The Hidden Layer of Biotech: People Who Help Startups Get Off the Ground
- Sirena Meade
- Mar 23
- 4 min read
Breakthrough science and major funding rounds tend to define the biotech industry. But the work that connects the two is often less visible yet just as vital.
Somewhere between a promising idea in a lab and a venture-backed company, there’s a critical layer of work that often goes unseen. It’s where scientific ideas are pressure-tested, shaped, and translated into something that could actually become a business.
It’s also where professionals like Lindsay Sulzer, Ph.D., founder of Scaffold Bio Consulting, work behind the scenes. In a recent conversation, she shared how that work takes shape.
From Bench to Startup to Strategy
Lindsay’s path into biotech didn’t follow a straight line, but it mirrors the journey many technologies take as they move toward commercialization.
She was born and raised in Cleveland, then studied chemical engineering at Princeton University before working as a process engineer at Intel, helping manufacture computer chips. Over time, she wanted to move closer to research and pursued a Ph.D. in chemical and biological engineering at Northwestern University investigating tissue engineering scaffolds, followed by a postdoctoral role in Switzerland focused on engineered proteins for bone tissue.
She later moved into the biotech startup world in Austin, Texas, eventually rising to a leadership role overseeing manufacturing and R&D. After the company closed during the COVID era, she pivoted to consulting in Cleveland, where she now works with organizations like JumpStart and Case Western Reserve University programs. Her work includes advising efforts connected to the Case Coulter Translational Research Partnership, helping early-stage technologies move toward commercial viability.
The “Hidden Layer” of Biotech
Most people think biotech is built by scientists and funded by investors. But there’s a critical layer in between.
Before venture capital enters the picture, early-stage ideas often go through a phase of evaluation, refinement, and strategic positioning. This is where advisors, consultants, and translational programs play a key role by helping to determine whether a scientific idea can actually become a company.
It’s not just about whether the science works. It’s about whether it matters, whether it can be implemented, and whether it can compete.
What Makes a Biotech Company “Fundable?”
When advising researchers and startups, Lindsay looks beyond the novelty of the science itself. Instead, she evaluates a set of key signals that indicate whether a technology has real commercial potential.
At a high level, these signals fall into a few critical areas:
1. Problem and Value
Does the team clearly understand the problem they’re solving—and is their technology meaningfully positioned to address it?
2. Market and Competition
How does the solution compare to what already exists? Is there a defined market opportunity, and do the founders understand their competitive landscape?
3. Feasibility and Implementation
Can the technology realistically be adopted, or would it require building an entirely new system to support it?
4. Defensibility and Execution
Is there a strong intellectual property position? And just as importantly, does the team have the experience and capability to execute?
Taken together, these factors help distinguish an interesting scientific idea from one that can become a viable company.
Cleveland’s Strength and Its Opportunity
When looking at Cleveland’s biotech ecosystem, Lindsay sees both momentum and room for growth. On the positive side, she points to something that’s harder to quantify, but just as important: the people.
There’s a strong sense of collaboration in the region, with individuals and organizations genuinely invested in building a successful biotech community. That collaborative spirit is reflected in a growing network of organizations working to support early-stage companies. Groups like JumpStart provide early funding and advisory support, while firms such as Wave Strategy help refine positioning and growth plans.
At the institutional level, programs like the Case Coulter Translational Research Partnership and initiatives within Case Western Reserve University, such as the Office of Translation & Innovation (OTI) within the School of Medicine, help bridge the gap between academic discovery and commercial application.
Through OTI, researchers are not only supported in navigating commercialization, but also connected to a range of early-stage funding opportunities. These include philanthropic accelerator-style grants like those offered through the Council to Advance Human Health (CAHH) and NIH-backed pilot funding programs through the Clinical & Translational Science Collaborative (CTSC).
For many early-stage founders, these organizations represent the first step in moving from scientific ideas to structured companies. Together, these efforts form part of the “hidden layer” that helps ideas take shape before they are ready for traditional investment.
At the same time, there are structural gaps that still need to be addressed. Cleveland lacks a large industry anchor such as a major pharmaceutical or biotech company that can provide both investment and employment opportunities. It would also benefit from a deeper pool of investors.
Looking Ahead
Biotech ecosystems aren’t built overnight. They’re shaped over time by a combination of science, capital, infrastructure, and people working behind the scenes to connect those pieces.
The work that happens before funding, before headlines, and before companies scale is often the least visible. But it may be the most important.
In Cleveland, and more broadly across Ohio, that work is increasingly being recognized and supported. From translational programs to early-stage funding initiatives, there is a growing effort to strengthen the foundation that allows scientific ideas to become viable companies. It’s still a work in progress. But the pieces are beginning to come together.
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