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October 19, 2022
Dear member,
The Biweekly Digest is back after a month-long break, and I am delighted to be writing this column again. It is YEG Startup Week this week and there is no better time to come back from a break! There are many exciting events happening this week showcasing our innovative health and life science companies. Our October Meetup is happening tomorrow and we have a great panel of entrepreneurs who have raised capital and who will be discussing their thought processes when looking for that next bit of cash. Our initial tickets have all SOLD OUT and we are opening up a few more reserved tickets. If you haven’t gotten your tickets yet, get them before they are all gone. Health Cities is hosting another fabulous panel featuring entrepreneurs who have taken their ventures beyond the startup stage. So make sure you have tickets to these fabulous events. Also, do check out Launch Party 13 happening right after the Health Innovators’ Meetup. I hope to see you there. We would love to catch up with you in person at any of these events.
Even during the break, the Health Innovation Hub continued to be in the middle of the many exciting things that were happening in the health and life sciences community and the broader ecosystem. I was in Ireland discussing the resources available at Alberta’s postsecondary institutions that can support R&D activities for companies. Along with a delegation representing tech, agriculture, health and life sciences, our mission, spearheaded by Invest Alberta, was highly successful in bridging the knowledge gap about the breadth and depth of our dynamic ecosystem. As Ty, Co-founder of 8 Bit Cortex and our Meet our Community member for this episode writes, a “combination of open-minded, yet rigorous science with an eye for impact is what sets Alberta apart”. We couldn’t agree more Ty.
As always, thank you for being a part of our mission to drive health and life science innovation forward. If you love to read the digest, please share it with your network and ask them to subscribe. We love to hear from you, so drop us a line at healthub@ualberta.ca anytime. Until next time.
News from the Hub
Health Innovators' Meetup - part of the Edmonton Startup Week
Join our next Health Innovators' Meetup on October 20 as part of the Edmonton Startup Week. We will talk about different ways to fund your venture and will have three successful entrepreneurs as our panellists whom we can learn from.
In Conversation Event in October
We invited Josh from Goodlawyer for our next In Conversation event on October 28. Join us to find out more about Goodlawyer, the perks you can access from our partnership with them and efficient and effective ways to access legal services.
New member at the Hub - Curvy Spine
Curvy Spine Inc. focuses on filling the gap in healthcare so that people living with scoliosis, kyphosis, and other spinal disorders have access to specialized non-operative treatment. They provide treatment for patients and certification courses for therapists.
Recognition of two of our Companies at BioAlberta’s Annual Health and Life Sciences Showcase & Awards Ceremony
Future Fields won the 2022 Company of the Year and Dr Hasan Uludag, the president of RJH BioSciences, received the 2022 Scientific Achievement and Innovation winner two awards.
Entos Pharmaceuticals Passes Significant Enrollment Milestone in Phase 2 Clinical Trial of its COVID-19 DNA Vaccine
Entos reached a significant enrollment milestone in Phase 2 clinical trial of its COVID-19 DNA Vaccine, Covigenix VAX-001-1b (Covigenix).
Applied Pharmaceutical Innovation on a mission to Ireland with Invest Alberta
On behalf of API, Paramita accompanied Invest Alberta for a delegation to Ireland to discuss Alberta’s strengths in life sciences, including our strong talent pool, ecosystem, and education network.
Our Companies are Hiring
Software Developer, Technical Lead. This person will also provide technical coaching to our entry-level and intermediate Software Development team. The candidate should be able to drive the programming of well-constructed, testable and scalable code.
Research Coordinator Full-time San Diego Hybrid. The successful candidate will be responsible for the administrative and operational support of internal and external Entos research projects including the development of genetic delivery, chemistry, and innovation.
If you are a student looking for jobs and networking opportunities, join our Talent Hub here.
Meet our Community
Co-Founder, 8 Bit Cortex
1. What does health innovation/ innovation in health mean to you?
Appreciating the complexity inherent within different pathologies and using data to provide holistic treatment options to not just manage symptoms, but modify the course of the disease.
2. In your opinion, what is the state of the health innovation ecosystem in Alberta, Canada and globally?
Alberta has a growing health innovation ecosystem as part of the larger tech boom in Alberta. Through my role with Branch Out Neurological Foundation, I have had the privilege of supporting this innovation at the early stage and seeing some "radical" ideas slowly transition towards the mainstream. This combination of open-minded, yet rigorous science with an eye for impact is what sets Alberta apart.
3. What motivated you to join the Health Innovation Hub?
To be connected to other early-stage health technology companies and possible industry partners. Any opportunity to get early traction will help propel 8 Bit Cortex towards both impact and commercial success.
4. How would you describe yourself in one sentence?
A professional brain health nerd who is enthusiastic about creating technology that improves health at both a personal and community scale.
5. What is the one thing you are most excited about right now?
The opportunities in the Alberta tech sector to bring interesting ideas to market through a collaborative community of like-minded innovators.
Funding & Wage Subsidies
WIL VOUCHER - Student Opportunities
BioAlberta is recruiting SMEs to participate in WIL for Fall 2022 and Winter 2023. Please contact jamie@bioalberta.com for more information on how to apply, or if you have already hired a Fall 2022 student.
INOVAIT Funding - Collaborative R&D Projects
The Pilot Fund will support collaborative research and development (R&D) projects with an aim towards commercialization. All projects must involve the integration of artificial intelligence or advanced data capabilities into an image-guided therapy technology.
Resources & Opportunities
Discover & Validate Series from Edmonton Unlimited
Learn about each of the elements of your business model and how you can validate each one through the Business Model 101 workshop then move through the Discover and Validate series.
Growing Global Activator Cohort
The Trade Commissioner Service (TCS) is collaborating with Export Development Canada (EDC) and Coralus (formerly SheEO) to offer the Growing Global Activator Cohort, a 12-month-long program curated to help women or non-binary-owned companies to grow globally.
Community News & Events
Entrepreneurs in Action: The Journey from Startup to Scaleup and Beyond
Wednesday, October 19 | 3:30 p.m. MST | As part of Edmonton Start Up Week, Health Cities welcomes three innovative entrepreneurs to share their experiences starting out and growing right here in Edmonton.
Guild on the Go by BioAlberta
Thursday, October 20 | 4:30 p.m. MST | BioAlberta is taking the Prairie Bioeconomy Guild on the road! Join them at The Coffee Collective in Lethbridge on October 20 for Guild on the Go, 5:00-6:00 pm. Ross Tisdale is going to be speaking about his work at Blue Sky Analytical Labs, talent development, and student retention.
Launch Party 13
Thursday, October 20 | 5:00 p.m. MST | Launch Party allows you to meet our city's brightest entrepreneurs, try their products, and celebrate everything our innovation community has to offer.
Articles
In this article, the authors show how the kaizen approach can be used to encourage innovation from all employees.
Find out about considerations using AI in health systems from a panel of experts.
Learn from the rise and fall—and recent rebound—of Ample Hills Creamery.
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