Announcing the final winner of the Activate!Vaughan Health Innovation Challenge!
The City of Vaughan’s Economic and Cultural Development department launched the Activate!Vaughan Health Innovation Challenge in August 2020, in partnership with Mackenzie Health, the Mackenzie Innovation Institute (Mi2), SE Health, Sterling Industries, and ventureLAB. These partners presented four “reverse pitches” identifying opportunities for innovation related to telehealth solutions, improved communication technologies, connected healthcare services and new medical devices.
On April 23rd, the 8 winners of the Activate!Vaughan Health Innovation Challenge participated in a Demo Day event where they competed for a final $10,000 prize, presented by Sterling Industries. The City of Vaughan is proud to announce HyIvy Health as the winner of a final $10,000 prize. HyIvy Health creates a pelvic rehabilitation device with trackable data for women who have pelvic cancers and diseases to help alleviate pelvic health symptoms after a devastating diagnosis, treatment or surgery.
Since December, the 8 winners of the Health Innovation Challenge have received one-on-one and group support to refine and commercialize their technologies. Each of the ventures has been participating in tailored ventureLAB programs, such as the Hardware Catalyst Initiative and Tech Undivided. Over the past four months, the participating companies have created nearly 30 new jobs and secured more than $2M in new public and private investment.
The Demo Day event was attended by representatives of key stakeholders in Vaughan’s innovation ecosystem, including the Ontario Centre of Innovation (OCI), the Vaughan Chamber of Commerce, the York Angels, Open People Network, Export Development Canada, BDC, and York University. The final pitches presented at the event were adjudicated by a judging panel comprised of:
- Amir Soheili, Program Director, Clinical Support Services, Mackenzie Health
- Kiran Govind, Director of Digital Strategy and Enablement, SE Health
- David Van Slingerland, CEO, Sterling Industries
- Jane Gertner, VP Partnerships, ventureLAB
The City of Vaughan is committed to continuing to catalyze innovation by supporting entrepreneurs in becoming leaders in their fields. As the City continues leading a collaboration with York University, Mackenzie Health and ventureLAB to transform the Vaughan Healthcare Centre Precinct into an epicentre of healthcare excellence, Economic and Cultural Development is working with key partners to build local capacity for innovation, job creation and talent development in the City of Vaughan.