This playbook was built for seed through Series B biotech and medtech founders — specifically those wearing the marketing hat before a dedicated CMO is in place. It's practical by design: no theoretical frameworks, no generic advice. Every section reflects what actually moves the needle for early-stage life science companies in the first 90 days after a funding close.
The 90 days after close are the highest-leverage marketing window you'll have until your next round. Investor attention is at its peak. Press is warm. Partners are watching. Future hires are paying attention. What you do right now sets the commercial foundation for everything that follows.
This playbook gives you a structured approach — messaging to channels to budget to daily action items — so you don't waste the window.
Seed through Series B biotech and medtech founders
CEOs and CSOs who own marketing before a dedicated CMO is in place
Post-raise teams building commercial infrastructure for the first time
Founders who've hired a fractional CMO or marketing agency and want a shared framework
Validation, momentum, and market timing. They want to see that you're playing a big game, you understand the competitive landscape, and the raise reflects real traction — not just potential. Lead with the why-now. Tie the raise to a milestone (IND filing, first patient, platform proof point). Be specific about what the capital enables.
Stability, commitment, and capability. They need confidence you'll be around in two years. Translate the raise into what it means for them: longer roadmap, expanded team, faster delivery. Avoid jargon about funding stages. Talk outcomes, not rounds.
Mission, runway, and upside. They're betting on you with their career. Lead with the science and the problem you're solving. Be honest about stage and risk. Make the equity story clear. The raise gives you the chance to upgrade your talent narrative significantly.
Create three versions of your post-raise messaging document — one per audience. Run each through a person from that audience before publishing. Their confusion is your rewrite signal.
Your one-liner names the specific problem, not your product category
You can explain your differentiation in one sentence without using the word "innovative"
Your raise announcement names what the capital enables — not just the amount raised
You have distinct message versions for investors, partners/customers, and talent
Your website hero section speaks to a specific buyer, not a general audience
Your team bios connect credentials to the problem you're solving — not just CVs
You have a clear answer to "why now" — a regulatory, scientific, or market timing reason
All external communications pass the "so what" test for your target audience
| Channel | Seed | Series A | Series B |
|---|---|---|---|
| LinkedIn (organic) | Must-have | Must-have | Must-have |
| Direct BD / Outbound Outreach | Must-have | Must-have | Must-have |
| Conferences & Trade Shows | Selective | Must-have | Must-have |
| PR & Media Relations | Selective | High | Must-have |
| Email Newsletter | Medium | High | Must-have |
| Content Marketing / SEO | Low | Medium | High |
| Partnership & BD Events | High | High | Must-have |
| Paid Digital Advertising | Defer | Low | Medium |
LinkedIn, direct BD outreach, and conferences are the channels that produce the most pipeline per dollar for early-stage life science companies — regardless of stage. If you're resource-constrained, do these three before anything else.
Paid digital ads require a clear ICP, tested messaging, and a converting landing page. None of those exist on day one. Founders who run paid ads before validating their message through organic channels waste significant budget. Run LinkedIn organic and direct outreach first. When you know which message converts, then spend money amplifying it.
Post 2–3x per week in founder voice, not brand voice
Announce the raise with a specific narrative — not just "excited to share"
Share one market insight or scientific perspective per week
Engage directly with potential partners in comments
Update personal and company profiles immediately
Build a tiered list: 10 dream partners, 10 near-term, 10 warm-ups
Use the raise as a credibility signal in your first message
Personalize every outreach email — no templates
Set a weekly cadence: 5 new, 5 follow-ups
Track in a simple CRM from day one
Attend 1–2 high-value events in your first 90 days
Book meetings in advance — never rely on floor traffic
Have a 30-second, 2-minute, and 10-minute pitch ready
Follow up within 48 hours — every contact
Use the Trade Show ROI Calculator before committing budget
Before committing to any conference, run the numbers. The Trade Show ROI Calculator at corsiventures.com/resources shows your cost per lead, pipeline multiple, and how your results compare to life science benchmarks.
| Category | Seed | Series A | Series B |
|---|---|---|---|
| Digital & Content (LinkedIn, SEO, email) | 20% | 25% | 30% |
| Events & Conferences | 30% | 25% | 20% |
| Brand & Collateral (web, materials, video) | 25% | 20% | 15% |
| PR & Communications | 10% | 15% | 15% |
| Paid Advertising | 0% | 5% | 10% |
| Tools & Technology (CRM, automation) | 15% | 10% | 10% |
Percentages are guidelines, not rules. Adjust based on your ICP, geography, and specific milestones.
The Life Science Marketing Budget Allocator at corsiventures.com/resources gives you a channel-by-channel breakdown based on your specific budget, stage, and primary goal — with a downloadable LinkedIn share card.
At Series A, a simple starting framework: 60% of your budget on channels that build long-term awareness and pipeline (digital, content, PR, tools), 20% on events and conferences, and 20% on brand and collateral. Adjust as you learn what actually converts.
Marketing builds credibility, relationships, and pipeline — all of which take time. Starting marketing when you're 6 months from launch is 6 months too late. Start the day you close. The pipeline you build in months 1–3 will determine your commercial trajectory in months 7–12.
A new logo and redesigned website feel productive. They're not. Brand spend before you've validated your messaging is wasted money. Get the message right first. Then invest in design.
Life science founders over-index on conferences because they're visible and social. But conferences are expensive, infrequent, and hard to measure. They should supplement, not replace, a consistent digital and outbound presence.
Marketing builds credibility, relationships, and pipeline — all of which take time. Start the day you close. You're not selling a product yet; you're selling a vision, a team, and a thesis.
HubSpot, Marketo, Pardot — founders buy these tools and then don't use them because they have no process to fill them. Start with the simplest CRM that works. Add technology when the process demands it.
A generalist who can "do everything" usually can't do any one thing exceptionally well. Identify your highest-leverage channel first. Hire a specialist for that channel. Generalists make sense once you have multiple channels running.