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Meet Rafaela Andrade! Rafaela is the Co-Founder and CEO of Myonmar Molecular, a healthtech company that's disrupting the way we assess muscle strength.
Here she shares her journey as a founder, what sparked the idea, how she balances motherhood and entrepreneurship and what she's looking forward to!
What's your story?
I came to Canada about 15 years ago to pursue my PhD in cancer research. I was a university student passionate about translational research, so I started studying cancer at Dalhousie University. I was particularly interested in metabolism and how cancer cells grow, using energy metabolism. This sparked a deep interest in translating my science into societal benefits. When I transitioned from my PhD to my postdoc, I started exploring opportunities to translate my research.
I have three children, and during my second pregnancy, I gained a lot of weight and was concerned about losing it and becoming fit again. During my maternity leave, I visited my parents in Brazil, and one of my closest aunts had a fall and passed away from complications. At that time, I was studying muscle and how muscle atrophy impacts the quality and quantity of life. This personal experience, combined with my pregnancy, led me to think about ways to monitor muscle health, which isn't well addressed currently.
The only current method is through physical assessment, which can be subjective and not ideal for understanding how muscle health can be improved. Through my research, we identified specific biomarkers of muscle atrophy detectable in early stages before symptoms like weakness and loss of muscle mass become apparent. Everyone knows how hard it is to gain muscle back, so it’s crucial to monitor these biomarkers to maintain muscle health for as long as possible, ensuring a good quality of life. While there are ways to monitor the health of other organs, such as the heart, liver, and pancreas, there hasn’t been a reliable method for muscle health—until now. That’s why we developed a disruptive technology: a urine test that detects specific biomarkers to assess muscle health.
Our test looks into the balance of 5 metabolites to predict muscle atrophy. Based on this, we apply a mathematical model that determines your muscle health score, the score is a scale from 0 to 100. A healthy score is considered to be 50 and above. We also can determine what specific things of your score can be improved, this is separated into four categories: performance, efficiency, nutrition and recovery. This method allows for individualized actions that are specific to each of us metabolite levels. Our test has Health Canada approval and will be in the market this fall. We are selling it through health professional clinics, such as physios, naturopaths, chiros. Interested clinics can sign up to be a partner on our website - Myonmar Molecular
That's a great story. It’s very inspiring and comes from a personal place, which adds to the passion. Looking forward, what has been challenging for you in building in this field, and what are you most excited about in the future?
The most challenging part in the beginning was being an immigrant, a woman, and a mother. It was difficult for people, especially in academia, to believe in my potential. Professors and peers are used to seeing a certain type of person in their programs, and I was different. These factors—being a woman, an immigrant, a mother, and not having English as my first language—impacted how people judged my capability. Public speaking in English required additional training. Overcoming these challenges was tough, but I believed in my science and the product we were creating.
When I decided to leave academia and start my company full-time, I demonstrated my commitment to my vision. Since then, we've completed clinical studies at multiple centers, conducted beta tests in the community, and helped people improve their muscle health. We have over 30 success stories from individuals who have used our tests. Recently, we received Health Canada approval for our first product and have established our lab at the Innovation Hub. These achievements validate our efforts and potential impact.
What made you choose Canada, not just for your PhD but also as the place to build your startup?
I chose Canada because of the supportive people I met here, especially in Nova Scotia. I had good friends who believed in my work and invested in the company when it was just an idea. Starting a company in Atlantic Canada was a strategic decision because of the early funding opportunities available. These funds allowed us to operate without a proof of concept, which is challenging for medical startups. The Canadian culture and the support from the community have been instrumental in our journey from concept to commercialization.
What advice do you have for newcomer entrepreneurs looking to build a company in Canada or integrate into the tech community here?
My main advice is to surround yourself with people who can help you grow. Finding good mentors who support you can be more valuable than funding because they can open many doors. Hard work, discipline, and motivation are crucial. Stay focused on your goals, and don't be afraid to ask for support from experienced individuals.
This is a fun one – what’s the most Canadian experience you’ve had?
The most Canadian experience for me has been the cultural shock of being a Latin person who is very outgoing. When I see my Canadian friends, I go straight for a hug, and sometimes they feel awkward about it. It’s always a funny and interesting experience to navigate that cultural difference.
I’m fascinated by how you manage to build a mission-driven company that requires significant regulation and effort, all while raising three kids. How do you balance it all and take time for yourself?
The key for me is not complaining. I never say I don’t have time or that I’m too busy. I just do what needs to be done. I wake up very early, go to the gym, drop the kids off at school, and start working. During the summer, I make sure to do activities with my kids in the evenings, like swimming, biking, and going to parks. Time management is crucial. I make a list of things to do every day and tackle them one at a time. Being productive during the day allows me to spend quality time with my family later.
My mom also has three kids and is a scientist, so I’ve seen it from the other side. It involves A LOT of lists.
Absolutely, having a structured approach and making the most of every moment is essential to balance both worlds effectively.
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