How to Start a Biotech Venture
Keep adding new skills with 10,000+ programs for $239 (usually $399). Save now.
Recommended experience
Recommended experience
What you'll learn
Comprehensive understanding of how to establish and grow a successful team
Awareness of the legal obligations when founding a biotech venture
Knowledge of market-related challenges and how to address those early on
Protecting and transferring the business' intelectual property
Skills you'll gain
Details to know
See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills
There are 7 modules in this course
Biotech companies are transforming the world, but launching a biotech startup comes with unique challenges—protecting intellectual property, securing funding, and building a strong team.
This course empowers you with the knowledge and confidence to tackle these issues. You’ll learn how to build a high-performing team, manage finances effectively, ensure your venture is aligned with the market, protect your intellectual property, and navigate legal and regulatory hurdles. Offered by the Technical University of Munich, one of Europe’s leading research and innovation hubs, the course combines academic expertise with practical insights from industry experts, patent attorneys, and entrepreneurs who share their real-world advice and experiences, giving you the tools to successfully bring your biotech innovation to life.
What's included
4 videos3 readings
4 videos•Total 12 minutes
- Welcome•6 minutes
- Introduction to the Technical University of Munich •3 minutes
- The Journey from Lab to Market•2 minutes
- Expert Input: Why Start a Biotech Venture?•1 minute
3 readings•Total 30 minutes
- Course Set-Up and Grading•10 minutes
- Support & Discussion Guidelines•10 minutes
- Meet & Greet•10 minutes
This module covered how to build a strong founding team, shape company culture, attract investors, hire early employees, and involve external advisors from the start.
What's included
12 videos12 readings4 assignments1 peer review
12 videos•Total 65 minutes
- Human Capital Resources•6 minutes
- Building Your Team•13 minutes
- Investor Input: Advice on What Makes a Good Startup Team (Dr. Sascha Berger)•4 minutes
- Founder Input: How to Build a Successful Team (Dr. Sylvia Wojczewski)•5 minutes
- Founder Input: Life as an Entrepreneur•3 minutes
- Recruiting Your (First) Employees•6 minutes
- Leadership•6 minutes
- Motivational Factors•6 minutes
- Expert Input: Avoiding Team Conflicts•2 minutes
- Networking•4 minutes
- Start-Up Boards•8 minutes
- Founder Input: Partnering as a Biotech Venture•2 minutes
12 readings•Total 113 minutes
- Building Your Team•2 minutes
- Team Roles•10 minutes
- Founder Identities•15 minutes
- Entrepreneurial Motivation Quiz (optional)•5 minutes
- Leadership Styles•10 minutes
- Employee Stock Options•10 minutes
- Objectives & Key Results•10 minutes
- Strategic Partnerships•15 minutes
- Initiating a Partnership•10 minutes
- Module Wrap-Up•15 minutes
- Module Resources: Get the Slides•10 minutes
- Graded Assessment Announcement•1 minute
4 assignments•Total 85 minutes
- Practice Quiz•10 minutes
- Practice Quiz•15 minutes
- Practice Quiz•15 minutes
- Graded Assessment •45 minutes
1 peer review•Total 60 minutes
- Exercise: Networking Using LinkedIn•60 minutes
What's included
8 videos9 readings6 assignments
8 videos•Total 37 minutes
- Financial vs. Management Accounting•3 minutes
- Balance Sheet•4 minutes
- Cash Management•6 minutes
- Profit & Loss•5 minutes
- Intro Start-Up Financing•7 minutes
- The Investment Process•4 minutes
- Investor Input: Challenges of Biotech Financing•1 minute
- Successful Exit•5 minutes
9 readings•Total 81 minutes
- Module Overview•5 minutes
- Cash Flow Statement: An Example•10 minutes
- Profit & Loss Statement: An Example•10 minutes
- Interrelations: CF, BS, P&L•10 minutes
- Sources of Funding•5 minutes
- Exit Options•15 minutes
- Wrap-Up the Module •15 minutes
- Module Resources: Get the Slides•10 minutes
- Graded Assessment Announcement•1 minute
6 assignments•Total 90 minutes
- Cash Flow Statement•15 minutes
- Practice Quiz•10 minutes
- Exercise: Profit & Loss Statement•15 minutes
- Practice Quiz•10 minutes
- Practice Quiz•10 minutes
- Graded Assessment•30 minutes
What's included
9 videos12 readings4 assignments1 peer review
9 videos•Total 41 minutes
- Market Orientation•5 minutes
- Segmentation - Targeting - Positioning•4 minutes
- Business Development, Marketing, or Sales•4 minutes
