The biotech startup guide to international expansion

As a biotech startup, the idea of going global might seem overwhelming. You might already be dealing with different challenges — navigating high research and development costs, understanding complex regulatory environments, and looking to hire specialized talent. 

The thought of expanding internationally might appear daunting. Yet, taking your business international is not just possible‌ — ‌it can help address your current challenges.

In this biotech startup guide, we'll break down exactly how that's the case. We'll also discuss how partnering with a global HR platform like Remote can simplify the process of international growth, allowing you to focus on running your business efficiently.

Let’s dive in.

What is international expansion for biotech startups?

International expansion for biotech startups involves extending operations from a domestic market to a foreign one. This allows these biotech companies to expand their market reach and tap into new revenue streams and talent pools. 

Biotech startups can pursue global expansion through various strategies.

• Exporting might involve selling biotech products or services overseas, either physically or through online platforms. 

• Licensing could allow a startup to permit another company to use its intellectual property, such as patents on biotechnological techniques, in return for royalties. 

• Acquisitions and mergers can enable a startup to combine with or purchase a foreign company to access new markets and technologies. 

• Joint ventures and strategic alliances offer a way to partner with overseas companies to share resources and expertise. 

• Direct investment might involve taking a stake in a foreign company to influence its management or operations.

No matter the strategy you choose, international expansion generally involves hiring staff abroad to take care of operations, often directly within those target markets.

When is the right time to expand abroad?

This depends on the circumstances of your business. Here are some signs that it might be time to grow your business.

• When you’re reaching full capacity in your domestic market

• When there’s an increase in interest from overseas customers

• When the economy is growing and there is minimal competition in foreign markets

• When you’ve grown your business to the point where you’re ready to scale.

What are the benefits of biotech startup international expansion?

Biotech startup expansion can lead to growth, innovation, and a strong market position. Some of the benefits include: 

Access to new markets

Expanding internationally allows biotech startups to tap into diverse and larger markets, ‌ increasing sales and revenue streams. This diversification also reduces dependence on a single market, making the business more resilient.

Access to the best talent

Biotech projects often require highly specialized skills in areas like data analysis, regulatory compliance, or clinical trial management. Expanding globally can help Biotech startups ‌tap into a broader pool of talent, including top scientists, researchers, and industry experts, which can help drive innovation and the development of cutting-edge solutions.

Collaborative opportunities

International expansion increases opportunities for strategic partnerships and collaborations with global pharmaceutical companies, research institutions, and universities, leading to knowledge sharing, innovation, and co-development of products

Funding and investment opportunities 

Many countries offer government grants, incentives, and investment opportunities tailored to biotech companies. Expanding internationally can open doors to these resources, helping startups secure funding for research, development, and commercialization.

Enhanced global reputation

Expanding into key biotech hubs like the US, Europe, or Asia can boost a startup’s reputation, positioning it as a global player in the biotech industry. This enhanced credibility can attract more customers, partners, and investors worldwide.

“When you’re a startup that cares about efficiency and burn rate, and you don’t want to throw money out the window, you need to hire internationally."

Richard Gödel, entrepreneur

What are the challenges of biotech startup international expansion?

​​International expansion for biotech startups can offer significant benefits, but it also presents a number of challenges. Some of the key challenges include:

Local regulations and tax issues 

Each country has its own unique legal frameworks governing business operations, intellectual property (IP), clinical trials, and tax obligations, making compliance complex and resource-intensive. Biotech startups must navigate multiple layers of regulation, from patent laws to local tax policies, while avoiding costly mistakes that could delay product launches or incur penalties.

Talent acquisition and management

Expanding a biotech startup provides access to a larger talent pool, but finding local expertise in areas like regulatory affairs, R&D, and market entry can be difficult. Attracting and retaining top talent abroad often requires different approaches than those used domestically. 

With the biotech workforce growing by 564,000 last year to 9.1 million globally, competition for skilled professionals in this specialized industry is intense. HR leaders must prioritize strong recruitment pipelines, talent development programs, and effective retention strategies to remain competitive.

Intellectual Property (IP) protection

Securing IP protection in foreign markets is critical for biotech startups, but IP laws vary widely from country to country. In some regions, IP enforcement may be weak, making startups vulnerable to patent infringement, counterfeiting, or theft of proprietary technologies.

Ensuring patents, trademarks, and proprietary technologies are protected globally can be a challenge.

Cost and resource allocation

Expanding internationally can be expensive, requiring significant investment in new infrastructure, legal expertise, regulatory compliance, and local staffing. For startups with limited financial resources, these costs can strain the company.

The financial burden of setting up new offices, managing overseas operations, and meeting regulatory requirements can be prohibitive for early-stage startups.

Global HR —

5 min

EOR, Payroll, or both: What does your business need?

Understand the difference between EOR and payroll services — and clarify which one your business needs to pay your international team members.

