This document discusses partners and suppliers for life science startups. It identifies key types of partners including manufacturing, technology, channel/sales and marketing, and strategic partners. Manufacturing partners help with building, components, and outsourced functions. Technology partners contribute core technologies. Channel partners aid in sales and marketing. Strategic partners provide benefits like marketing support, intellectual property, or complementary products. The document also discusses front-end partners like distributors and research labs, and back-end partners such as chip manufacturers, packaging companies, and reagent suppliers. Maintaining valuable partnerships that evolve over time is important for startups.

1. UCSF Life Science
The Lean LaunchPad
Partners
Who are your Partners and Suppliers?
Version 6/13/12

2. Key Partners
Who are your Partners and Suppliers?

3. © 2012 Steve Blank

4. Partners – who are they?
• Manufacturing / build / component suppliers
• Technology partners
• Channel (S&M) partners
• Strategic partners
• Co-everything (development, branding, etc.)
Keep asking yourself:
Why do I need this partner? How can we keep it
valuable to both sides? How is this going to change
with time?
4

5. Partners – Key Suppliers
• Outsource suppliers
• Backoffice, supply chain, manufacturing
• Direct suppliers
• Components, raw materials, etc.
Example:
Apple builds the iPhone from multiple suppliers
5

6. Partnering with (Big) Companies

7. Leverage
…is the only way to make it work

8. Protectable Leverage
1. S&M support
2. IP (FTO)
3. Complementary products
1. Technology / Products
2. New customers
3. IP

9. Molecular Diagnostics
Partner Examples
9

10. Partners
Front End
Back End
Sample Prep
(not for RUO)
Dx Test Company
Hospitals
Chip
Manufacturers
Packaging
LiquiLume
Reagents
(IDT, Fisher)
OEMs
Shippers (UPS,
FedEx)
Clinical Labs
Doctors
Distributors
(Fisher)
Research Labs

11. Back-End Partners
Type
Examples
Benefit
Risk / Need
Chip
manufacturer
HTE Labs
Make optofluidic chips (key
element of technology)
High / Critical
?
Keep device costs low
Low / Essential
Laser or detector
manufacturers
Parts needed to build
complete instrument
Low, Med /
Essential
IDT, Fisher
Provide custom probes and
control targets.
Med / Essential
Qiagen
Partner for validation of
input target samples
Low / Nice
Packaging
OEMs
Reagents
Supplier
Sample Prep.
Instrument

12. Front-End Partners
Type
Distributor
Research labs
Dx test
company
Clinical labs
Examples
Benefit
Risk / Need
Fisher
Sell chips, reagents
Low / Not critical
for RUO
UCSF oncologists,
Stanford MDx Lab,
UCSF Micro. Lab
Will validate technology;
publish; develop assays
Low / Critical
during phase I
Genentech;
Companion Dx w
pharma and biotechs;
Specialty Dx test cos.
Possibly unique test on
unique platform, partner
develops assay
Strategic alliance
Low / Synergistic
Quest, LabCorp
Help develop CLIA-waived
application; 510(k); clinical
trials
Med / Crucial
during phase II

13. Medical Device
Partner Examples
13

17. IP
REGULATION
REIMBURSEMENT
CLINICAL
TRIALS
17

18. ONLY TWO
WEEKS LEFT!
REIMBURSEMENT
CLINICAL
TRIALS
18

19. Next week’s lecture
CLINICAL
TRIALS
IP
REIMBURSEMENT
REGULATION
19

20. Next week’s slides
As per the syllabus, plus:
1. Your final (validated?) hypotheses: regulation
2. Your final (validated?) hypotheses:reimbursement
3. Preliminary hypotheses: IP needs and clinical trial
structure, size, etc.