From Lab to Market: Science Entrepreneurship and Career Development with Kennedy Mulungu
What does it take to turn a promising scientific idea into a product that people can actually use? For many scientists, the challenge is not generating new knowledge, but learning how to move beyond the laboratory — understanding users, markets, manufacturing, regulation, intellectual property and the partnerships needed to translate research into impact.
For Kennedy Mulungu, Founder and CEO of BioAlgix Limited, that journey is already underway. The Malawian biomedical scientist and entrepreneur is using biopolymer chemistry to develop biodegradable, alginate-based menstrual products designed with affordability, sustainability and African contexts in mind. As a Fellow of the Leadership in Chemistry through Innovation & Entrepreneurship Program, delivered by Rondil Scholars Hub in collaboration with the Royal Society of Chemistry, Kennedy has been developing the commercialisation, leadership and entrepreneurial skills needed to take his science further.
We spoke with Kennedy about the science behind BioAlgix, the problem he is trying to solve, what he has learned about turning research into a venture, and how the Leadership in Chemistry through Innovation & Entrepreneurship Program has shaped his journey.
Q: Tell us about yourself and the problem you are trying to solve at BioAlgix
I’m a Malawian biomedical scientist, innovator, and Founder and CEO of BioAlgix Limited. My work sits at the intersection of biomaterials, biopolymer chemistry, biotechnology and entrepreneurship, with a particular interest in translating scientific knowledge into affordable products that address challenges faced by African communities.
At BioAlgix, we are developing biodegradable sanitary pads using alginate-based biomaterials. Our goal is to develop an absorbent component that can reduce dependence on conventional petroleum-derived plastics and synthetic absorbent materials, while keeping affordability, performance and African contexts in mind.
We are addressing two interconnected problems: access to affordable menstrual products and the environmental burden associated with disposable sanitary pads. For many girls and women, particularly in low-resource communities, purchasing sanitary products every month can place significant pressure on already limited household income. At the same time, conventional disposable sanitary pads contain significant amounts of plastic and synthetic materials that can remain in the environment long after disposal.
BioAlgix therefore asks a simple question: Can we use renewable biomaterials and chemistry to create menstrual products that perform effectively while reducing their environmental footprint and remaining affordable?
This matters because sustainability should not be a luxury product available only to wealthier consumers. We want environmentally responsible menstrual-health technologies to be relevant and accessible to the communities that need them most.
Q: Why did you choose alginate and biomaterials as the basis for the solution?
The idea came from recognising that Africa faces important health and environmental challenges while also possessing enormous biological resources, scientific talent and underused opportunities in biomaterials.
I became particularly interested in alginate because it is a versatile natural polymer with applications across biotechnology, food, pharmaceuticals, wound care and other material technologies. Instead of seeing it only as a laboratory material, I began asking what high-impact everyday products could be developed from its chemistry.
Menstrual health stood out because sanitary pads combine an urgent social need with a materials challenge. A pad must absorb fluid effectively, remain comfortable and safe, be affordable and ultimately be disposed of. Yet many conventional products achieve these functions using substantial amounts of persistent synthetic materials.
When alginate interacts with calcium ions under controlled conditions, its polymer chains become connected to form a three-dimensional network that can interact with and hold liquid. At BioAlgix, we are exploring how this chemistry can be engineered into an absorbent biomaterial structure suitable for incorporation into a sanitary pad.
What motivates me is the broader principle behind the product. African scientists should not only consume technologies developed elsewhere. We can identify problems within our own communities, apply chemistry to them, build prototypes, generate evidence and ultimately manufacture solutions locally.
BioAlgix grew from that belief: African science can become African products with global relevance.
Q: What have you learned about the difference between a promising scientific idea and a viable product?
One of the biggest lessons has been understanding the difference between a material that works in an experiment and a product that works in the real world.
A scientifically impressive biomaterial has little value if the final pad is too expensive, uncomfortable, difficult to manufacture or unsuitable for the environments where it will actually be used. Our development priorities therefore include absorption and fluid retention, comfort, safety, affordability, disposal and ease of manufacturing.
We have also learned that demonstrating water absorption in a laboratory is not enough. A menstrual product requires much more rigorous assessment, including absorption capacity, retention under pressure, leakage performance, mechanical stability, comfort, microbiological safety and degradation behaviour.
As the technology progresses from laboratory prototypes towards a user-ready product, structured feedback and co-design with intended users will also become increasingly important. We do not want to assume that laboratory performance automatically translates into an acceptable menstrual product.
Our philosophy is simple: we can develop the chemistry in the laboratory, but the people who will use the product must help determine what a successful product actually looks and feels like.
Q: What have been the biggest challenges in moving from the laboratory towards commercialisation?
Alginate has fascinating chemistry, but converting that chemistry into a thin, comfortable, stable, absorbent and manufacturable menstrual product requires optimisation across many variables. Absorption alone is not enough: the material must retain liquid under pressure, maintain structural integrity and work together with the pad’s other layers.
Another challenge is commercialisation infrastructure. Moving from a laboratory prototype to a regulated consumer product requires specialised testing, manufacturing equipment, intellectual-property strategy, regulatory knowledge, capital and the right partners. These challenges have changed the way I approach innovation. Earlier, I often thought primarily as a scientist: Does the chemistry work? Now I ask a wider set of questions: Does the user want it? Can we manufacture it consistently? Is it safe? Can we protect the intellectual property? Can people afford it? What evidence will regulators, manufacturers and investors require? That transition from invention to translation has perhaps been my greatest learning. The challenge is no longer simply proving that alginate can form an absorbent material. It is building the evidence, partnerships and systems needed to transform that chemistry into a trusted product.
Q: How has the Leadership in Chemistry through Innovation & Entrepreneurship Programme supported your development?
The Leadership in Chemistry through Innovation & Entrepreneurship Program helped me look beyond the laboratory and see chemistry through the lens of value creation, commercialisation and leadership.
Emerging as one of the top innovators in the pitch session was important, but the greatest value has been the surrounding ecosystem — learning how to communicate complex chemistry clearly, understand the commercial opportunity behind a technical idea, identify gaps in the business model and connect with people who understand what it takes to move chemistry-based innovation toward market.
The programme has also opened an important mentorship pathway. Through the Rondil Scholars Hub network, I have been connected with Ejikeme Nwosu, CEO of Lumos Laboratories, for mentorship focused on innovation, commercialisation, business strategy and leadership.
Q: What comes next for BioAlgix, and what advice would you give other scientists interested in entrepreneurship?
The immediate next milestone for BioAlgix is to strengthen prototype development and generate robust evidence around material performance, safety, biodegradation, manufacturability and cost. From there, we aim to progress toward regulatory readiness, pilot manufacturing and structured user evaluation.
The wider journey has reinforced the importance of connecting African innovation to global scientific and entrepreneurial networks. Our longer-term ambition is to make BioAlgix an African biomaterials company capable of translating biopolymer chemistry into commercially viable products across menstrual health, healthcare and sustainability.
Ultimately, success would mean moving from African science → validated technology → African manufacturing → global impact.
For scientists interested in entrepreneurship, my advice is:
“Do not wait for a perfect laboratory, perfect funding or perfect conditions – start with the science you understand, the problem that matters, and the resources around you, then test, learn and improve.”
If you’re looking to take an idea further, Rondil Scholars supports pre-university, undergraduate and postgraduate scholars to develop their interests into meaningful research outputs, projects and viable products. You can also explore our Leadership in Chemistry through Innovation & Entrepreneurship Program, delivered in collaboration with the Royal Society of Chemistry, and see how we help scientists build skills in innovation, commercialisation, leadership and career development.
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