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Post-Funding Recruitment: Scaling Your Life Sciences Business After Series A/B Investment
24 Feb, 20255 Minutes
Series A and Series B funding rounds are key milestones for life sciences organisations, as they help the transition from early-stage innovation to accelerated growth. In these rounds, the funds are typically used to boost research and development (R&D), begin clinical trials, and scale operations.
Investor confidence in life sciences remains strong, with data from Cushman & Wakefield showing that venture capital funding in the U.S. reached $30.5 billion in 2024, marking a 16% year-on-year increase. These investments show optimism around innovation in the sector, as well as positive economic conditions and expected interest rate cuts. Companies that secure Series A or B funding have a unique opportunity to grow quickly, provided they have the right hiring and growth strategies in place.
However, this growth poses its own set of challenges, and post-funding recruitment can be a demanding process, with fierce competition for in-demand skills such as bioinformatics, gene therapy, and AI in drug discovery. A structured hiring strategy is therefore essential to attract skilled talent and continue the innovation that drove early success. Leaders must balance the urgency of filling key roles with committing to a calculated hiring strategy to support long-term business goals.
Let’s explore the critical steps life sciences companies must take after securing Series A/B funding to ensure sustainable growth and long-term success.
What Does Series A/B Funding Mean for Business Growth?
Series A funding in life sciences is typically the first major investment that showcases your scientific innovation and business model. It provides the funds needed to refine your product and plan for growth as you aim to achieve proof of concept.
With Series B funding, the focus shifts from ‘proof of concept’ to ‘market validation’ as you start scaling and preparing for commercialisation. This includes hiring more specialised talent, expanding your research capabilities, and investing in infrastructure that supports rapid growth. Venture capital and private equity firms play an influential role at these stages by providing financial backing and strategic guidance as they push your company to hire skilled talent and adopt practices that support sustainable growth.
Life sciences expert and business manager at CSG Talent, Ben Ward, expands further on the differences between Series A and Series B funding:
"Series A funding is focused on translating early-stage science into a viable business. Companies must expand R&D and scale operations to achieve early clinical milestones. Series B funding is more about acceleration. Companies must demonstrate progress, such as IND-enabling studies or clinical trial approvals, and funding goes towards scaling clinical programs and strengthening processes.
“Execution risk is a key aspect in both stages, as investors assess a company’s ability to build a scalable business, not just the science. Post-Series B failures often stem from operational or leadership issues, not scientific ones." 
Prioritising Leadership Roles for Post-Funding Success
When scaling a life sciences company after a successful funding round, the first step is to get your leadership team in order. Key roles like a Chief Scientific Officer, VP of Clinical Development, or Head of Regulatory Affairs set your company’s strategic direction and ensure that your innovations turn into successful business outcomes.
In fact, research from McKinsey & Company shows that companies are 1.9x more likely to achieve above-average financial performance when the leadership team has a shared, meaningful, and engaging vision.
Once you have a strong C-suite in place, you should focus on your R&D and clinical teams. This is crucial to your drug discovery process, so hiring top talent, such as principal scientists, clinical research associates, and regulatory specialists, is key. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that the success rate of drug development from Phase I to approval is less than 10%, which demonstrates the importance of hiring experienced clinical research associates to improve clinical trial success rates.
Next, you need to focus on your business operations. Dedicated HR, finance, and legal teams are essential for smooth daily operations as you scale up. It’s also important that you don’t forget the commercial side of your business, as strengthening your sales and marketing teams is key to driving revenue and expanding market reach.
By prioritising these roles strategically, you can create a well-rounded team that supports sustainable growth. This approach makes it easier to manage the complexities of scaling by ensuring every new hire plays a key role in achieving your company’s long-term vision.
The Importance of a Strong Hiring Strategy after Series A and B Funding
A strong hiring strategy is key to sustainable growth, as it ensures that every new hire contributes to your company’s success. The first step is to establish clear roles and responsibilities. Without understanding the responsibilities of each role, you risk making unnecessary hires or missing critical skill gaps. According to data from Effectory, clearly defining job roles upfront leads to:
25% higher overall employee performance
53% higher employee efficiency
75% of employees reporting higher job satisfaction
Employer branding also plays a crucial role in attracting top talent. In the competitive life sciences sector, where skilled professionals are in high demand, a strong employer brand can be the deciding factor. If you can showcase strong leadership and a clear company culture, you are more likely to appeal to skilled candidates. 
