From Lab2Market: Hasam Madarati, PhD graduate, turns anticoagulant protein research into a market ready idea

Dr. Hasam Madarati’s entrepreneurial path started in the lab. While completing his PhD, Madarati worked on an anticoagulant protein with an original goal of making the protein resistant to degradation which can help with septic shock.  

It was through Lab2Market Validate that Dr. Madarati had the opportunity to connect directly with the potential clients and community he was looking to serve. As part of the program each participant is required to complete 100 interviews, a process that proved essential in helping the company pivot to thrombosis also known as ischemic stroke.  

“After speaking to many people, we realized we needed to look for the biggest pain point in the market and ischemic stroke was it.” Said Dr. Madarati.  

Armed with a new and validated direction, Dr. Madarati applied to the next stage, Lab2Market, Launch Health Spring 2025. In Launch, he worked with a Founder’s Council, a group of industry professionals and business founders ready to provide feedback and industry experience as founders lay the groundwork and launch into the market. “As soon as they heard our pitch, every one of them was contributing from their own expertise and from their own experience to taking the business to the next level, which I’m very grateful for.” Shared Dr. Madarati.  

In these sessions, he learned some of the most important lessons, including the importance of quantifying your value proposition. “Many inventors are looking at saving lives.  You have to think about why is your [solution] any different? Why should someone invest in you?  How does it translate to in terms of dollar value for investors” explained Madarati. “And as much as someone would say, you can’t put a dollar value on a life, the reality is, when it comes to therapeutics, you do have to do that. Because you have to look at if the company is going to be sustainable or not.” 

Using all the feedback and lessons gained from his Lab2Market experience, Dr. Madarati took his pitch on the road this fall and competed as a finalist for Innovation Factory’s Lion Lair and McMaster’s Postdoc Pitch Competition. His pitch was well received by judges and seemed to hit a particular chord with audiences who ultimately selected him as one of the People’s Choice winners in McMaster’s Post Doc Competition.