Madan is a place for all chemical agents

Born in 1366, winner of the bronze medal of the student Olympiad in chemistry in 2018, graduated with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in organic chemistry from Sharif University of Technology and a specialized doctorate in this field from Tarbiat Modares University; An elite who, with great interest in the industry, tasted failure many times, but with the help of his devoted wife, he did not give in to failures until finally he was able to launch Iran’s first specialized accelerator of pharmaceutical raw materials in January 2018.

We had a conversation with Dr. Ali Akbar Ahmadi to learn more about the Mad accelerator, the challenges and opportunities of this path.

What made you decide to establish Mad Accelerator?

At the beginning of my master’s degree, since Shahid Rezaee Sharif’s group was mostly active in the field of mechanics and aerospace, I and my industrial engineering colleagues decided to enter the field of materials and prepare a strategic plan for other different industries of the country. For example, we developed a plan for the Pasteur Institute.

Also, in the chemical sector of military projects, we had productions such as lubricating oil until we gradually entered the health and pharmaceutical space and designed the Jaber Bin Hayan system, which was supposed to be a bridge connecting the industry and the academic community, which with the change of government and the approach of the Ministry of Health It didn’t work out, but it gave me a good insight into the field of medicine and its intermediates.

Also, based on the work experience I had with the Tipico Group regarding the production of pharmaceutical intermediates and, in parallel, the evaluation of knowledge-based companies, in 1993-1994, I realized that good moves are being made in the field of biotechnology, but despite the industry The old one that is available in the country to produce the effective substance, the growth that should, has not occurred in it. At the same time, the number of capable students of chemistry and chemical engineering in Iran is not small, but the connection with the industry has not been established.

Besides that, there are some young people whose first problem is the lack of necessary laboratory facilities or they have managed to develop knowledge but this knowledge is not needed by the country’s pharmaceutical industry.

Therefore, the idea of ​​an accelerator in this field was proposed to the officials of Pardis Technology Park, which was also welcomed by them, but they stipulated that in order to grant a license, we must connect with one of Iran’s pharmaceutical holdings, such as Tipico or Barkat, but since the concept of an accelerator is still in Iran was not recognized, we could not get their support and this accelerating discussion was stopped.

Until in 2017, due to the high valuations of this field and the establishment of Persis Gene Accelerator in 2015, which established the concept of acceleration, with the help of Dr. Mustafa Ghanei and Dr. Seyed Mohsen Dehnavi, who were familiar with this field, and with the support of the Development Headquarters. Biotechnology, we established Mad.

You are known as a biotech accelerator, does this mean that your materials will only be used in the production of biological drugs?

At present, we are actually working on chemical medicines that people need to use; Although in the field of biotechnology, the raw materials necessary for the production of corona vaccines have been referred to us and are being done; For example, we have started preparing the necessary culture medium for the production of recombinant vaccine.

Next to the accelerator, you use the title “Innovation Factory”; Why do you consider Mad to be an innovation factory?

An innovation factory consists of a set of different accelerators, and honestly, it is still too early to call Madd an innovation factory, but since this is our ultimate goal, we point to it and we are trying to realize it, including the fact that recently We have signed a cooperation agreement with Fanyakhte Biotechnology Accelerator and we have formed an intermediate chemical-biotech complex to have projects in the field of biotechnology.

Therefore, despite the fact that our current focus is on raw materials and we don’t want to lose it, we have development plans for other sectors as well.

What are the criteria for accepting a business?

In addition to acceleration, we are also a startup studio, and in my opinion, this model works best in Iran. Based on our knowledge of the industry and the research and technology needs that arise from it, we form teams with engaging and attractive models in such a way that people do not assume themselves to be employees and the cores become companies.

But in general, we have considered two criteria: the team, which we examine the capabilities and potential of its constituent members, and also, the idea and plan they present are analyzed in terms of commercialization. It is possible that a plan is not good from a business point of view, but a good team is formed, in which case, we offer them an alternative plan.

What facilities does Mud provide to startups?

We are a specialized accelerator and we provide the most important infrastructure needed, from laboratories, analyzes and pilot production, depending on each team, with different models.

Some teams only want investors, and according to the connections we have, we enter into negotiations with innovation funds and various VCs.

How many startups have you attracted so far and what is their field of activity?

So far, 10 projects have been accepted, the technical know-how of 7 primary pharmaceutical ingredients has been created, and two of them are in the production stage.

Mad has also entered the field of new formulations and raw materials of cosmetics and we have formed a food biotechnology sub-category.

How is mentorship done in Mud?

Mentorship in Mad, whether in the scientific field or in market and marketing discussions, is done with active people who are fully staffed, absorbed and based here, or are invited depending on the need, so that with the help of their advice, Work forward.

Have you developed a plan for post-acceleration of startups?

If the teams have good KPIs or people are interested, they will be involved in more projects to have multiple product portfolios and we may lead them to corporate or they can become mentors to other teams.

What problems have you encountered in the acceleration process?

Some of the problems are general, for example, people in this long path that takes a lot of time to reach a product, considering the hard market and the complex process of obtaining licenses, may get tired and the team falls apart.

Because our field of activity is specialized and a new platform, we have to try many ways and acceleration models to achieve a specialized native model in our field and get the best output.

How do you evaluate the activities of the biotechnology development headquarters?

The headquarters has its own scope and has supported accelerators like ours as far as it could, and it’s not just a discussion, it’s material. The headquarters has had constructive interactions with the Food and Drug Organization and has carried out useful follow-ups.

Therefore, with its support, it has played a positive role in launching accelerators and their development, and has used the country’s capacities to form this ecosystem, which deserves appreciation and thanks.

The official start of your activity coincided with the corona pandemic. How did this pandemic affect your process?

Like the general society, it had a negative effect on us and slowed down the activities at the beginning of the work, but it was also positive. At the beginning of the pandemic, some of our teams entered the field of disinfectant solution and mask production and did production and sales from zero to one hundred with our encouragement and facilitation, which was attractive to them and we were able to satisfy part of the market’s thirst. Let’s answer that it was good for the team and the Mad accelerator, but because it might distract us and the teams from our work focus, we stopped it on June 99.

How do you see the status of accelerators related to biological sciences in Iran?

The world is moving towards biotechnology in all fields, and despite some negative attitudes against biotechnology, a bright future is envisioned for it both in the field of medicine and in other topics.

By forming a proper ecosystem, we can make a good leap in this field, like Cuba, where we got this science from, and be an exporter of biotechnology in the region, which has started to move in this direction, and we can do bigger things with cooperation. to give

You are the first accelerator of pharmaceutical raw materials, but with the passage of time, there is a possibility of competition in this field. Have you mapped out a competitive advantage for Mad?

We are happy to compete in this field, and being competitive helps to develop this space, but the point of differentiation is expertise and experience, as well as the infrastructure and connections we have in the field of raw materials industries.

What vision do you have for the future of Mad?

In the field of raw materials, we would like to create a series of platforms that do not exist in the country and form a good view of raw materials in terms of a new technology in the society. Also, with various collaborations, we can have effective input in other scientific fields.

We want Mad to be a place where there is work for everyone in the field of chemicals with whatever model they want.

last word?

In our country, there are many threats and restrictions, but at the same time, there are many opportunities, and with motivation and fighting, we can create good opportunities for ourselves and others.

Also, not everyone is supposed to be an entrepreneur; Some of their models and capacities are entrepreneurship and some are employees, and necessary virtues should be created for both sectors.