Partnering through stealth to Series A to build a high-calibre BioTech

4 August 2025

Finding trusted talent partners at the earliest stages

Founders of early-stage biotech companies face significant pressure when building their foundational teams – particularly those organisations that emerge from a big tech, non-traditional route.

At this critical stage, trust is paramount. Recruitment needs go beyond filling roles. Founders need a partner who:

Understands both the science and the fast-moving nature of tech innovation
Can identify and close high-calibre talent in hyper-competitive markets
Aligns culturally and strategically with the business
Stays present and accountable throughout the hiring lifecycle

This was especially true for a stealth-stage Biotech company focused on applying AI to drug discovery. With a small team, big vision, and high expectations, they couldn’t afford to make hiring mistakes.

Recruiting for a vision, not just a vacancy

When our client set out to disrupt drug discovery through AI, the founders knew they needed more than just good technical hires—they needed foundational team members who could set the tone, pace, and bar for the business.

The brief was ambitious:

“At the highest level, we only want to hire people who deeply inspire us and relentlessly push us to be better. They must level up the entire team, bringing significant energy and a sense of awe… They’re irrational; they could work in big tech, but they know it will not satisfy them. They want the pain of doing something brutally hard along with the riches and glory when it finally works.”

This was not about filling a headcount quota. It was about finding exceptional individuals with high agency, deep curiosity, technical brilliance, and a hunger to do something that mattered. People who could create value from ambiguity and thrive in the extremes of early-stage biotech.

Our partnership: Trusted, embedded, strategic

Aspire Life Sciences had an existing relationship with the client, built on shared values, proven delivery, and a deep understanding of what makes their team and culture unique. This long-term partnership gave us a competitive edge: we knew how to spot candidates who were more than qualified, they were aligned.

Over time, we were instructed to conduct in-depth searches for a range of critical hires, including:

Data Engineer – to build and maintain core data systems powering the research platform.
Systems Engineer – to design infrastructure for enterprise-scale ML workflows.
Computational Scientist (Biology) – to unlock insights from high-dimensional toxicity data.
Computational Scientist (Chemistry) – to partner with ML researchers to push predictive modelling boundaries.
Full-stack Engineer – to lead the development of internal tooling and data visualisation platforms.
ML Engineer/Researcher – the founding team member, to shape the future of lab-free toxicity testing.

Our consistent track record built trust and established us not just as recruiters, but as an extension of our client’s leadership and technical hiring function.

Market expertise, personalised process, relentless delivery

We were engaged during a critical transition—from stealth mode to a visible player gearing up for Series A. The founders needed a hero hire: a founding technical staff member who could carry both vision and execution, while navigating the uncertainties of a fast-moving, high-expectation environment.

Our strategy was multifaceted:

Founder alignment: We internalised the client’s unique definition of “extraordinary” and filtered candidates through that lens.
High-touch candidate engagement: In a market where top-tier candidates juggle multiple offers, we focused on storytelling, purpose, and long-term impact.
Speed: We moved faster than the market to engage, qualify, and close top candidates before they disappeared.
Precision: We conducted additional background checks to support decision-making. Using our proprietary market-mapping tools and internal processes, we were able to identify and prioritise a curated list of prospects.
Communication: We held weekly or biweekly meetings with the founders to stay fully aligned and agile as hiring needs shifted.
Passive talent activation: We tapped into non-obvious networks, bringing in candidates from outside biotech, including big tech and academia, who were ready for more meaning in their careers.
Global reach: We sourced internationally, supporting the relocation of the eventual hire from the East to West Coast of the U.S.
Full-cycle support: From first conversation to final negotiations, we guided both founder and candidate through every stage of the hiring process with a highly personalised approach. We made sure that the process aligned with the evolving role requirements, and managed every stage, from first contact to final offer negotiation and close.

In addition to our deep alignment with the founders, we followed a rigorous and structured recruitment process designed to optimise both speed and quality. We leveraged our extensive network, recommendations, and targeted referrals to access high-calibre candidates.

This precision targeting, combined with our close collaboration with the founders and senior leadership, allowed us to deliver consistently, even as the business scaled and the bar for excellence remained uncompromising.

The result: a foundational hire that catalysed growth

We secured a founding member of the technical team, who not only matched the client’s intense hiring criteria but became a catalyst for internal momentum and external credibility. This hire directly supported:

Confidence and traction leading into Series A fundraising
Expansion into additional technical hires through referral and network growth
Cultural embedding of “high agency” talent who raise the bar across the board

Our client has a growing reputation in the BioTech space, and a clear hiring strategy shaped by our collaborative work.

What founders can learn from this

Early-stage biotech founders often face uncertainty when choosing a recruitment partner. The risks feel high: Will they get it? Will they move fast? Will they represent the company well?

This case proves what’s possible when recruitment is approached as a strategic partnership.

Working directly with James Trott, Co-Founder and Director of Aspire Life Sciences, our client was able to:

Compete against Big Tech and Pharma for top-tier talent
Build a technically elite team rooted in shared purpose and scientific curiosity
Navigate complex hiring needs across AI, software engineering, and computational science
Move quickly while maintaining quality, culture fit, and vision alignment.

If you’re a BioTech or MedTech founder navigating your first critical hires, speak to James Trott for a confidential discussion.

Let us help you build a team that doesn’t just fill roles—but changes the game.