Bio Founder GPS
Insights for founders who would rather build than guess.
Weekly frameworks, conversations with investors and operators, and original research. Written by Vadim Shepel and read by 1,200+ founders and investors.
Free resources
Original research, free for founders.
The Bio Founder GPS Podcast
Conversations with investors and operators.
China's biotech rise: what founders need to know
Marc Appel, Managing Partner, Pacific Bridge NY
How to raise a pre-seed round as a scientist-founder
Julie Wolf, Partner, 2048 Ventures
Latest issues
The newest issues.
Oct 5, 2026
Could Mexico help you build your biotech?
Ashley Marín of Scirena BioVentures on the opportunity hiding in plain sight
(opens Bio Founder GPS in a new tab)Sep 28, 2026
China is changing biotech. Where do you compete?
Marc Appel on where Asia-Pacific can help you build a stronger biotech company (plus a free industry report)
(opens Bio Founder GPS in a new tab)Sep 21, 2026
Build something scientists will actually use
Ian Levine on finding customers, raising $1M, and turning a research problem into ModernVivo
(opens Bio Founder GPS in a new tab)Browse by theme
From the archive.
Fundraising
Aug 17, 2026
Don't stop at your first 40 investors
How to widen your investor search without lowering the bar
(opens Bio Founder GPS in a new tab)Aug 9, 2026
Your investor list is lying to you
Of 41 life science funds that closed since January 2025, only seven were realistic first-check prospects
(opens Bio Founder GPS in a new tab)Aug 3, 2026
Answering your most pressing questions
Warm intros, lead investors, angels, timing and AI
(opens Bio Founder GPS in a new tab)Jul 20, 2026
Stop calling it patient capital
What we learned from mapping 100+ family offices, with a link to the directory
(opens Bio Founder GPS in a new tab)Jul 13, 2026
Don't wait for September
How to use the summer to prepare for a fall raise
(opens Bio Founder GPS in a new tab)May 24, 2026
Is your biotech VC backable?
Jonah Probell of Lexi Ventures on the math behind a yes
(opens Bio Founder GPS in a new tab)Pitch and story
Sep 6, 2026
Your science is complex. Your story shouldn't be.
Krishna Dave on the storytelling playbook for scientists
(opens Bio Founder GPS in a new tab)Jul 27, 2026
Before you send that deck
Five lessons from the Pitch Deck Intensive, and 10 questions to ask before you raise
(opens Bio Founder GPS in a new tab)Jun 29, 2026
Where conviction leaks
Your deck has all the right slides. So why isn't it working?
(opens Bio Founder GPS in a new tab)Jun 15, 2026
Asset? Or engine?
What a pitch deck is really for
(opens Bio Founder GPS in a new tab)Jun 8, 2026
Don't panic
A practical guide to pitching in person
(opens Bio Founder GPS in a new tab)Jun 1, 2026
What AI sees when it reads your deck
How to build your deck when investors screen it with AI first
(opens Bio Founder GPS in a new tab)Partnering and global
Oct 5, 2026
Could Mexico help you build your biotech?
Ashley Marín of Scirena BioVentures on the opportunity hiding in plain sight
(opens Bio Founder GPS in a new tab)Sep 28, 2026
China is changing biotech. Where do you compete?
Marc Appel on where Asia-Pacific can help you build a stronger biotech company
(opens Bio Founder GPS in a new tab)Apr 26, 2026
How Tubulis turned a $22.8M license into a $5B exit
The partnership ladder every biotech founder should study
(opens Bio Founder GPS in a new tab)Building the company
Sep 21, 2026
Build something scientists will actually use
Ian Levine on finding customers, raising $1M, and turning a research problem into ModernVivo
(opens Bio Founder GPS in a new tab)Sep 14, 2026
Your technology works. Will anyone use it?
Tim Martens and Elizabeth Little of Vaark Ventures on what makes a healthcare startup investable
(opens Bio Founder GPS in a new tab)Aug 24, 2026
Why great biotech startups can still fail
Chris Potts of Persephoni Bio on the business decisions that make or break a company
(opens Bio Founder GPS in a new tab)Jul 6, 2026
Don't wait for permission
Elena Itskovich of Nest Catalyst on founder identity, platforms versus assets, and fundraising
(opens Bio Founder GPS in a new tab)Jun 23, 2026
What it really takes to go from a scientist to a CEO
A conversation with Laura Hsieh, co-founder and CEO of TippingPoint Biosciences
(opens Bio Founder GPS in a new tab)Book a 20-minute call
Let's talk about what you're building.
You'll speak with Vadim Shepel
Founder and Principal, Bench2Bio
- 01
Where you are
Your stage, your science and what is coming next: a raise, a partner conversation or a decision.
- 02
What investors or partners will test
An honest read on the gaps that will matter most, even if we never work together.
- 03
Whether and how we can help
A recommended starting point, or a referral if someone else is a better fit.
Prefer email? vadim@bench2bio.com