The Healthtech Times is a weekly newsletter covering healthtech news from Canada and around the globe. Subscribe to H|T using the form at the bottom of this page to ensure you don’t miss out on the most important healthtech news every week!
AlayaCare raises $225 million CAD Series D round (BETAKIT)
In July 2019, AlayaCare closed the first, $51 million portion of its nearly $116 million Series C round, and in January 2020, the startup secured a $47.9 million Series C extension.
Calling Canadian health tech entrepreneurs: pitch your startup to leading North America health industry CEOs!
Accenture’s Health Tech Innovation Challenge brings together start-ups and larger health organizations to tackle the world’s biggest health issues. Now in its fifth year, the challenge gives start-ups the chance to pitch their innovative ideas to leading CEOs from across the healthcare industry in Canada and the US. Entrepreneurs will gain exposure to judges who represent the broad spectrum of Accenture’s clients in healthcare, insurance, life sciences, and government.
Deadline is July 2 – apply today!
Are changes coming to telemedicine after pandemic growing pains? (THE GLOBE AND MAIL)
The pandemic accelerated the growth of telemedicine in Canada, breaking down barriers to accessibility, but experts question the ongoing level of demand for these services post-COVID-19 and want the industry to be more tightly regulated.
From basement startup to global medtech star (COMMUNITECH)
Along with Watcom and Dalsa, Northern Digital would help pave the way for the more than 1,600 companies that now make up Waterloo Region’s globally recognized tech ecosystem.
Semantic Health comes out of stealth to help hospitals use coded data (BETAKIT)
Semantic Health was founded in 2019 with the goal of helping hospitals improve their medical coding and auditing processes.
Weill Cornell Medicine launches $1.5B campaign to fund bench-to-bedside research in precision health, genomics (FIERCE HEALTHCARE)
The New York-based institution has already raised more than $750 million from existing benefactors.
Pear Therapeutics plans to go public in $1.6B SPAC deal (MED CITY NEWS)
Digital therapeutics startup Pear Therapeutics struck a deal to go public through a blank-check acquisition that would value the company at $1.6B. But it still faces big challenges in selling its app-based treatments.
Montréal’s Aifred Health wins second place at IBM AI XPRIZE competition (BETAKIT)
When Aifred Health was revealed to be in the top three finalists in February, the company said it planned to use its prize money, as well as its seed funding, to fund the clinical trial required for regulatory approval of its solution.
Doximity CEO ignored Silicon Valley wisdom and built a $10 billion healthtech company (CNBC)
Doximity co-founder and CEO Jeff Tangney owns a $2.9 billion stake in the company after its New York Stock Exchange debut this week.
Indian healthcare startup PharmEasy to acquire majority stake in listed firm Thyrocare for over $600 million (TECHCRUNCH)
Docon Technologies, a 100% subsidiary of API, will be the acquirer and shall make an open offer for an additional 26% stake for over $241 million, the startup said in a statement.
Teletherapy company Talkspace hits Nasdaq after completing SPAC merger (MOBIHEALTHNEWS)
The opening day stock prices are listed at $8.90 and the deal is expected to give Talkspace $250 million in growth capital.
‘Nobody is catching it’: Algorithms used in health care nationwide are rife with bias (STAT NEWS)
Researchers at the University of Chicago found that pervasive algorithmic bias is infecting countless daily decisions about how patients are treated by hospitals, insurers, and other businesses.
Google sister company Verily set to expand to Kitchener-Waterloo (BETAKIT)
Verily joins a series of large US tech firms that have sought to take advantage of Canada’s strong pool of software engineering talent. This list includes MasterClass, which BetaKit reported plans to open a new hub in Kitchener-Waterloo.
