Entrepreneurs network centrality has an important effect on performance. We explore the factors that may lead or prevent entrepreneurs to reach a central position in their professional network while they are allocated with social status (as friends) and epistemic status (as advisors) in the French Biotech industry. In two waves and using a database with 138 and 126 biotech entrepreneurs in 2008 and 2013 respectively, we explore entrepreneur’s centrality across time and in two impersonal exchange systems: friendship and advice. We draw on 3 dimensions through which entrepreneurs build their position: professional experience, inter-organizational engagement, and sociodemographic attributes. In terms of experience, we found that being the firm’s founder is a predictor of epistemic and social status. As for engagement, we found that actors with presence in other firms’ board have higher levels of centrality. Finally, we found that actors living in Paris and working in IPO companies are highly valued by their peers.