You also need to consider balancing internal promotions with external hires. Promoting from within increases loyalty and company knowledge, while external hires bring fresh perspectives that drive innovation. At the same time, you must make sure that scaling quickly doesn’t mean compromising on hiring quality. A structured interview process with thorough candidate assessment helps maintain high standards during a period of growth.
“Scaling is as much about people as science,” Ben explains. “A structured hiring strategy ensures the necessary expertise for clinical trial execution and commercial strategy. A lack of experienced leadership is a significant risk factor in biotech. Hiring mistakes post-Series A/B funding can take 6–12 months to recover from, and poor hires at the C-suite level can cost around 5x their salary, so companies that align talent strategy with their scientific and commercial strategies are more likely to meet milestones.”
Building a Scalable Culture from the Start
To create a scalable culture, you need a clearly defined mission and vision, as well as a strong set of values, to attract top talent and improve retention rates long-term. When employees understand the ‘why’ behind your company’s efforts, they’ll be more likely to invest in its success. This builds an environment where innovation, collaboration, and inclusion are encouraged.
To achieve this culture, it’s crucial that your leadership teams buy in. When executives demonstrate the values they expect from their teams, it sets the tone for the entire organisation. However, in a scalable culture, leadership should be present throughout your organisation, and employees at all levels should feel empowered to take responsibility and use their initiative. A positive candidate experience and onboarding process further strengthens company culture by immersing new hires in the company’s values right from the start.
Regular team-building initiatives also help maintain a sense of unity, even as the company grows rapidly. Your company culture will naturally shift as your business grows, so you must be open to adapting with it. Encouraging open communication and providing platforms for employees to share their ideas can make them feel their views matter and provide fresh perspectives that can inspire innovation and growth. 
According to Deloitte, businesses that actively nurture workplace culture achieve 516% greater revenue growth over 10 years than those that don’t, highlighting the importance of making sure every team member feels empowered and motivated to contribute to your company’s long-term vision.
Investing in Training and Development to Retain Top Talent
In an evolving industry like life sciences, continuous training and development is crucial to staying ahead. Upskilling employees in areas such as digital health and AI in drug discovery ensures that your team remains competitive and ready to tackle new challenges. It’s also important to help your employees develop their soft skills, such as critical thinking and communication, as these are essential traits for leadership roles.
Implementing leadership development programs can also help create future leaders within your organisation, with a study by Lacerenza finding that participants undergoing leadership training experienced a 25% increase in learning and 20% better overall job performance.
This investment in your employees helps build a resilient workforce equipped to adapt to evolving markets and technological advancements, driving long-term business success.
Regular Performance Evaluations
Regular performance evaluations are vital for maintaining a high-performing team. By establishing key performance indicators, you can accurately measure individual and team success. 
Measuring performance allows you to quickly adapt to changing market demands and internal challenges, ensuring talent strategies remain aligned with business objectives. It also creates a culture of improvement and development, which supports sustainable growth and helps your business thrive.
Executive Search Specialists in Life Sciences
Finding senior talent requires more than just a strong strategy. Unlike AI-driven recruitment tools that focus on keyword matching, specialist recruiters can leverage industry insights, extensive networks, and a consultative approach to identify candidates who have the required skills and align with your company’s long-term vision. Partnering with a trusted recruiter streamlines the process and ensures access to top talent, ultimately building a leadership team that drives long-term success.
At CSG Talent, our dedicated life sciences executive search team specialises in identifying and placing skilled talent. We can work closely with you to create a tailored hiring strategy that aligns with your mission, supports scalable growth, and drives sustainable success.
If you’re looking to build a team of senior professionals capable of thriving in the competitive life sciences industry, contact CSG Talent today.
For more expert life sciences insights, explore our recent articles and downloadable report:
