Hiring a VP of Sales for an Early-Stage HealthTech Startup

An early-stage startup working in the cancer diagnosis space had just raised over $2M and was looking for a VP - Sales to drive revenue growth with their upcoming product launch.

They partnered with Zifcare to get them the right candidate with the right industry experience as well as background/qualifications to give investors the confidence that the company would be able to scale quickly - Zifcare helped them close the role with a shortlist of just 3 candidates in a month well within their budget.

⏰ Time to hire	1 month (approx.)
💰 Salary offered to hired candidate	INR 45 LPA + ESOPs
👥 Funds raised	$2M (at time of hiring)
👨 Candidate profiles shared by Zifcare	3
💻 Candidates interviewed by Client	2

Client Overview

Company: Stealth Mode HealthTech: An early-stage AI-driven diagnostics company focused on early cancer detection.

Challenge: Needed a VP/Head of Sales to establish commercial partnerships, build the sales function from scratch, and drive adoption in a complex healthcare ecosystem.

Hiring Process Overview

1. Defining the Role & Ideal Candidate Profile

• Role: VP/Head of Sales (Full-time, Remote)

• Key Responsibilities:

  • Develop GTM strategy for hospital systems, diagnostic networks, and payers

  • Build and lead a high-performance sales organization

  • Navigate regulatory requirements while driving revenue growth

• Ideal Candidate Profile:

  • 10+ years in HealthTech/MedTech/diagnostics sales

  • Proven track record selling to healthcare enterprises

  • Blend of strategic vision and operational execution

2. Candidate Sourcing & Shortlisting

• Sourcing Channels:

  • Specialized healthcare executive search firms

  • LinkedIn targeted outreach

  • Investor network referrals

• Top Candidates:

Candidate	Current Role	Key Qualifications	Notice Period
Candidate X	Sales Head at leading emergency care platform	Scaled to ₹40CR annual revenue; 120+ hospital partnerships	30 days
Candidate Y	Growth Head at healthcare IT solutions provider	Managed $10M portfolio; led 34-member commercial team	Negotiable (30-60 days)
Candidate Z*	Key Accounts at digital health unicorn	Managed ₹60CR P&L; founder experience in healthtech	60 days

*Selected candidate

3. Rigorous Evaluation Process

4. Selection & Onboarding

• Chose Candidate Z for:

  • Deep healthcare ecosystem relationships (hospitals, labs, insurers)

  • Founder mentality with prior startup experience

  • Proven P&L management in complex sales environments

• Structured Offer: Base salary + performance equity + sales milestone bonuses

Key Hiring Takeaways

✔ Domain expertise + founder mindset proved critical

✔ Investor involvement ensured alignment with growth trajectory

✔ Flexible compensation structure attracted top talent while preserving runway