Recent Wins from the H2i Community
This spring continues to see exciting wins from the H2i venture community!
Hypercare has been selected to take part in the 2023 Amazon Web Services (AWS) Global Healthcare Accelerator. The new accelerator, launched in late 2022, selected 22 companies to take part in their 2023 program—with Hypercare being the sole Canadian venture accepted. The cohort, comprised of companies bringing innovative digital solutions to the global healthcare workforce, will receive customized content and mentoring over a four-week period. Hypercare, founded by University of Toronto alumni Albert Tai and Dr. Joseph Choi, provides an innovative solution to healthcare professionals looking to streamline communication among providers in different departments and specialties.
“I’m excited to have Hypercare as part of the AWS healthcare accelerator. They have been able to accelerate our knowledge of the U.K. healthcare system, introduce us to valuable contacts within the European healthcare landscape and help us optimize our infrastructure as Hypercare scales into more and more organizations. We are really excited to be part of it and honoured to be the only Canadian company accepted.”
-Albert Tai, Founder & CEO
Three H2i ventures took the stage as Power Play Pitch Competition finalists at the inaugural International Conference for Aging, Innovation & Rehabilitation (ICAIR) earlier this month. Congratulations to Neuropeutics, Able Innovations and 16 Bit who did a phenomenal job presenting their work!
Neuropeutics, presented by CEO & Co-Founder Marc Shenouda, took home second place in the Innovative Concept category, receiving a prize of $1500 in funding for the development of their project. Neuropeutics is working to offer effective treatment to those living with neurodegenerative diseases by developing innovative approaches to addressing protein aggregation. Neuropeutics is led by Shenouda, a PhD Candidate at the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and Co-Founder Professor Janice Robertson.
Neuropeutics, presented by Co-Founder & CEO Marc Shenouda, took home second place in their category, receiving a prize of $1500 in funding for the development of their project. Neuropeutics is working to offer effective treatment to those living with neurodegenerative diseases by developing innovative approaches to addressing protein aggregation. Neuropeutics is led by Shenouda, a PhD Candidate at the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and Co-Founder Professor Janice Robertson.
“With excitement, Neuropeutics took the stage at ICAIR to pitch our venture concept to a panel of esteemed judges and an eager audience. I presented our lead small molecule showcasing its potential to delay disease progression and extend survival of the millions living with neurodegenerative diseases. Securing second place in the pitch competition was a testament to our team’s relentless efforts and commitment to making a profound impact on the advancement of healthcare for our aging population. This award is a token of recognition and visibility propelling us to continue our mission to discover and develop innovative treatments to alleviate neurodegenerative diseases.” – Marc Shenouda, Co-Founder & CEO
16 Bit, presented by Co-CEO & Co-Founder Dr. Mark Cicero, placed second in the Innovative Start-Up category, and were awarded $10,000 to support the continued growth of their technology. 16 Bit creates AI powered software-as-a-medical-devices, powered by world-class medical datasets and expertise. Dr. Cicero pitched the venture’s flagship product Rho™, an AI-powered software device which allows radiologists to more effectively identify patients over age 50 who are at increased risk of osteoporosis using routine x-rays. 16 Bit is led by Dr. Mark Cicero and Co-Founder/Co-CEO Dr. Alexander Bilbily, both diagnostic radiologists by training.
“Participating in the inaugural ICAIR Power Play pitch competition was a tremendous honour. Aging affects us all and 16 Bit’s mission is to improve healthcare for all people so that we can have long, healthy and meaningful lives. 16 Bit was proud to share the power of Rho, our Health Canada approved software medical device for opportunistic x-ray screening of low bone density, with all those attending. We thank the organizers, judges, researchers, and attendees for making the day a memorable one.” – Mark Cicero, Co-Founder & Co-CEO
Specific Dx, represented by CEO and Co-Founder Jessica Jenkins, competed at the Enactus National Student Entrepreneur Competition held in Montreal earlier this month. The venture made it to the top 12 round, selected from hundreds of applicants across Canada. Specific Dx is developing a rapid urinary tract infection (UTI) test that will perform with higher accuracy compared to current tools. In the same week, Co-Founders Jaspreet Randhawa and Siobhan Wilson took home second place at Medicine by Design’s Building a Biotech Venture Pitch Competition. All three Co-Founders are Master’s candidates in Translational Research at the Temerty Faculty of Medicine.
“I had a wonderful time at the Enactus National Student Entrepreneur Competition and the 2023 Enactus Expo. I was very inspired by the other student entrepreneurs and learned a lot from them in our short time together. Regardless of how different our projects may be, most student entrepreneurs have similar ambitions and face similar challenges. There is a lot that we can learn from each other!”
-Jessica Jenkins, CEO & Co-Founder