average Timeline (initial engagement → delivering funds) Key factor 
Angel Investors  12 weeks Relationships matter more
Venture Capital  6 – 8 weeks  More structure on decision process 
Family Office  4 – 6 weeks  Able to move fast based on interests 

 

Get to the Point – 30-Second Rule

Family office investor Eva Tarasova knows within 30 seconds if she can invest. Investors are short on time, so your approach should focus on:

  • What you need from the investor
  • Why that specific investor is right for your company
  • Your key story without unnecessary detail

Eva is receptive to cold outreach, but warns she’s too busy to give personalised feedback if the business isn’t the right fit. VC Sonja advises founders to understand the focus and portfolio of the investors you are pitching to, always tailoring the approach according to their specific interests. 

How Investors Really Evaluate Startups

The 5 Ts Framework: VC Sonal Pai uses this proven method to assess founders for investment potential:

  1. Team – Passionate problem solvers who can execute 
  2. Traction – Evidence you’ve spoken to the market and are gaining momentum 
  3. Tech – Innovation with genuine potential to disrupt 
  4. Total Addressable Market (TAM) – A big market with significant growth potential
  5. Timing – Entering the market at the right moment

Industries of Particular Interest

While AI remains the “flavour of the decade”, other hot areas include:

  • Cell and gene therapy
  • Platform technologies
  • Companies with potential to remove industry blockers

Find an Incubator

Family office investor Eva urges founders to research incubators, which can be great for referrals and building a network of investors. VC Sonal tends to track interesting companies she spots on incubators. 

Ask for Introductions

It’s important to be well networked in your sector. Angel investor Emmi urges founders to end every meeting asking for your next introduction. 

Perfecting Your Pitch

Lead with Business, Not Science

The biggest mistake? Focusing too much on pure science instead of commercial potential. Do this instead:

  • Set up the problem succinctly and demonstrate market potential
  • Clearly outline your business plan and commercial case – this isn’t a scientific project 
  • Be receptive to feedback and open to taking advice 

Master the Art of Scientific Storytelling

Biotech investors understand the broad picture, but details often escape them. No investor wants to feel uninformed, so:

  • Use storytelling over scientific jargon
  • Explain your concept simply (think 5-year-old test)
  • Focus on the impact, not the methodology

Be Honest About Competition

VC Sonal feels suspicious if founders claim they have no competitors at all. Every business has competition in some form. Instead:

  • Acknowledge your competitive landscape
  • Demonstrate your understanding of the market
  • Show how you differentiate

Showcase Your Dream Team

When reviewing a deck, Angel investor Emmi goes straight to the pitch slides covering the team and advisory board. She’s looking for:

  • A team with execution ability
  • Advisors with credibility and diverse skills
  • The right mix of expertise to support the business

 

At Discovery Park, we are supporting the next wave of science and tech innovators. We’ve created a practical guide called ‘Science to Startup’, packed with useful insights to help you lay solid foundations, avoid common pitfalls, and start building a business with real potential.

Download your free guide covering core topics every founder should consider in the early stages, from market analysis and funding, to branding, IP, and team building.

London Life Sciences Week (LLSW)

Join us on 16th – 21st November 2025 for London Life Sciences Week (LLSW). The annual event brings together industry leaders, innovators, and investors to unite the global biotech community for a week of unparalleled networking and dealmaking. Centered around the Jeffries European Healthcare Conference, the week attracts over 800 international senior decision-makers from Life Science companies and investor firms. The week kicks off with a ‘Welcome to London’ reception and features a series of satellite events to showcase London’s best life science initiatives to promote and celebrate life sciences in London. Don’t miss the chance to be part of this global gathering of networking and opportunity.

Website

lifesciencesweek.london

WM Life Sciences Week 2025

Join us in the West Midlands from September 15-19, 2025, for the inaugural WM Life Sciences Week, where innovation meets industry leadership.

West Midlands Life Sciences Week 2025 is a pioneering programme designed to bring together professionals, researchers, and businesses shaping the future of life sciences. Running from September 15 to 19, this week-long initiative will explore the latest advancements, medical breakthroughs, and innovative technologies.

For more information

TOPRA – US Regulation of Medical Devices – London & online

This Masterclass will provide you with a comprehensive understanding of the US regulatory procedures for medical devices, to enable you to make recommendations about regulatory strategy for the US market.

When
: 23-25 July 2025
Where: Lincoln Plaza, 2 Lincoln Plaza, Canary Wharf, London E14 9BD

Day 1 start time: 09:00 BST | Day 3 end time: 16:30 BST
This course is also available to attend online.

 

Suitable for

This course is essential for:

  • Delegates from the pharmaceutical industry who wish to develop their knowledge
  • Delegates from allied industries who wish to have a comprehensive understanding of the subject
  • Students on the TOPRA MSc programme.

