Danforth Advisors Acquires Argot Partners

Adds Strategic Communications to Range of Integrated Services, Advancing Company’s Position as the Single-Source Business Partner to Life Science Innovators

WALTHAM, Mass. and NEW YORK – January 4, 2023 Danforth Advisors, LLC, today announced the acquisition of Argot Partners, LLC, a leading strategic communications consultancy focused exclusively on the life sciences industry. With the acquisition, Danforth now provides a full scope of investor relations and corporate communications services to help clients articulate their science and its value to key stakeholders. Founders Andrea F. Rabney and David M. F. Pitts will continue to lead Argot.

“While life science companies commonly outsource general and administrative functions for capital efficiency, they face the subsequent challenge of managing disparate providers who work in functional silos – often without coordination or specialized expertise in life sciences,” said Gregg Beloff, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Danforth. “Danforth is the first to aggregate cross-functional specialists and services exclusively for life science companies, applying deep sector expertise, institutional knowledge and connections to support clients across the entire corporate life cycle.”

The Argot acquisition adds valuable, complementary services to Danforth’s capabilities, which now include the following:

  • C-Level Advisory: including thought partnership, financing strategy, corporate development and stakeholder relations for companies ranging from start-up through public and commercial stages;
  • Finance & Accounting: including operational and technical accounting, and financial planning and analysis, for companies ranging from start-ups to more mature organizations who require services such as the execution of IPO, SPAC and reverse merger transactions;
  • Human Resources: including organizational design and development, workplace policies and procedures, talent acquisition, people operations and internal communications;
  • Clinical Business Operations: including clinical outsourcing strategy, contract structure and negotiation, clinical finance management and CMC/supply chain advisory;
  • Risk Management: including risk assessment, mitigation plans, insurance assessment and procurement; and
  • Strategic Communications: including corporate communications, investor relations, public relations and creative services.

Beloff added: “We’re thrilled to welcome Argot and to extend their talented team to our clients, who require thoughtful strategy and programs to communicate the story of their science, progress and potential. Science drives value in our industry, and we believe that companies can leverage our scalable, integrated corporate and clinical support services to maximize the amount they invest in their science. We aspire to be this industry’s go-to partner for expertly and efficiently managed business functions – now including strategic communications.”

“Argot strives to provide the highest-level counsel and execution on a full suite of corporate communications services, including investor relations, merged media, creative services and event planning,” said Andrea F. Rabney, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Argot.  “We aligned quickly with Danforth on their vision for unlocking value for life science companies, and how being a part of their ecosystem could help streamline and accelerate the delivery of innovation. Our team has the great privilege of working in an industry that brings benefit to public health, and we look forward to working together with the Danforth team to deliver on this vision.”

Argot serves clients of all sizes and stages of development, from early preclinical to mature commercial, in a number of areas within the life sciences, including therapeutics, bio-economy, tools and diagnostics, and med-tech. The firm’s disciplines include corporate communications and investor relations; public relations and digital media; IPO, data, partnership, product approval, commercial launch, M&A, and special situations communications; executive visibility and training; ESG communications; event planning; and a full suite of creative services. Argot has also developed an exclusively life-sciences focused relationship management platform, Argot Acumen, that enables relationship tracking for its clients with investors, analysts, bankers and media.

“Danforth has evolved well beyond our origins in CFO advisory, and, with Argot, we’ve taken another major step towards our long-range vision of being the single-source business partner to life science innovators at all stages of development and commercialization,” said Chris Connors, Chief Executive Officer of Danforth. “We speak with life science CEOs every day, both new and seasoned, who are seeking a reliable partner to fill strategic and operational gaps that otherwise divert attention away from their core focus – the science. This is the very purpose of Danforth – to form the scalable business operation that allows life science companies to build value, grow and deliver important innovation to patients.”

Danforth has partnered with more than 1,000 life science companies to help them launch, grow, transition and optimize their business operations at all stages of development and in geographies across the globe. In December 2021, the company announced an investment by Avesi Partners, LLC, to accelerate plans to meet an ever-broadening scope of strategic and operational needs for emerging life science companies.

About Argot Partners

Argot Partners is a strategic communications consultancy exclusively focused on the life sciences that provides a broad suite of services to over 90 clients across all stages of their corporate evolution. The firm’s disciplines include corporate communications and investor relations; public relations and digital media; IPO, data, partnership, product approval, commercial launch, M&A, and special situations communications; executive visibility and training; ESG communications; event planning; and a full suite of creative services. Argot Partners was founded in 2007, is headquartered in New York, with offices in the Boston area. For more information, visit www.argotpartners.com.

About Danforth Advisors

Danforth Advisors is the life science industry’s leading provider of outsourced corporate and clinical business functions. Danforth’s services span wide-ranging needs, whether short or long term, including C-level advisory, finance & accounting, human resources, clinical business operations, risk management and strategic communications. Founded in 2011, Danforth has been a trusted thought partner to more than 1,000 life science companies, private and public, across all stages of the corporate life cycle. The company serves clients nationwide and overseas from its headquarters in Waltham, Massachusetts and regional bases in New York, Pennsylvania and California. Danforth was recognized among the Top Workplaces USA 2022 and among The Boston Globe’s Top Places to Work in Massachusetts in 2021.