Evaluating Biotech Startups?

spacey girl asks: "A start-up company i worked for was recently shut down. I've been looking for a new company for quite some time now. i've been offered something at two new startup companies (established in 2000) and I can't find too many references on the web for them. These companies are not exactly computer related but more science related in biotech (pharmaceuticals and such). What kinds of tools are available for evaluating stability and potential of these two companies? I tried looking for the investors but that was a no-go. Also, I'm referring to international companies, not just companies in the US."

Comments

well....

[terpia]

are these companies public or privately held? If public and traded in the US, you can look at insider trading, and see what the execs are doing with their stock...

Also, since you sound unemployed at the moment, just take the position you have a better gut feeling about...whats gonna happen - are you going to be unemployed again after a few paychecks? Big deal, youre unemployed now. On the other hand, if you are receiving unemployment benefits, make damn sure you do a bit more research than it sounds like youve done already before you blindly leap, dont waste another 5 months of benefits on a job that might not even last that long.

product, market, management, technical staff

[guybarr]

in that order:

1) what is the product, is it pheasible ? is it too trivial ? does a prototype even exist ?

2) what is the market for the products ? how vital is the product (especially when custumers are under economic stress)

3) how do the managerial staff strike you ? are they too non-technical ? are they too technical ? if so, do they intend to bring outside management ? what are mistakes of other start-ups they learned from ?

4) technical staff: do they have people which impress you ? who had previous publications ? who you'll learn from ? who you can work with ? (last one is hard to tell in interview ... )