Key Takeaways
- Biotech research revenue and CRO contracts drive Bankable approval — no green card
- STEM OPT biotech founders at Boston's Kendall Square and Silicon Valley biotech hubs qualify
- Fund lab equipment, reagents, and working capital for OPT biotech founders
- 48-hour decisions for biotech service businesses with $15K+ monthly revenue
Boston's Kendall Square is the global hub of biotech innovation — and it's populated with F-1 STEM OPT postdocs, biomedical engineers, and life science PhDs who have spotted commercializable opportunities in their research. Bankable funds the revenue-generating side of these ventures: contract research organizations (CROs) serving pharmaceutical companies, specialty diagnostic services, genomics service labs, and biotech tools companies with SaaS or subscription revenue.
Important: Bankable funds biotech businesses with demonstrated revenue — CRO services, diagnostic testing revenue, or SaaS subscriptions. Pre-revenue drug development programs require venture capital, not revenue-based funding.
Biotech Business Capital Uses
- Laboratory equipment: centrifuges, PCR machines, flow cytometers, sequencers
- Reagents and consumables inventory for research services
- Lab space lease deposits and biosafety compliance costs
- Working capital between contract research completion and pharma client payment
- Bioinformatics software and computational biology infrastructure
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Since March 2026, SBA loans require 100% US citizen or national ownership. Bankable is non-SBA — F-1 OPT founders qualify based entirely on business revenue.
No. Bankable funds US-registered business entities based on revenue. Immigration status is not evaluated.
Your business entity continues operating and servicing funding. The loan is with the business, not the individual.
Yes. Biotech business ownership through a US-registered corporation is fully available to STEM OPT founders. STEM OPT self-employment through a properly structured E-Verify enrolled company qualifies.
$15,000+ in monthly CRO, diagnostic, or service revenue with 6+ months of operating history. Pre-revenue drug development programs do not qualify for Bankable funding.
Yes. Laboratory equipment with documented market value qualifies for equipment financing with the equipment as collateral.
Federal grant disbursements (NIH, NSF) counted as business income can contribute to revenue evaluation. However, grant revenue alone is typically not sufficient — contract service revenue is preferred.
Yes. Genomics and diagnostic service labs with B2B contract revenue are strong Bankable candidates. High-value per-service pricing and recurring research contracts create favorable funding profiles.