Then in 2007, headlines were made when the company announced plans to outsource half its research. Early this month, Lilly put plans in place to tie employee bonuses in part on research advances. A plan to raise $750 million through a venture capital fund was announced soon after on February 14. In this unique arrangement, venture capitalists would provide funding, while Eli Lilly's and external developers' contribution would come as the value of the experimental drugs, according to Lechleiter.