Deeptech startup website before a funding round: investors, hiring and budget

The verdict in three sentences

Ahead of a £7 million or 8 million EUR Series A, a deeptech startup website in London or Berlin serves two audiences who read differently: investors, who want to grasp the market and traction in two minutes, and engineers, who want to know what they will work on. An effective site separates these two journeys, explains the technology without distorting it and keeps the data room off the public site. Typical agency budgets run from £6,000 to £15,000 in London or 7,000 to 18,000 EUR in Berlin, against a Kolonell vitrine grid of 1,220 to 5,340 EUR, delivered in 4 to 6 weeks.

Two readers, two journeys

A partner at a deeptech fund in London or Munich checks your site before the first meeting, then again before the investment committee. They look for the addressable market, a defensible technological edge (patents, papers, partnerships with a university lab), the team and the first industrial pilots or customers. An engineering candidate in photonics or quantum electronics looks for something else: the scientific problem, the technical team, the working environment and the pay.

For quantum sensors, the technology page must explain in plain English what the sensor measures, why it is 10 or 100 times more precise than existing tools, and for which sectors (navigation, medical imaging, geological surveying). A simple animation beats a lab diagram.

Hiring 15 engineers: the Careers page as a lever

Hiring 15 engineers in 12 months in London or Berlin, against big tech and well-funded scale-ups, demands a visible employer brand. 2026 market salaries for a junior research engineer sit around £45,000 to £55,000 in London and 55,000 to 65,000 EUR in Berlin, with senior profiles at £75,000 to £100,000 or 75,000 to 95,000 EUR. A startup that shows its ranges and its equity scheme (EMI options in the UK, VSOP in Germany) usually attracts more qualified applicants.

A recruitment agency often charges 18 to 25% of first-year salary. For an engineer at £60,000, that is £10,800 to £15,000 per hire. Every direct application coming through the site reduces that line.

In Berlin, an English site is the default for international talent, with German as a plus for local customers and public funding bodies. The number of languages is set in the quote.

Budget, grants and options in 2026

On funding, some go-to-market spend can fit into Innovate UK programmes or German schemes such as EXIST or regional innovation grants, depending on the scope of the project. Check eligibility before signing: a website alone is rarely funded, but it can sit inside a broader commercialisation programme.

The data room (DocSend, restricted cloud folder, dedicated platform) stays outside the site. The investor form triggers access upon approval, with viewing analytics.

Mini case study

Lukas, CEO of a 22-person startup in Berlin, must hire 15 engineers by the end of 2027. Without a careers site, he planned to use an agency for 10 roles at an average fee of 12,000 EUR, or 120,000 EUR.

With a detailed Careers page, salary ranges and an English version, he targets 4 direct hires among those 10 roles. Estimated savings: 4 multiplied by 12,000 EUR, or 48,000 EUR. The Premium site at 5,340 EUR plus 12 months of maintenance at 114 EUR per month (1,368 EUR) totals 6,708 EUR. The return covers the spend more than 7 times over, before counting any effect on the round.

FAQ

Should the site be rebuilt before or after the round?

Before: investors check the site from the very first contact. A site delivered 4 to 6 weeks before the roadshow leaves time to add news and use cases.

Can patented technical results be published?

Only what is already published or filed. Mention the number of patents (for example 6 families) and the papers, without unprotected detail.

How much does maintenance cost for a startup site?

At Kolonell, 35,000, 75,000 or 120,000 FCFA per month (53, 114 or 183 EUR). For a startup posting new roles every month, the middle tier is usually enough.

Should the site show salaries?

It is not mandatory, but job posts with a range often get noticeably more applications. A range of £55,000 to £65,000 is more credible than competitive salary.

Is SEO worth it before a Series A?

Only on brand and job listings. Kolonell monthly SEO (100,000, 200,000 or 350,000 FCFA per month) makes sense after the round, when the sales team ramps up.

Let's scope your project. Investor and candidate journeys, a plain-language technology page and careers section, delivered in 4 to 6 weeks before your roadshow. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.