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Case Study: Strategic biotech rebrand created clarity, credibility, and competitive differentiation for an emerging biotech leader.

Biotech Rebrand Case Study: How One Startup Rebrand Positioned It for Growth in Cell Therapy

The Need

When Likarda, a pioneering biotech company specializing in cell therapy, approached us, they had an identity that no longer reflected their trajectory. Their existing brand, developed by a local design partner, had served its purpose in the early stages but had become outdated as the company evolved. The dark, muted teal color palette, combined with a heavy, italic slab sans-serif typeface, felt disconnected from the innovation happening inside the company. An inconsistent yellow accent added further visual dissonance. While the original branding had captured something of Likarda’s early identity, it no longer aligned with the sophistication, agility, and scientific credibility the company needed to convey to investors, partners, and researchers.

Likarda needed a brand that could stand alongside top biotech firms while maintaining its own distinctive identity. The goal wasn’t aesthetic improvement—it was about creating a strategic, scalable brand that could support business growth, investor relations, and market positioning in the competitive cell therapy space. The new identity needed to:

  • Establish credibility and trust within the life sciences industry.
  • Visually communicate cutting-edge innovation in cell therapy.
  • Provide a flexible, cohesive biotech brand system that could be applied across digital, print, and marketing channels.

Read on to learn how we guided Likarda through this biotech rebrand engagement.

The Challenge

Rebranding a biotech company goes beyond updating a logo—it’s a delicate balance of scientific accuracy, market positioning, and strategic differentiation.

Likarda faced several key challenges:

First, their original branding lacked visual harmony and consistency. The typography was outdated, the color palette was misaligned with biotech industry norms, and the overall composition felt heavy rather than innovative. The existing design didn’t communicate the complexity and precision of Likarda’s work in cell therapy.

Second, biotech startups often struggle to stand out. Many rely on generic blue-and-white palettes and uninspired molecular imagery. Likarda needed a brand that was recognizable without falling into industry clichés.

Finally, the brand had to be highly adaptable. Likarda’s audience included scientists, investors, and business partners, each requiring different communication strategies while maintaining brand consistency. The identity needed to work across digital platforms, scientific presentations, investor decks, and corporate materials without losing clarity.

The Approach

We approached the Likarda rebrand with a structured, strategic process led by Bill Schick, Fractional Chief Marketing Officer (FCMO). Rather than focusing on superficial design updates, we analyzed Likarda’s market position, competitive landscape, and core messaging needs.

We started with a deep dive into Likarda’s mission, audience, and differentiation in the cell therapy space. Our team conducted stakeholder interviews and market research to understand how Likarda needed to be perceived—both visually and strategically. The insights from this research guided the brand architecture, ensuring the new identity was rooted in business objectives and scientific credibility.

We then focused on modernizing the core brand elements. The wordmark was refined with a sleek, contemporary sans-serif typeface, removing the outdated italics and heavy slab structure. This created a lighter, more forward-thinking identity in line with biotech startups. The color palette was reworked, replacing the dark teal with a solid black for the wordmark, reinforcing a modern, premium aesthetic.

A completely new brand mark was designed to represent Likarda’s work in cell therapy and dynamic cell structures. The visual icon features a blue cellular form encapsulated within overlapping purple and aqua elements, forming a subtle triangle—a shape that conveys stability, innovation, and scientific precision. The fluidity of the design reflects the complexity and adaptability of cell therapy, while maintaining a clean, recognizable look that scales effectively across applications.

Beyond the core identity, we developed a comprehensive brand system to ensure consistency across all touchpoints. This included a full color palette, business cards, stationery, investor materials, and scientific presentation templates. The rebrand extended to a new website, where we translated Likarda’s refined visual identity into an intuitive digital experience, ensuring that potential investors and partners immediately recognized the company’s credibility and expertise.

The Solution

The final brand identity achieved three key objectives:

First, it provided a modern, scalable foundation. The new logo, typography, and color palette positioned Likarda alongside leading biotech firms while maintaining distinctiveness. The visual elements were designed to work across corporate branding, scientific materials, and digital platforms, ensuring long-term adaptability.

Second, the new brand told a clear, compelling story. The refined identity visually communicated Likarda’s mission in cell therapy without relying on overused biotech imagery. The custom-designed mark reinforced scientific innovation and credibility, ensuring that investors, researchers, and partners immediately understood Likarda’s role in the field.

Finally, the rebrand created a cohesive, structured marketing ecosystem. With a strategic brand system, refreshed website, and supporting materials, Likarda gained a platform for long-term growth. The company now has the tools to communicate effectively, attract investors, and establish itself as a leader in cell therapy innovation.

This rebrand was a strategic transformation aligning Likarda’s visual identity with its business goals. Through research-driven branding, we helped Likarda bridge the gap between science and market perception, setting them up for success in an evolving biotech landscape.

The Results

The new biotech rebrand completely transformed Likarda’s presence.

With a modern, streamlined wordmark and a dynamic visual identity, the brand now feels aligned with the biotech startup ecosystem while remaining distinct.

The redesigned logo and iconography successfully communicate scientific precision and breakthrough innovation, reinforcing the company’s credibility.

This biotech rebrand extended beyond a visual refresh—comprehensive brand guidelines, a new website, and a refined marketing strategy provided a strong foundation for investor engagement, scientific outreach, and long-term growth.

Likarda now has a scalable brand system that supports its expansion while remaining true to its mission.

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