1. In Vivo
  2. >>Growth
  3. >>VC Playbook

VC Playbook: Finding Early-Stage Financing When Money Is Scarce

 
• By David Wild

Early-stage companies need to be more flexible on the financing terms they are willing to accept and in finding ways to gather evidence to support the impact of their products or services.

Early Stage Companies Need To Change Their Approach In A More Conservative Funding Environment • Source: Shutterstock

The pace of decline in biopharma venture capital investment over the past year has been striking: after an impressive first quarter in 2022, when biopharma companies raised $11.9bn, the amount of VC funding contracted to $5.7bn by Q4, well below all four quarterly totals in the prior two years. (Also see "Finance Watch: Founder-Friendly Curie.Bio Launches With $520m To Seed, Support New Companies" - Scrip, 16 February, 2023.)

There’s no indication things are improving, with panelists at the Biotechnology Innovation Organization’s CEO & Investor Conference saying they see...

More from VC Playbook

In Conversation: Sketching The Future Of Biotech Investment With Lilly Ventures

 
• By Jo Shorthouse

Laura Lane, European head of Lilly Ventures, talked to In Vivo at the recent Bio-Europe meeting in a fireside chat about how strategic investments are shaping the future of biotech, Lilly's approach to early-stage innovation, and the evolving European investment landscape.

TechBio’s Next Wave: Where AI Meets Biology And Investment Opportunity

 
• By David Wild

TechBio stands at a critical inflection point, where computational innovation meets the reality of biopharma. Industry leaders have begun to cut through the hype and identify where sustainable value truly lies in this rapidly evolving landscape.

Mixed Bag For Biopharma Funding In 2025: Dispatches From J.P. Morgan, Biotech Showcase

 
• By Mandy Jackson

The J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference and Biotech Showcase revealed what investors are really thinking about the health of the capital markets this year.

Life Sciences Deals Unlocking: LifeArc Ventures Sees Pace Of Investments Pick Up

 
• By Ashley Yeo

Attrition among biotechs and VCs holding onto their reserve capital for existing investments may have reduced the capital available for new life sciences funding, but UK-based LifeArc Ventures believes its recent activity is indicative of a general upswing.

More from Growth

Deals In Depth: April 2025

 
• By Deanna Kamienski and Maureen Riordan

Four $1bn+ alliances were penned in April, and one exceeded $2bn.

Digital Transformation At The FDA: Generative AI Set To Transform Drug Review Process

 
• By David Wild

The FDA plans to implement generative AI for drug reviews by 30 June 2025, enhancing efficiency and potentially accelerating approval processes. Discussions with OpenAI about AI integration are ongoing.

Protagonist’s Patel: Building A Differentiated Peptide Platform With Strategic Patience

 
• By David Wild

After revolutionizing the peptide therapeutic landscape, CEO Dinesh Patel reflects on the journey from surviving the 2008 financial crisis to developing a platform now poised to deliver back-to-back blockbuster approvals.