Chronic pain, kidney dialysis, and fertility are just some of the tough challenges that medtech startups are addressing with their solutions. And on November 6, several of them gathered at the Communitech Hub for the MedTech Science Fair, an event designed to connect founders with health-care professionals and members of the tech ecosystem.
The event was hosted by Communitech and MACcelerate, bringing together medtech founders from across Southern Ontario, including those participating in the Communitech MedTech Accelerator Program. The goal was to showcase their technologies and build connections with physicians, clinicians and others in the health-care industry.
“It’s a really good vibe and there’s a lot of good energy,” said Morteza Ahmadi, CEO and founder of Qidni Labs. “It’s great to be here.”
Qidni Labs, a medical device company developing advanced dialysis solutions for patients with kidney failure, was one of the startups at the event.
“It’s special that this event focuses on medtech and they’ve invited physicians and people from the medtech community,” said Ahmadi. “I met several physicians from various hospitals, not just in Kitchener, but from surrounding areas and different cities.”
Qidni Labs is among eight medtech startups selected for the inaugural cohort of the Communitech MedTech Accelerator Program. Launched in September, this program supports founders as they revolutionize health care and scale their companies. Participants benefit from sessions with growth coaches, networking opportunities with health-care professionals and access to personalized action plans and resources.
The event also welcomed several founders with MACcelerate - a health technology accelerator program launched by McMaster University in partnership with Communitech - to showcase their solutions and connect with health-care professionals to understand what they’re looking for.
“This is about connection. Connecting the thread, connecting to support the thriving medtech innovation industry in this region,” said Erin Skimson, Director at MACcelerate MedTech Accelerator. “Medtech commercialization is a team sport. So this event brings together clinicians, investors and business coaches that are very interested in connecting with entrepreneurs to help them on their commercialization and technical journeys.”
Both Communitech and McMaster University aim to create environments where medical professionals, aspiring practitioners, engineers and founders collaborate to redefine the future of health care and improve clinical outcomes.
“We are creating a solution for the medical field, so we want to learn what they want,” said Mazhar Shahen, co-founder and CEO of NewGen Health, a startup focused on creating a non-invasive test to detect kidney function. “We’re not just building something randomly and hope they adopt it.”
“We’re really focused on clinicians and physicians and people who are interested in medtech specifically as an application in their practice, and I think that’s what’s unique about this event,” said Chelsea MacKinnon, Manager of Operations at Neuro Spinal Innovation, which developed the SONIK device, a new approach to the treatment of back and neck pain. “We have lots of opportunities to engage with investors and people from the industry, which is equally important, but I think that’s something that’s super special about this event tonight.”
