Lean Business Development for Deep Tech

Hi!

Welcome to Sparksense's Newsletter! Every month, I personally bring you insights to fuel your sales strategies, drive business growth, and succeed on your entrepreneurial journey. My focus is clear: to equip you with actionable takeaways.

This time, let’s talk about something I hear all the time: How do you build a sales pipeline when you don’t have much budget, or any sales team?

You might have strong tech, maybe even some early interest. But how to turn that into deals? In this edition, I’ll walk you through what actually works: how to find the right leads, reach decision-makers, and move deals forward without overspending.

You don’t need a big team to start selling. Just the right focus and a few smart moves.

Let’s get into it!

Build a Business Development structure that works

Early business development looks different for deep tech startups. You’re probably running in between product, financing, customer calls, and trying to figure out where deals are supposed to come from.

At first, it’s all hustle. Cold outreach, pitch decks, demos at random hours. But hustle without structure burns out fast, and doesn’t scale. To get real traction, you need a simple BD process that fits your stage, your tech, and your team.

Start with these 3 lean tactics to build a pipeline

1. Outbound First

You don’t need 10k followers. You need the right 10 people to reply to your message.

Outbound works best when your product is niche, technical, and valuable—but not widely known yet. It puts you in front of decision-makers instead of waiting for leads to show up.

Start small. Build a list. Talk to people. Write clear, short emails. Make sure your message sounds like a conversation, not a pitch.

2. Founder Branding

In the early days, YOU are the sales team. The way you talk about your startup builds credibility, opens doors, and gets others to listen.

Your pitch matters. So do your LinkedIn posts, your first calls, your follow-ups. It’s about showing people that you know the space—and have something valuable to offer.

3. Network = Dealflow

The right event can open more doors than a month of cold outreach—if you prep for it.

Skip the booth. Walk the floor. Book meetings ahead of time. Follow up like it’s your job (because it is). Don’t go just to be seen—go to sell.

Not all events are worth your time. Use this guide to pick the right ones for your startup. 

Already planning to attend? Here’s how to prep and turn conferences into a real pipeline. 

Be a “good” leader in your startup’s growth

When resources are tight, your people matter more than anything. In early-stage sales, being a good leader is when you help the right people grow into the right roles—even if that team is just you and one engineer.

Good leaders don’t do everything alone. They create clarity, give direction, and build simple systems others can step into. “You grow faster when you grow together.” Sales becomes a team sport. And your job as a leader is to make sure everyone knows how to play. Rely on a trusted sales partner to delegate day-to-day management tasks.

3 steps to win your early customers

Here is what works based on Sparksense’s collaboration with over 200 Tech Startups:

1. Start with a clear goal – You might be looking for initial Proof-of-Concepts, new recurring customers or international expansion. In any case Qualified leads should meet 3 criteria: (1) right decision maker; (2) interested in your solution; (3) available budget.

2. Stay Focused – Beyond the Innovation Labs, concentrate on Operational business owners; they are more difficult to access but they are also closest to recurring business for your Startup.

3. Fulfil your promise – Balance new customer growth with Engineering and product management execution. Achieve true Qualification of Leads to reduce hand-over issues to scarce product engineering resources.

Whichever path you pursue for your Tech Startup, prepare to flex your Sales efforts in line with your liquidity and revenue goals. Manage a close link between sales and Product development teams. And be resilient …

Read more in our Startup Guide.

Smart business development drives Qblox global expansion

Qblox is a Dutch spin-off from QuTech. They build quantum control stacks that help researchers scale quantum computers with less noise and faster performance. Their systems support 100+ qubits and are already used by labs around the world.

Strategic BD in action: Qblox didn’t build a traditional sales org. Instead, they focus on strategic business development: attend the right trade shows, publish research papers, and create technical content that resonates with quantum labs and researchers globally.

Sparksense team works closely with Qblox to understand their technology, shape the message, and bring it to the right decision-makers. We partner with them to grow across Europe, North America, and beyond.

Are you looking to grow into demanding deep tech markets? Let’s discuss your industry requirements and speed up your market adoption. Reach out to uncover new growth opportunities with Sparksense in a lean way.

Tap into hidden market opportunities in … High-Performance Components for Industrial Automation

Are you struggling to gain traction or compete with industry giants? We help startups find hidden market opportunities by connecting them with second-tier players that hold untapped potential.

Do you want to have access to more decision makers? Let’s work together to identify the Hidden Champions that need YOUR STARTUP’s solution.

How to build your startup with limited resources?

Join me in conversation with Eugen Riegel, Founder & CEO of Numeric Systems, to explore how early-stage founders can close their first deals and grow without a full sales team.

What you should expect:

• How to win first deals with limited resources

• Use of public support programs like EXIST

• A lean approach to go-to-market

• Competition with large software players

Ideal for founders, students, and operators working in deep tech or complex B2B.

Sign up now!

Want to know more about Sparksense? Discover our services and packages here. Additionally, we offer free valuable insights and strategies to boost your Sales. Download our comprehensive Business Development Guide ebook. Let’s talk to find out how we can help take your sales to the next level. Book a call with me today!

Thank you for reading! If you have any questions please feel free to email me directly.

Stay Lean !

Hervé Flutto,

Managing Director and Founder of Sparksense

About Sparksense

With 200 global clients supported over the last 7 years, Sparksense is the trusted Sales Team for B2B Tech Startups. With a smarter outreach, Sparksense’s team of over 30+ advisors has ignited sales for hardware and software solutions across Europe, North America and Asia – thanks to its robust, proven business development skills and relevant market access to decision makers across key industries.

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