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Experienced Fundraising Executives and Advisors for Life Sciences
A life sciences fundraising executive is an experienced capital raiser, often a former CEO, Chief Business Officer or CFO, who leads or advises your financing process. BiotechExec engages them as advisors, consultants, or fractional or interim leaders, so you get proven investor experience without waiting for a full-time hire. They own the story, the materials, investor outreach, diligence and term sheet negotiation, working alongside your counsel and leadership. We match you from a vetted network of 600+ life sciences leaders.
The engagement is flexible. The experience is the same.
Last updated November 4, 2026
Ways to engage a fundraising executive
| Model | What it looks like |
|---|---|
| Fundraising advisor | An experienced raiser reviews your deck, valuation and strategy and coaches the founders, usually billed hourly. |
| Consulting project | A defined deliverable, such as a raise-readiness assessment or investor materials and target list. |
| Fractional fundraising executive | An executive runs the process end to end on a fixed monthly retainer scoped to the time commitment and deliverables. |
| Chief Business Officer or CEO | When the need is broader than the raise, a CBO or CEO can lead fundraising along with partnering and strategy. |
When to bring in a fundraising executive
- You are preparing a seed round and have not run a process before.
- You have grant funding and need a plan for the first equity raise.
- You are moving from angels and friends and family to institutional investors.
- A Series A or larger financing is close, and the CEO needs a dedicated partner so the company keeps running.
- Your founders are clinicians or scientists who should stay focused on the program.
What a fundraising executive does
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1. Assess readiness | Review the data, milestones, use of proceeds and valuation range, and decide what the raise will fund. |
| 2. Sharpen the story | Rebuild the pitch deck, narrative and financial model, clearly separating early evidence from what the next study will show. |
| 3. Build the investor list | Target angels, family offices, seed and venture funds, strategic investors, and non-dilutive sources such as SBIR and other grants. |
| 4. Run outreach | Use warm introductions where possible, schedule meetings and coach the founders for investor presentations. |
| 5. Manage the process | Run the data room and diligence responses, and negotiate term sheets alongside your counsel. |
| 6. Close and plan ahead | Support closing and set up the next milestones and the next round. |
We have scoped fundraising mandates from seed rounds of about $2 million to institutional rounds of $40 million. We have also supported university spinouts and physician-founded companies with grant applications, company formation and early team development.
How this compares with a banker, a consultant or a search firm
A placement agent or investment bank is typically paid when a round closes. A BiotechExec fundraising executive is engaged for expertise, on terms that do not depend on the amount raised. Unlike a consulting firm's team, you work with one senior executive who has raised capital in life sciences. And unlike a retained search for a permanent hire, an executive can start in weeks.
Explore the Life Sciences Executives hub and the How we compare guide.
How we match the right fundraiser
Every search begins with an intake call to confirm the mandate, reporting lines, expected time commitment and how investor relationships will be shared with the CEO and Chief Business Officer. We then look for four things
- Closed rounds at your stage: personally led and closed financings of the size you need, with verifiable references.
- Active investor relationships: current relationships with investors who fund your sector, so outreach starts with warm introductions.
- Sector fluency: comfort presenting your modality, regulatory path and evidence credibly.
- Hands-on process ownership: owns the materials, outreach, data room and diligence rather than only advising.
You review curated profiles in our secure portal, privately rate each candidate, interview the finalists and select your executive.
FAQ
Are your fundraising executives senior enough to lead a raise?
Yes. They are seasoned executives who have led and closed financings in life sciences, and we look for verifiable references at your stage and round size.
What does a fundraising executive cost?
Every engagement is scoped individually. Fundraising engagements are a fixed monthly retainer or hourly fee based on the time commitment and deliverables in your Service Order, and they are not calculated on capital raised. Either party may end the engagement on 30 days' notice.
Will you guarantee that we get funded?
No. Financing depends on your data, the market and investor appetite. Our executives improve the story, the targeting and the process, and the company decides whether to raise and closes the financing with its own counsel.
Do you introduce us to investors?
The executive brings their own investor relationships and builds a target list with you. We do not promise introductions to any particular investor, and we confirm at intake how relationships will be shared with your leadership.
Is BiotechExec a placement agent or broker-dealer?
No. We place executives and do not take commissions or fees based on capital raised.
Do we need a fundraiser or a Chief Business Officer?
Not always. A fundraising executive is focused on the financing. A Chief Business Officer also covers licensing, partnering and broader business development. Many companies start with one and add the other as needs grow.
How long does a raise take?
It varies with stage, round size and market conditions. Plan for months, not weeks, and start before the cash gets tight. Your executive will give you a realistic timeline after assessing readiness.
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