Key Partners
Also known as: Strategic Partners, Ecosystem Partners
H-BMC Block 10 — external relationships and organizations that make the business model possible.
Full Definition
Key Partners are the external organizations whose capabilities, relationships, or resources are essential to delivering the value promise or executing the business model. In healthcare they commonly include distribution partners, contract manufacturers, clinical study sites, regulatory consultants, reimbursement specialists, and health system reference customers. Key Partners reduce risk, provide access, and fill capability gaps the company cannot or should not develop internally.
Example
A digital therapeutics company partners with a specialty pharmacy for distribution, a CRO for its pivotal clinical study, and two academic medical centers as reference sites for health system sales. None of these capabilities are built in-house.