Note: this course is also Module 21 of the MSc Regulatory Affairs.

Course information

This course will cover:

  • US FD&C Act and Code of Federal Regulations
  • History, Structure and Mission of the FDA
  • Product Designation and Device Classification
  • Pre-Submissions, Pre-Market Notification & Approval
  • Combination Products
  • Device Listing and Establishment Registration
  • Labelling
  • Quality Systems Regulation and Inspections
  • Medical Device Reporting

Benefits to delegates

This course will enable you to:

  • Understand the global importance of the US medical devices market and the history and context of medical device regulation in the US
  • Demonstrate a critical understanding of the US medical devices regulation, processes and procedures
  • Critically evaluate the different routes into the US medical device market and the regulatory requirements and processes for each
  • Evaluate the differences and similarities between the regulation of medical devices in the US and EU
  • Be able to make recommendations about entering the US medical devices market and a suitable strategy for doing so. This will include the ability to apply product jurisdiction, device classification criteria and identify relevant regulatory pathways and requirements
  • Make sound judgments in he absence of complete data and communicate their conclusions effectively
  • Critically appraise and evaluate communications relating to medical devices from US regulatory bodies and research publications

CPD: This course provides 15 CPD hours upon successful completion.
To learn more about why Continuing Professional Development is important, visit our Lifelong Learning page.

Science Creates EngBio Roadshow: Glasgow

Calling all scientists, innovators and entrepreneurs in Engineering Biology

Science Creates is bringing its EngBio Roadshow to Glasgow for the first time, in partnership with UKRI.

​🗓️ 23rd July 2025
📍 Executive Rooms, Technology and Innovation Centre, G1 1RD
🕝 09:30-13:00
🎫 Free: Registration required

​Whether you’re an academic, founder or supporter working within the thriving field of Synthetic and Engineering Biology, register now to secure your free spot and save the date in your calendar.

​We are dedicated to supporting entrepreneurial scientists in Engineering Biology — could you be one of them?

ℹ️ About this event

Science Creates is a Deep Tech ecosystem that enables scientists and engineers to turn their groundbreaking discoveries into disruptive businesses that can revolutionise the health of people and the planet.

​This July, we’ll be opening applications for our third fully-funded, UK-wide Engineering Biology Accelerator Programme — delivered in partnership with UKRI, qualified Deep Tech experts and leading global VCs.

​The Science Creates accelerator team will be travelling to cities across the UK throughout July as part of their third Engineering Biology Roadshow.

​Join us for the afternoon in Glasgow at the Technology and Innovation Centre (University of Strathclyde), where we’ll showcase research commercialisation support and host insightful speakers from the field, as we continue to grow our nationwide network to support innovation in Engineering Biology. We’ll also delve into the benefits of the upcoming equity-free accelerator and give tips on the application process.

​Refreshments and a light lunch will be provided for networking at the end of the session.

​​🧬 Keynote speaker

​Dr Joanna Sadler | University of Edinburgh
Microbial upcycling of diverse polyester waste streams

​🦠 Panelists

​Dr Johann Partridge | TILT Collective
Dr Sahan Liyanagedera | BioPhoundry
Dr Catherine Fletcher | SCVC
Dr Elitsa Peeva | HGF

Science Creates EngBio Roadshow: London

Calling all scientists, innovators and entrepreneurs in Engineering Biology

Science Creates is bringing its EngBio Roadshow to London, in partnership with UKRI.

​🗓️ 22nd July 2025
📍 The Stadium, Scale Space White City, W12 7RZ
🕝 13:00-16:30
🎫 Free: Registration required

​Whether you’re an academic, founder or supporter working within the thriving field of Synthetic and Engineering Biology, register now to secure your free spot and save the date in your calendar.

​We are dedicated to supporting entrepreneurial scientists in Engineering Biology — could you be one of them?

ℹ️ About this event

Science Creates is a Deep Tech ecosystem that enables scientists and engineers to turn their groundbreaking discoveries into disruptive businesses that can revolutionise the health of people and the planet.

​This July, we’ll be opening applications for our third fully-funded, UK-wide Engineering Biology Accelerator Programme — delivered in partnership with UKRI, qualified Deep Tech experts and leading global VCs.

​The Science Creates accelerator team will be travelling to cities across the UK throughout July as part of their third Engineering Biology Roadshow.

​Join us for the afternoon in London at Scale Space White City, where we’ll showcase research commercialisation support and host insightful speakers from the field, as we continue to grow our nationwide network to support innovation in Engineering Biology. We’ll also delve into the benefits of the upcoming equity-free accelerator and give tips on the application process.

​Refreshments and snacks will be provided.

