Personal wellness platform, BestLifeRewarded Innovations (BLRI), has received $100,000 from the federal government’s Women Entrepreneurship Fund, which the company said will help with its global expansion efforts.
“This funding will boost our global expansion and help us to continue to highlight our Canadian innovation on the global stage.”
BLRI’s platform merges health and fitness tracking with tools designed to monitor household budgets and retirement savings, while giving users rewards points from popular Canadian retailers when they make healthy choices. The funding is part of the federal government’s Women Entrepreneurship Strategy, a $2 billion investment that seeks to double the number of women-owned businesses by 2025.
“Our goal was to improve the well-being of Canadians and that is why we created the BestLifeRewarded platform,” said Susanne Cookson, co-founder of BLRI. “We deliver a comprehensive wellness solution with sustainable results that has put us at the forefront of health behaviour change innovation. Using a results-oriented approach, we have created an evidence-based program that our members actually use and love.”
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BetaKit learned in March that the WES had chosen 200 companies in total to receive funding, though only a small number have been officially announced.
To help hand out the remaining funds, the government also announced that it has established a panel of experts to provide advice and identify opportunities and challenges for women entrepreneurs. The panel will be supported by representatives from the Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub and the BDC, the special advisor on Scale-Up, Minister of Small Business and Export, Mary Ng, as well as by the work of the Canada-United States Council for Advancement of Women Entrepreneurs and Business Leaders.
Founded in 2010 by Susanne Cookson and Cynthia Hastings-James in Oakville, Ont., BestLifeRewarded Innovations delivers programs that encourage users to take steps to improve their health. The company partnered with Sun Life Financial last September to bring the platform to Sun Life’s clients. As of late last year, BLRI currently services over 12,000 employers, supporting more than three million Canadians.
Users first take a holistic health assessment that assesses their financial, physical, and mental health. The platform then guides them gives users the ability to track wellness activities, including nutrition, fitness, and budgeting. Clients then receive access to online courses, articles and tips, and can set reminders for healthy behaviours.
“We are thrilled to be recognized by the Canadian government through the Women Entrepreneurship Fund,” said Cookson. “This funding will boost our global expansion and help us to continue to highlight our Canadian innovation on the global stage.”
Image courtesy BestLifeRewarded Innovations