If you need to explain biotech platform technology to investors, partners or customers who aren’t scientists, you already know the problem. The science is strong, but the explanation loses people in the first two sentences. A platform is harder to explain than a single product because it’s a capability, not a thing someone can hold.
A platform has two jobs. It has to be technically credible to experts, and it has to be understandable to people who decide on funding, partnerships and purchases but don’t work in your field. Those readers are often the same people who approve budgets, so a message they can’t follow can quietly cost you opportunities.
Plain language isn’t a downgrade for expert readers, either. Nielsen Norman Group’s research found that even highly educated online readers want succinct information that is easy to scan, and the group describes the idea that plain language insults smart readers as a myth. So clear explanations serve scientists and non-scientists at once.
1. Start with the problem and the person, not the mechanism
Most platform descriptions open with how the technology works. Non-scientists need something earlier: who has a problem, and why it matters. Lead with that, then introduce the platform as the reason you can solve it.
A simple structure works well:
- Who is affected (patients, clinicians, researchers, manufacturers)
- What problem they face today
- How your platform addresses it, in one sentence
The American Society for Cell Biology’s science communication best practices make the same point: know your audience, focus on the bigger problem your work belongs to, and take a step back from your exact research question before you describe your approach.
2. Define “platform” in one plain sentence
“Platform” is one of the most loosely used words in biotech. Your audience may hear it as a product family, a pipeline, a piece of software or just a buzzword. In regulatory settings it can have a narrower formal meaning, as in the FDA’s draft guidance on its Platform Technology Designation Program. Regulations and guidance change, so check the current position with your regulatory team before you use the term in a regulated context.
The safest approach is to say what you mean. Try this formula:
Our platform is [the core capability]. It lets us [produce this outcome] for [this audience], in turn [benefits from ultilizing the platform].
If you can’t complete that sentence, you may not yet have decided how your platform and your products relate. That’s a positioning question, and working through it is the focus of our biotech positioning and messaging service.
3. Use one analogy, and say where it stops working
Analogies let people connect something new to something they already know, and communication guidance consistently recommends them. The trick is to choose one that’s familiar, accurate and fits the point you’re making. Here are a few illustrative examples, which you should check with your scientists before using:
- A set of interchangeable tools on one handle: the same core, adapted to different jobs.
- An operating system that apps run on: one foundation that supports many applications.
- A master recipe: a proven base that can be varied for different results.
Two cautions. First, don’t stretch an analogy too far, because the further you push it, the more likely it is to mislead someone. Second, say where it stops working, for example: “The analogy only goes so far, because every new application still needs its own validation.” That honesty builds credibility with expert audiences.
4. Cut jargon, and explain what you can’t cut
Jargon is meaningful to insiders and usually opaque to everyone else. A few habits help:
- Define every acronym once, then use it sparingly.
- Replace process words with outcomes. Instead of “multiplexed high-throughput screening,” say what it lets someone do.
- Keep one idea per sentence, and break long sentences where you can.
- Save technical depth for a second layer, such as a “how it works” page, so the first read stays short.
If you want a systematic check, researchers have described a free tool called the De-jargonizer, which highlights problematic jargon in text meant for non-experts, in a peer-reviewed paper. It’s useful for catching terms you’ve stopped noticing.
5. Test it on real non-scientists, then keep what works
You can’t judge your own explanation, because you already know what it means. Testing is the only reliable way to find out whether it works.
- Give your explanation to three to five people outside your field.
- Ask them to repeat it back in their own words.
- Note where they hesitate, misunderstand or ask for a definition.
- Fix those spots and test again with different people.
The same logic applies to your website. Our guide on why biotech websites fail the 5-second test shows how to check whether a visitor understands what you do within seconds.
A before-and-after example
This is an illustrative example, not a real client.
- Before: “Our proprietary multiplexed platform leverages advanced technology to enable high-throughput analysis across multiple indications.”
- After: “We help researchers find answers faster. Our platform is a single method that can be adapted to different targets, so each new project starts from a working foundation instead of from scratch.”
The second version names a person and a benefit, defines what the platform is, and avoids terms an outsider would need to look up. The technical details haven’t gone anywhere. They’ve moved to a second layer, where interested readers can find them.
Where to use these explanations
- Your homepage and “Technology” page, where first impressions form
- Investor decks and one-pagers, which are often read by generalists
- Partnership and sales conversations, where a short verbal version matters
- Content and advertising, which only works when the message is clear. Our guide on how life science advertising differs from regular advertising explains why.
A consistent explanation across all of these is the core of biotech brand strategy, and it’s what gives your biotech content marketing something coherent to say.
Key takeaways
- Start with the problem and the person, then introduce the platform as the reason you can solve it.
- Define “platform” in one plain sentence, because the word means different things to different people.
- Use one accurate analogy and say where it stops working.
- Cut jargon, define acronyms once, and keep technical depth for a second layer.
- Test your explanation on non-scientists and keep what works.
Need help to explain your biotech platform technology clearly?
At Biond Marketing, we help biotech, medtech and life science companies turn complex technology into clear positioning and messaging that investors, partners and customers understand. As a Singapore-based life science marketing partner, we work with companies at every stage. If your platform story needs sharpening, explore our services or get in touch.
