Communitech-led collaborative seeks made-in-Canada tech solutions

KITCHENER, ONT., May 17, 2023 — The Communitech-led Fast Track Health collaborative is seeking innovative Canadian tech companies to help solve the biggest challenges facing the country’s health-care system.

Through a call-for-solutions process, Canadian startups, scale-ups and at-scale companies are invited to propose innovative solutions to a set of health-care challenges. The most promising solutions will be considered for pilot or procurement opportunities with health-care organizations nationwide, including but not limited to those connected to the Fast Track Health program through our strategic partnerships with the CAN Health Network and Ontario Bioscience Innovation Organization (OBIO).

“The Fast Track Health collaborative leverages Communitech’s proven ability to bring people together and facilitate productive collaboration,” said Danielle Braun Carlin, Program Manager, Ecosystem Collaboration. “With this call for solutions, we are again seeking to overcome barriers to innovation and find Canadian technologies to improve health care across the country.”

The Fast Track Health collaborative worked with professionals in health care, academia and innovation to identify key challenge areas. Our current nationwide call is seeking innovative solutions to the following:

• Developing Tools for Early Diagnosis and Treatment of Medical Conditions. How might we develop advanced AI tools and predictive models that analyze various health metrics, such as screening and test outcomes, for the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of medical conditions before they progress to critical stages, necessitate urgent medical care and increase the burden on emergency rooms and urgent-care clinics?
• Creating an Integrated Health Data System for Preventative Care. How might we develop a system for gathering comprehensive and diverse health data sets that can be easily integrated into daily clinical workflows, enabling health-care providers to proactively identify and implement targeted prevention measures for high-risk patients? 
• Comorbid Condition Management for Improved Health Outcomes. How might we develop a system to predict, prevent and manage comorbid conditions and break down data silos to improve health outcomes, lessen clinical complexity and reduce health-care costs?
• Secure Access to Patient Data for Collaborative Care. How might we ensure secure access to patient data for practitioners and support collaborative care while safeguarding against cyber attacks and protecting patient privacy?

Canadian companies with solutions to one or more of these challenges are encouraged to submit an application to Communitech’s Fast Track Health portal by May 31, 2023. Applications will be reviewed by an adjudication panel in June, followed by an announcement of successful applicants in July. 

These companies will receive dedicated coaching from Communitech’s seasoned growth coaches and leading health and tech professionals across the country. They will also receive introductions to health-care providers, organizations and potential customers. As well, company representatives will have a chance to pitch their solutions to champions of innovation in the Canadian health-care industry at a Fast Track Health Showcase event this fall. 

In addition to the four Fast Track Health challenges mentioned above, Pfizer Canada is working with Communitech to issue a call for solutions to five other challenges in the areas of vaccination tracking, drug shortage planning, patient drug coverage and access, women’s health and oncology diagnostics.

This partnership marks the launch of Pfizer's Healthcare Hub in Canada, a significant opportunity for founders to connect with Pfizer's international network of experts who will support in advancing health-care solutions across the country.

Visit Communitech’s Fast Track Health webpage for more information about both calls for solutions.

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