Myomar Molecular: How Rafaela Andrade is Disrupting the MedTech Industry with Innovative Muscle Health Testing
Over the last decade, Rafaela Andrade dedicated herself to advancing the field of molecular biology with the goal of bridging the gap between scientific discovery and public health.
During her Ph.D. studies at Dalhousie University, Rafaela utilized her expertise in muscle development and regeneration to develop a new technology to help doctors and physiotherapists quickly identify muscle health. Her passion for helping patients has been her inspiration to start her own company in the MedTech field, Myomar Molecular, and make cutting-edge biotech accessible to everyone.
In our chat, Rafaela shared what were the top learnings from her journey as a MedTech entrepreneur in Atlantic Canada.
Tell us about yourself.
Hi, everyone. My name is Rafaela Andrade. I’m a co-founding CEO of Myomar. My company is developing the first urine test to detect muscle loss.
What has been your boldest business move?
I think my boldest business move was to expand our strategic partnerships across Canada. So now we have strategic partners in Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Montreal, and also in Calgary.
What are the biggest challenges and biggest opportunities for racialized entrepreneurs in the field of tech in Atlantic Canada?
I think the biggest challenge to be in the BioTech industry, especially MedTech, is that to release a valuable product, we need time. There is a lot of time and involvement that takes to build something from ground zero to the hands of the customers. Especially in the MedTech industry. Time is something that goes against us for investment and also to reach the public. It takes a lot of time to develop a valuable technology, and I think the biggest opportunity here in Atlantic Canada is that we are surrounded by entrepreneurs that are very creative and supportive and there are a lot of business people cheering for us and helping us during the journey.
How can we come together to radically reimagine the ecosystem and disrupt systemic barriers so that racialized businesses – and their communities – can flourish?
I think the radical thing that we can do to flourish as a community is to collaborate. Collaboration between academic professors, entrepreneurs and business people. When you put all of us together, we can create something amazing and flourish our community and release products that will benefit everyone’s lives.
What’s your advice for aspiring entrepreneurs?
My biggest advice is to stick to your idea, believe in yourself and continue on your path to build something extraordinary, it takes time, and it takes patience. So just continue on your path and a lot of doors will open. And you will be able to build something extraordinary.
Follow Rafaela
Website: www.myomarmolecular.ca
LinkedIn: @myomarmolecular
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myomarmolecular/