- Product Management Strategies•5 minutes
- Pricing•4 minutes
- Distribution Channels•5 minutes
- Communications•6 minutes
- Licence Marketing•5 minutes
- Science Communication•4 minutes
12 readings•Total 93 minutes
- Module Overview•2 minutes
- A Technology Solution in Search of a Problem•5 minutes
- Biotech Product Sectors•20 minutes
- Introduction to Marketing•5 minutes
- Product Policy•3 minutes
- Pricing Strategies•15 minutes
- Market Access for Pharmaceuticals (optional)•5 minutes
- Green Biotechnology: The Case of Phytowelt (optional)•8 minutes
- In- and Outbound Communication Measures•9 minutes
- Module Wrap-Up•10 minutes
- Module Resources: Get the Slides•10 minutes
- Graded Assessment Announcement•1 minute
4 assignments•Total 87 minutes
- Practice Quiz•15 minutes
- Practice Quiz•15 minutes
- Practice Quiz•12 minutes
- Graded Assessment •45 minutes
1 peer review•Total 90 minutes
- Exercise: S-T-P•90 minutes
What's included
12 videos13 readings4 assignments1 peer review
12 videos•Total 103 minutes
- Finding Support in Legal Matters•2 minutes
- Patentability Criteria•12 minutes
- IP Protection in the Daily Life as Researcher•5 minutes
- Founder Input: The Strategic Role of IP•4 minutes
- IP Strategy•15 minutes
- Overview of Patenting Process•11 minutes
- Freedom to Operate•13 minutes
- Patent Application•13 minutes
- Example of a Patent (Documentation)•12 minutes
- Technology Transfer•7 minutes
- Licensing Deals•6 minutes
- Expert Input: Negotiating with TT Offices•3 minutes
13 readings•Total 92 minutes
- Module Overview•1 minute
- Introducing our IP Experts•1 minute
- Types of IP Protection•10 minutes
- Inventor Remuneration•5 minutes
- Record of Invention•15 minutes
- Example Record of Invention•10 minutes
- Enforcing & Challenging Patents•15 minutes
- The Technology Transfer Process•5 minutes
- Licensing Deal | An Example•3 minutes
- Managing the Licensing Process•8 minutes
- Module Wrap-Up•8 minutes
- Module Resources: Get the Slides•10 minutes
- Graded Assessment Announcement•1 minute
4 assignments•Total 90 minutes
- Practice Quiz•20 minutes
- Practice Quiz•15 minutes
- Practice Quiz•10 minutes
- Graded Assessment •45 minutes
1 peer review•Total 60 minutes
- Exercise: Licensing Deal•60 minutes
What's included
6 videos12 readings5 assignments
6 videos•Total 26 minutes
- Company Formation•2 minutes
- Founders Agreement & Equity Split•6 minutes
- Founder Input: Founding as a Team•3 minutes
- Overview Contracts & Agreements Page Actions•6 minutes
- Overview Biotech Regulation•4 minutes
- Sustainability and Social Responsibility as Success Factors•4 minutes
12 readings•Total 81 minutes
- Module Overview•1 minute
- Legal Entities•7 minutes
- Articles of Association & By-Laws•2 minutes
- Regulated Products in the Medical Field (optional)•10 minutes
- Regulatory Agencies for Medical Products (optional)•10 minutes
- Regulatory Requirements for Food-Related Products (optional)•5 minutes
- Corporate Governance & Compliance•5 minutes
- The Case of Martin Shkreli•10 minutes
- Ethical Considerations•10 minutes
- Module Wrap-Up•10 minutes
- Module Resources: Get the Slides•10 minutes
- Graded Assessment Announcement•1 minute
5 assignments•Total 90 minutes
- Practice Quiz•15 minutes
- Practice Quiz•10 minutes
- Practice Quiz•10 minutes
- Practice Quiz•10 minutes
- Graded Assessment | Module 5•45 minutes
What's included
2 videos2 readings
2 videos•Total 7 minutes
- Key Take-Aways from the Course•6 minutes
- Thank You!•1 minute
2 readings•Total 15 minutes
- Congratulations! You’ve Completed the Course!•5 minutes
- Class Central Course Review & LinkedIn Post•10 minutes
Instructor
Explore more from Entrepreneurship
- Status: PreviewT
Technical University of Munich (TUM)
Course
- Status: PreviewT
Technical University of Munich (TUM)
Course
- T
The State University of New York
Course
- Status: Free TrialU
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Course
Why people choose Coursera for their career
Frequently asked questions
To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
When you purchase a Certificate you get access to all course materials, including graded assignments. Upon completing the course, your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.
More questions
Financial aid available,
¹ Some assignments in this course are AI-graded. For these assignments, your data will be used in accordance with Coursera's Privacy Notice.
