iL‒CURRENT
February 25, 2026
Dr. Hossein Eslami Amirabadi: "Understanding the real market problem is an art."
In his presentation "Scalable platform for cell cultures under physiological flow conditions," Dr. Hossein Eslami Amirabadi will speak at the GENESIS 26 – The LIFE SCIENCE TECH DAY forum on March 12 about innovative approaches to the further development of preclinical cell models.
In the iL expert interview, the scientist and entrepreneur, co-founder and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of the start-up and cell culture platform ARTIC Technologies from Eindhoven, Netherlands, provides a wide range of insights into his technology, entrepreneurial decisions, and challenges at the interface between research and the market.
Dr. Hossein Eslami Amirabadi from ARTIC Technologies in the Netherlands. Image: ARTIC Technologies
Five questions for ... Hossein Eslami Amirabadi
Mr. Amirabadi, ARTIC Technologies is a spin-off from Eindhoven University of Technology. What was the most critical step in the transition from academic research to a marketable life science product?
Hossein Eslami Amirabadi: Licensing agreements with universities are always challenging, but for me, the most important question was choosing the first application and market for launching a technology-driven company. On the one hand, you need to have a very good understanding of the potential of your own technology, and on the other hand, you need to understand the problems in a specific market that are big enough. At the same time, you have to assess whether your own technology can actually solve these problems.
Which core technological innovation from ARTIC currently gives you the greatest competitive advantage?
Amirabadi: A scalable model for cultivating and testing different cell models under physiological flow. We know that physiological flow is relevant in many tissue models and improves the predictive power of these models. However, existing systems with relevant flow are complex to use and incompatible with everyday workflows in industry and science. This has led to the limited use of organ-on-chip systems. ARTIC generates physiological flow in conventional cell culture microtiter plates without changing their format or handling. We make this possible with our proprietary technology called Magnetic Artificial Cilia.
"We are technology-driven."
You are responsible for both technological development and market strategy. Where are the biggest areas of tension between technological excellence and successful commercial viability?
Amirabadi: Excellent question! We are technology-driven, and as scientists, we often want to convince ourselves that certain problems exist—a kind of confirmation bias that can prevent us from hearing the whole truth. However, commercial viability means starting with the problem and seeing if you can offer a unique solution that no one else is offering. We have already made two pivot steps and continue to engage in close dialogue with end users to see if our solution actually solves their problems. We are already seeing that early decisions in technology development can have a huge impact on later acceptance. That's why we had our ideas critically reviewed by experts and industry representatives at an early stage, even before further technological development. We tried to remain open-minded and listen exclusively to the problems. Understanding the real market problem and asking yourself objectively whether you can solve it is an art.
The dedicated team at ARTIC Technologies, center: co-founder and CTO Dr. Hossein Eslami Amirabadi. Image: ARTIC Technologies
What role do industry partners, but also, above all, an institution such as Health Holland in The Hague, play in the development process of your start-up?
Amirabadi: A very big role. We are fortunate to be in the Netherlands, where there is a lot of systematic government support, and Health Holland is a pioneer in this regard. They have a significant influence on the strategic direction of our company. Other partners also play an important role, including end users (pharmaceutical companies, biotech companies, and CROs) and manufacturing partners. We also benefit from being located in the Eindhoven region—the so-called Brainport region—which has a strong manufacturing industry.
You are a speaker in the session on innovative materials at GENESIS 26. What results and new contacts do you hope to gain for ARTIC?
Amirabadi: I am hoping to find industrial or academic partners who would like to test our prototype in their laboratories. I would also like to meet scientists and hear about the challenges they face in their companies or working groups.
About the person
Dr. Hossein Eslami Amirabadi from ARTIC Technologies is a scientist and entrepreneur whose goal is to transform academic solutions into effective products. He is interested in interdisciplinary collaboration, thinks strategically, works on microphysiological systems, and brings perseverance and positive energy to his team.
About ARTIC Technologies
ARTIC Technologies enables researchers to develop improved cell models for preclinical drug discovery. The first product is a scalable cell culture microtiter plate with physiological flow, equipped with the patented "Magnetic Artificial Cilia" technology developed at Eindhoven University of Technology by Professor Jaap den Toonder.
by Joachim Klaehn.
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