Today we’d like to introduce you to Idicula Mathew
Hi Idicula, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I joined my first bioengineering research lab during my junior year of high school during my time at an accelerated residential math and science program in Texas—not particularly out of passion, but because all my friends were doing it. Working at a research lab at such a young age led me to pursue biomedical engineering at Georgia Tech. While at Georgia Tech, I became deeply involved in Atlanta’s emerging startup ecosystem and developed a strong interest in technology-enabled startups and innovation. During my senior year at Georgia Tech, I worked on a biomedical engineering senior design project aimed at finding alternative solutions for lost subcutaneous drug delivery implants in the arm. After witnessing the invasive procedures required to remove these implants firsthand, I realized there had to be a better solution. This experience inspired the founding of Hera Health Solutions, a nanotechnology company focused on researching, developing, and commercializing long-acting therapeutics through its proprietary drug delivery platform.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I don’t think any entrepreneur would label their road as “smooth”. For Hera Health Solutions, early on, many clinicians doubted our ability to bring our novel technology to market due to the nuance of the manufacturing process and the fact that the founding team was a group of fresh graduates. Funding was another major hurdle; for the first year, we operated without any financial support. Being accepted into and joining a globally ranked accelerator program was the first of many major turning points for the company and the founding team. The program not only provided us with early funding but also invaluable mentorship that enabled our team to develop crucial commercialization strategies for a drug delivery platform company.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Hera Health Solutions is a nanotechnology healthcare company specializing in innovative drug-delivery platforms for long-acting therapeutics. Our flagship in-house developed product aims to simplify the removal process of long-acting contraceptives, making them more convenient and less invasive. This product, EucontraTM, is undergoing FDA trials. With the technology validated, and now expanding our platform, we now have numerous other therapeutics utilizing Hera’s drug delivery platform. Hera’s customers include global pharmaceutical companies. Hera’s cutting-edge technology enables pharmaceutical companies to transform existing active pharmaceutical ingredients into implants, patches, pellets, and more. Hera’s platform enables existing medicines to enhance their release profiles, effectiveness, and stability. Hera’s technology has been proven safe and effective in delivering small and large molecules to the body over extended-release profiles. This groundbreaking technology aims to redefine drug delivery and has the potential to revolutionize treatment outcomes for many of the world’s most important therapeutics as well as increase access and effectiveness.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
It’s hard to pinpoint exactly how luck has influenced our journey because, honestly, isn’t it always a mixed bag – for all new ideas and companies? Hindsight is of course, always 20/20, and there were times when it felt like luck was not on our side. However, for a startup, it’s always about high highs and low lows and properly navigating them. At the end of the day, “luck” is what you make of it. I’m a firm believer of serendipity and the power of showing up. I’ve been incredibly fortunate to meet extraordinary advisors, industry experts, mentors, and even customers along the way – people we “luckily” encountered along the way. Show up and be present to increase your chances of those serendipitous moments. Opportunities are always there; you just need to seek them out and act. As they say, “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.herahealthsolutions.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_idicula/
- Twitter: https://x.com/idicula_
Image Credits
All Images owned by Hera Health Solutions Inc.