How to simplify your biotech startup expansion strategy

As detailed above, biotech startups often face complex changes while expanding globally. 

Crucially, to hire a new team abroad, you’ll have to establish your own legal entity or use an employer of record (EOR) to open a new entity in the country. 

Opening a new legal entity abroad presents significant challenges for companies due to the complexity of navigating foreign legal systems, high costs, time involved in setting up operations, and ongoing compliance with local regulations. It becomes even more complicated if you plan to expand and hire new team members in other countries later on.

Alternatively, you could collaborate with an EOR provider to serve as the legal employer on your behalf, making it much easier for you to manage your team abroad. Essentially, an EOR simplifies the employment process, allowing you to focus on your core business activities without the administrative burden of international HR compliance.

Remote’s EOR services give you all the tools you need to manage critical HR functions like onboarding, taxes, payroll, benefits, and day-to-day HR tasks. 

Remote allows biotech startups to expand internationally with ease by simplifying the hiring, compliance, payroll, and HR management processes. This enables companies to scale quickly, stay compliant with local laws, and focus on driving innovation and growth in new markets without the logistical complexities of global expansion.

Remote can simplify your biotech's international expansion by helping you:

Navigate local labor laws and compliance. Remote’s team of employment experts can support you with ensuring compliance with local labor laws, tax requirements, and industry-specific guidelines. Startups can operate confidently in new markets without the risk of non-compliance penalties, which can be costly and damaging to reputation.

Stay on top of labor law and HR compliance with Remote’s Watchtower.

Simplify the hiring process. Our all-in-one global HR platform can help you manage the entire employment lifecycle from hiring to onboarding, and contract renewal and termination, which can be particularly challenging across different legal landscapes. This allows biotech startups to quickly secure top talent worldwide without needing to understand intricate local employment laws and practices.

For example, a biotech startup working on cutting-edge cancer therapies can use Remote’s platform to hire a diverse team of researchers, clinical trial managers, and regulatory experts across different continents to work collaboratively on a unified project.

Check out our free Employee Cost Calculator to work out hiring costs in your country of choice.

Budget your next hire with our free Cost of Employment Calculator

Use the calculator to find the total cost to hire an employee in a new country including all government mandated contributions.

Use the calculator

Manage global payroll. Paying employees across multiple countries involves navigating the local financial landscape and dealing with a different banking system. Remote simplifies payroll processing by efficiently paying employees in the local currency and ensuring that the right tax deductions are made, in compliance with local tax laws. From automating invoices and expense management to generating reports and running payroll, Remote allows you to manage all of it in one place.

Learn about payroll management in our expert guide to managing global payroll.

Protect intellectual property. When biotech startups hire internationally, protecting the company’s intellectual property and invention rights becomes a critical concern. Remote provides legal protections and contract agreements that ensure IP and proprietary research remains the property of the biotech startup, even when employing remote workers in different countries.

Remote offers robust, industry-leading IP protection designed to safeguard your IP. Learn more about Remote’s IP Guard.

Hire contractors for flexibility. In addition to full-time employees, biotech startups can also hire independent contractors across different countries if you’re looking for specialized skills to help with a short-term project. This flexibility allows the company to scale up or down depending on project needs, giving them the ability to hire top talent for specific projects.

Whether you’re looking to hire medical writers, data scientists, or clinical trial managers for short-term projects — Remote’s contractor management services can help you hire, pay, and manage top talent efficiently. 

By outsourcing the complexities of global employment, payroll, compliance, and HR to a trusted and reliable global HR platform like Remote, biotech startups can focus their resources on innovation, research, and development instead of administrative burdens.

For example, instead of dedicating time and resources to understanding the employment laws in multiple countries, a biotech startup can focus on R&D for new treatments while Remote manages hiring and payroll logistics.

“Working with contractors allows us to test a new market, or bring a new addition into the team quickly. We’re not stuck in a situation if we need to change focus. That agility is so important to our growth."

Li-ran Navon, entrepreneur

Make your biotech startup expansion easy with Remote

When biotech startups begin to scale globally, HR leaders need to handle the complexities of managing cross-border teams, differing employment laws, and global payroll challenges. 

While international expansion can unlock new opportunities for biotech startups, it requires careful planning, financial resources, and a thorough understanding of the legal and regulatory environments in the target markets. 

That’s where Remote’s all-in-one global HR solution comes in. We’re here to help you navigate those challenges at every step, allowing you to hire, manage, and pay top talent while staying compliant with constantly changing labor and tax laws.

Whether you’re hiring one person in a new country or building a team across multiple markets, our platform has everything you need in one place. Plus, our in-house experts are always available for support when you need it.

Grow your biotech startup and manage your global team with speed and confidence with Remote. Ready to grow globally? Download our HR international expansion guide for more information or speak to one of our friendly experts today!