This article is part of a seven-part series celebrating Niagara College’s Alumni of Excellence – the highest honour bestowed upon NC alumni. The series features outstanding graduates who were also nominees for the 2025 Ontario Premier’s Awards. Adam Karamath (Photonics Engineering Technology, 2009) was recognized in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Innovation category.
Since graduating from NC in 2009 with a diploma in Photonics Engineering Technology, Adam Karamath has built a career defined by innovation, impact, and a commitment to advancing health care through the science of light. His fascination with photonics, and the belief that light touches every part of life, led him on a path that would take him from high-precision manufacturing to leading the commercialization of one of the most groundbreaking neurosurgical tools in Canada.
Karamath’s interest in the field began long before he stepped into the classroom.
“I always had that fascination for light, and I always had the fascination for biology and the medical side of things,” he said. “So I really tried to tie those two together, and Niagara College really kick-started that for me. Being such a unique program, people didn’t really know what photonics was.”
That early inspiration grew through the technical foundation he gained at NC.
“Niagara College gave me that tech side where it’s like really digging into the technology side of things,” he said. The hands-on labs and applied learning environment helped shape the approach he would carry into the medtech industry.
His first job at Christie Digital, an audiovisual company specializing in digital projection tools, gave him an up-close look at photonics manufacturing–something that would play an important role throughout his career. In 2011, he joined Fujifilm VisualSonics Inc., where he applied his manufacturing expertise to develop high-precision ultrasound and photonics-based systems for medical applications.
Karamath’s move to Northern Digital Inc. in 2013 marked his transition from photonics manufacturing to the business of photonics. It strengthened his resolve to push the boundaries of photonics in health care. By immersing himself in clinical settings, he observed firsthand how the technology performed, captured real-time feedback from physicians, and integrated those insights into meaningful improvements in research and development.
In 2016, Karamath joined ATES Medical and Benrikal, a manufacturing and distributing company specializing in cardiovascular equipment. He often worked alongside physicians to guide them as they carried out surgeries using ATES equipment, while at the same time moving into the National Sales Director position, overseeing an international team.
As the COVID-19 pandemic ramped up in 2020, Karamath started his own medical equipment manufacturing company, Mel Medical Inc., to import personal protection equipment (PPE). Within 18 months he secured seven-figure deals with the Government of Canada, generated $4 million in revenue, and was licensed by Health Canada to sell medical devices. With the finances to do it, Karamath sought new investment opportunities within Canada, specifically in the medical space, and discovered Vena Medical.
Today, as Senior Director of Commercial Operations at Vena Medical, Karamath leads the commercialization, clinical adoption, and go-to-market strategy for the company’s breakthrough technologies. He played an integral role in shaping the FDA Breakthrough Device Designation for the MicroAngioscope, the world’s smallest camera capable of navigating inside veins and arteries to help physicians diagnose and treat stroke patients. Recently approved by Health Canada, the device is already demonstrating promising patient outcomes.
Karamath traces his passion for medical innovation to NC. His final-year capstone, a mock limb that produced a pulse and oxygen signal detectable by a pulse oximeter, earned runner-up for best project and inspired him to apply photonics to real-world challenges. The hands-on training in optics, fibre systems, and lasers at NC gave him the technical foundation for his future career.
Now, with more than 16 years of experience spanning engineering, clinical engagement, entrepreneurship, and medical technology leadership, Karamath continues to push innovation forward. Whether developing lifesaving equipment, advising clinicians, or guiding groundbreaking devices to market, he remains committed to using photonics to advance health care and improve patient outcomes.