Logical Biological Launches Sister Company, Logical Antigen

Discovery Park based Logical Biological – biospecimen and critical material experts – today announced the launch of a new sister company, Logical Antigen. The new company focuses on rapid and customised delivery of high-quality antigens and biologicals for research and manufacturing of diagnostic products.

Antigens are a key component in the manufacture of in vitro diagnostic (IVD) test reagents, often used in controls to confirm test performance. However, unmet needs currently exist in relation to protein derived material availability, suitability and consistent performance. Helping to solve these challenges, Logical Antigen offers both native and recombinant antigen customisation, as well as serum and plasma customisation and engineering, unlocking clinical innovation and addressing supply sustainability. The company will focus on antigen and raw material development tailored to complex biological requirements, with stringent quality standards and large-scale usage.

Led by Managing Director Hannah McIntosh, the Logical Antigen founding team of three scientists each have over 20 years of protein purification experience. Their streamlined workflows enable customised antigen delivery within weeks, accelerating the industry-standard timelines which traditionally have taken years. This significantly reduces  timelines across discovery, design review, validation, and product development pipelines.

Stephane Argivier, Chief Executive of Logical Biological, said: “The launch of our sister company addresses today’s and tomorrow’s global challenges in the supply of critical raw materials. Hannah and the team at Logical Antigen are amongst the very best in the world at what they do, providing deep expertise in protein purification, as well as serum and plasma engineering. This launch strengthens our ‘One Logical’ offering and demonstrates our ambition to be the partner of choice, delivering at scale for diagnostics leaders.”

Hannah McIntosh, Managing Director of Logical Antigen, commented: “Logical Antigen was born from the urgent need for faster and more flexible development of antigens and biologicals. We’ve assembled a brilliant team with complementary expertise, working from state-of-the-art facilities at Discovery Park. By combining our specialist protein purification knowledge with Logical Biological’s industry-leading expertise, we are entering a new era of protein engineering, supporting faster and more accurate detection of diseases.”

Based alongside Logical Biological at Discovery Park in Kent, Logical Antigen is now operating out of a new, purpose built laboratory space. Structured as ‘One Logical’ family of companies, Logical Antigen’s commercial and business support functions will be delivered by the existing team at Logical Biological.

Logical Antigen’s customisation capabilities are based on refined extraction, isolation, and purification techniques, from native biological sources, to preserve structural conformation, post-translational modifications, and biological activity. The expert team will also offer recombinant antigen development services to support diverse project requirements and achieve superior performance through novel downstream purification protocols. The team is able to rapidly scale up production to meet growing demand without compromising on quality or delivery timelines.

Alongside their antigen focus, Logical Antigen will also support Logical Biological by increasing customisation options, including delivering processed biospecimen, bulk serum and plasma. Logical Antigen’s scientific expertise, combined with Logical Biological’s in-depth knowledge of IVD applications, will enable the development of products precisely aligned to customer needs.

The launch marks the latest phase in Logical Biological’s strategic expansion, supported by strong financial performance with EBITDA figures up nearly 30% on FY24. Building on initial capabilities in biospecimens and bulk disease state plasma, the company continues to invest into customisation capabilities to deliver critical components for IVD controls and calibrators, with further capability expansion planned for the future.

OBN (UK) Ltd Digital BioLearn: Using LinkedIn to Grow Your Profile Online

Event Details

Using LinkedIn to Grow Your Profile Online

LinkedIn has had an astounding impact on organisations over the last decade and the social revolution is continuing to skyrocket. With digital communication being front and centre in the customer journey, organisations must incorporate LinkedIn into their marketing strategies and harness the opportunity to engage with their target audiences.

It all sounds so easy, but no doubt there are challenges when it comes to LinkedIn. How can you save time creating posts and where can you find content ideas for my customers on LinkedIn? What tools can you use to manage our accounts? How will you know if your posts are having any impact?

There are so many questions that need to be addressed in order to stay ahead of the curve, create great content and keep up with your target audience.

By the end of this session, you will have a better understanding of how LinkedIn can increase your organisations exposure.

LinkedIn Optimisation:

  • Platform overview and tactics to optimise your presence on LinkedIn
  • Tactics to build your network
  • An understanding of what makes a great LinkedIn personal profile
  • Optimising your LinkedIn company page to attract customers
  • Utilising LinkedIn In-mails and best practice when making direct contact with connections

For more information

Christmas Jumper Day

Get ready to sleigh in your silliest, sparkliest, or most sensational seasonal sweater – it’s Christmas Jumper Day 2025!

Help us spread festive cheer at Discovery Park while raising money for a great cause. Whether it lights up, jingles, or just screams ‘Elf fashion disaster’, we want to see it!

Pull on that pullover and let’s make spirits (and sweaters) bright!