Strategy

We help early-stage and mature, innovation-driven companies define strategy on the corporate and functional level.

Strategy is a set of decisions, about capital, partnering, market timing, and internal focus, that shape the trajectory of a business. We work with founders, executives, and boards at critical inflection points: preparing for a fundraise, weighing strategic options, planning for a transaction, or aligning stakeholders around a path forward.

Our strategy work sits at the intersection of market insight, financial modeling, and operational planning. We help clients connect their scientific or technical innovation to real-world market dynamics, translating complexity into structured, investor-ready decisions.

Our strategy services include:

  • Capital Strategy and Milestone Planning – defining how much to raise, when to raise it, and what milestones will support valuation growth

  • Partnership and Exit Strategy – evaluating the trade-offs of licensing, M&A, and independent growth paths—supported by market logic and transaction readiness

  • Positioning and Business Model Refinement – sharpening the core story and how it maps to customer need, investor expectations, and long-term enterprise value

  • Scenario Planning and Strategic Trade-Offs – assessing choices under uncertainty with financial and operational consequences clearly laid out

  • Cross-Functional Alignment – connecting strategy to modeling, internal operations, and commercial planning to ensure decisions stick

We act as both thought partners and execution architects, helping our clients move quickly while making smarter, more resilient choices.

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Empirically driven insights

Strategy

Business Outcomes

Clients turn to Elm for strategy when execution needs to be flawless or uncertainty is high. Outcomes include:

Clear Strategic Direction

We help define the roadmap, and what not to do. Clients leave with a focused, prioritized strategy grounded in both ambition and feasibility.

Capital-Aligned Execution

We structure capital strategy around milestones and value creation, not burn rate, helping companies raise smarter and preserve optionality.

Stronger Investor and Partner Engagement

A coherent, evidence-backed strategy builds trust. Our work strengthens investor decks, diligence discussions, and transaction positioning.

Cross-Team Alignment

Strategy is only valuable if it gets implemented. We ensure the plan connects across functions, finance, commercial, product, so teams can execute in sync.

Decision-Making Under Uncertainty

We help clients think clearly about risk, timing, and trade-offs, building flexibility into plans while keeping the organization moving forward.

Industries

Life Sciences

Healthcare

Technology / IP-Based