Government of Ontario supports innovators creating made-in-Ontario solutions for future challenges though the Ontario Innovation Showcase

November 26, 2021

TORONTO – Throughout the pandemic the Government of Ontario has helped identify and support made-in-Ontario solutions to address the challenges and impact of COVID-19 on communities and build a more resilient province in responding to current and future challenges, through the Ontario Together Fund. Some of these innovative solutions were highlighted at the Ontario Innovation Showcase on October 20 and 21.

The Ontario Centre of Innovation (OCI), supported by the Ontario Together Fund, delivered the virtual Ontario Innovation Showcase which provided a platform for 19 companies to highlight their solutions that responded to various COVID-related challenges, such as virtual mental health supports and optimization of supply chain efforts.

Innovators were connected to public and private sector receptors to further a procurement dialogue and to foster collaboration. Over the course of the two-day event, more than 70 one-on-one meetings between potential adopters of the technology and participating companies were held.

The virtual Showcase provided a forum to address the gap between the commercialization of solutions and available procurement opportunities by providing access to new, made-in-Ontario solutions.

Companies were also invited to participate in a Pitch Competition, of which five were awarded $50,000 to undergo feasibility studies or economic impact assessments to measure the current or future impact of their solutions.  These projects will be completed by February 2022.

“Congratulations to all the innovative companies that received funding through the Ontario Centre of Innovation’s Pitch Competition,” said Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. “Your innovative solutions celebrate the Ontario Spirit and will help us rebuild our province as we emerge from the pandemic and continue on our path to economic recovery.”

“The Showcase reinforces how much talent, creativity, drive and innovation Ontario companies have to offer. Congratulations to all 19 companies that highlighted their solutions for responding to various COVID-related challenges. This Showcase brought companies together during challenging times to help build a more resilient future for Ontario,” said Claudia Krywiak, President and CEO, OCI.

The following is a list of the awarded companies and project focus areas:

Cloud Diagnostics Canada – Kitchener: Telemedicine and remote patient monitoring platform called Connected Health delivers virtual mental health services for those who are vulnerable or living in remote communities.

Drone Delivery Canada – Vaughan: Customizing, deploying, and operating commercially viable drone delivery systems, focusing on remote northern Ontario communities.

Kama.AI – Toronto: The kama DEI system uses natural language understanding to learn, recognize, and respond to customers based on their own personalities, focusing on first nations communities.

MindBeacon – Toronto: Virtual web-based platform provides Therapist-Assisted Internet-Based Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, focusing on primary care in the province of Ontario.

ShiftLink – Markham: Leveraging mobile application technology to maximize the effectiveness of the total skilled labour pool by distributing shifts to qualified and available staff based on their professional credentials and personal preferences; focusing on the South Simcoe OHT and community.

-30-

About the Ontario Centre of Innovation

The Ontario Centre of Innovation (OCI), formerly the Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE), maximizes the commercial impact of research developed in Ontario’s colleges, universities, and research hospitals, and accelerates the commercialization of Made-in-Ontario intellectual property and technologies. Having a broad and deep network across industry, academia and government, OCI initiates unparalleled partnership opportunities, develops and manages successful industry-academic collaborations, supports high-potential SMEs in commercializing ground-breaking research, and provides hands-on training and skills development opportunities for the next generation of highly-skilled talent.

---

Contact:

Alicia Pereira
Director, Communications & Strategy, Ontario Centre of Innovation
416-888-4088