The Pangea Effect: Benchling

Benchling

Benchling, a leading life sciences R&D cloud platform, had a strong presence in the U.S. but faced significant challenges when expanding into the European market. With no prior experience in the region, they needed a strategic partner to help navigate the complexities of talent acquisition, market entry, and cultural adaptation. Pangea was fortunate to support Benchling in their European expansion, providing guidance and resources that helped them scale effectively and establish a strong foothold in key markets.

Challenges

Before working with Pangea, Benchling encountered several obstacles:

• Market Entry Strategy: Identifying and reaching the right customers in a new commercial environment.
• Talent Acquisition: Understanding the European talent landscape and hiring the right employees.
• Cultural Adaptation: Aligning Benchling’s unique company culture with European business practices.
• Operational Infrastructure: Managing HR, payroll, legal, and compliance requirements across different countries.

Our Approach

Pangea worked closely with Benchling to provide tailored support across multiple aspects of their European expansion:

1. Market Analysis and Strategic Growth Planning

To ensure a thoughtful and data-driven expansion, we collaborated with Benchling to map out key territories and assess the total addressable market. The expansion began with a focus on:

• DACH (Germany, Austria, Switzerland)
• UK & Ireland
• Benelux (Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg)
• Nordic countries
• Southern Europe
• Israel (as an emerging market with strong potential)

By leveraging our understanding of the biopharmaceutical industry in Europe, we helped Benchling identify high-value opportunities and create a structured expansion plan.

2. Supporting the Development of a Strong Local Team

One of Benchling’s major concerns was hiring the right talent. With no prior presence in Europe, they needed support in recruiting and onboarding key team members. Pangea:

• Assisted in identifying and hiring top-tier sales and market development professionals.
• Helped establish a foundation for future hiring and team growth.
• Encouraged a holistic hiring approach beyond sales, incorporating Professional Services, Scientific Solution Consultants, Support Teams, and Local Marketing.

3. Providing Operational Support: HR, Legal, and Compliance

Managing back-office operations across multiple European countries presented a challenge. We helped Benchling navigate:

• Payroll management and onboarding processes.
• Local labor laws and compliance requirements.
• Immigration and visa processes to facilitate smooth international hiring.

Our goal was to ensure Benchling’s new employees could integrate smoothly and contribute effectively as soon as possible.

4. Sales Enablement and Ongoing Mentorship

Beyond hiring, we also provided ongoing support to Benchling’s European sales team, including:

• Weekly and bi-weekly sales labs.
• Thought leadership sessions.
• Negotiation and contractual skills training.

By fostering a culture of learning and development, we helped Benchling’s team refine their sales strategies and improve their customer engagement skills.

Results & Impact

Through our collaboration, Benchling was able to:

• Successfully establish and scale its European operations.
• Build a high-performing team that aligned with local market needs.
• Gain valuable insights into European customer expectations and business culture.
• Streamline legal and HR processes, ensuring compliance and smooth expansion.

“Having a good partner moving into Europe was immensely beneficial for us. We would not have had anywhere near as good of a European setup if we had not started working with a partner like Pangea from the very beginning.”

Expanding into a new region is a complex process, and we were grateful for the opportunity to support Benchling in their journey. Our industry expertise, operational guidance, and mentorship played a role in helping them establish a strong presence in Europe. At Pangea, we take pride in being a trusted partner for companies looking to expand internationally, and we remain committed to helping businesses navigate new markets with confidence.