CED Life Science Conference Recap: I had the opportunity to attend the recent Life Sciences Conference sponsored by CED in March. Very impressive gathering, with insightful key note and biotech/pharma breakout sessions. Scaling for Growth was one the top issues under discussion. CED's 2015 Innovators Report shows $1.2 billion raised by 170 North Carolina entrepreneurial companies in the technology, life science, cleantech and advanced manufacturing and materials sectors through funding through 191 equity investment deals. This includes venture capital, angel, corporate, growth equity and strategic investments. Read more here.
ARTICLE: "Start-Ups That Last: How to scale your business" from Harvard Business Review Why do so many start ups that seem to have it all—customers, cash, and a promising outlook—run off the rails? Ask a venture capitalist and you’ll probably hear that they have trouble “scaling”. Market crashes, unreliable supply and distribution partners, fierce rivals and plenty of other external factors can buffet firms. But that does not mean they have to be chaotic on the inside. Effective internal organization frees them up to keep pursuing the new opportunities and brings long-term survival within reach. Between the extremes of ad hoc and prescriptive organizing, there’s a useful middle ground. Leaders who can find it will have an edge on their rivals. Download the full article here (PDF).