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MedEssist’s Joella Almeida on going slow with AI in healthtech
(BETAKIT)
To MedEssist CEO Joella Almeida, Canada’s healthcare system is “fundamentally broken.”
The adoption of AI in the healthcare field is accelerating, offering new possibilities in diagnostics, treatment planning, and operational efficiencies. But Almeida described her company’s approach as “really slow, very methodical, very dedicated.”
Why? It’s not just a privacy issue, she explained.
Custom Health to go public via SPAC at $185 million valuation
(BNN BLOOMBERG)
The transaction with Berenson Acquisition Corp. I will provide the digital healthcare firm with the $11.1 million in trust that the special-purpose acquisition company holds, assuming no redemptions, as well as potential additional financing, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Federal government punts NRC IRAP’s merger into the Canada Innovation Corporation to 2026-2027
(BETAKIT)
The federal government has announced it will delay plans to fully implement the Canada Innovation Corporation (CIC) until after the next scheduled federal election.
The delay to 2026 at the earliest was revealed in a statement released by the Department of Finance, which also announced the government will begin its review of the Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) program in January 2024, as well as plans to implement recommended improvements to the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) following a recent legislative review.
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23andMe tells victims it’s their fault that their data was breached
(TECHCRUNCH)
Facing more than 30 lawsuits from victims of its massive data breach, 23andMe is now deflecting the blame to the victims themselves in an attempt to absolve itself from any responsibility, according to a letter sent to a group of victims seen by TechCrunch.
In December, 23andMe admitted that hackers had stolen the genetic and ancestry data of 6.9 million users, nearly half of all its customers.
Social Finance Fund-backed Realize Capital Partners reveals first nine investments
(BETAKIT)
Toronto-based Realize Capital Partners has announced its first investments, committing a total of $35.2 million CAD to nine direct investors.
2024 could be a turning point for the regulation of AI in health care
(STAT)
If the past year was prelude, the U.S. government in 2024 is poised to re-write the rules surrounding the use of artificial intelligence in health care.
Just in the past few months, President Joe Biden ordered a sweeping crackdown on AI by federal health agencies; members of Congress promised to step up oversight and pass new legislation; and many AI experts, from within industry and outside of it, sounded alarms about the urgent need for standards.
Founder resolutions: Six Canadian tech leaders share their goals for 2024
(BETAKIT)
To help you kickstart a new year with renewed enthusiasm, find out what the founders of these Canadian tech businesses, including Wealthsimple’s Michael Katchen, have to say about their New Year’s resolutions, and what they predict will be the technology winner of 2024.
Assent CEO talks ESG’s growing impact on stakeholder, customer, and investor relationships
(BETAKIT)
Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) accounting used to be a nice to have; now, it’s become a strategic necessity.
In a recent #CIBCInnovationBanking podcast episode, Andrew Waitman, CEO of Assent, explained how startup leaders can begin to craft an ESG strategy that drives business growth.
Operating pressures, rising demand ensure dealmaking will hold steady in 2024, KPMG says
(FIERCE HEALTHCARE)
Though dealmaking volume slowed to prepandemic levels in 2023 and its fourth quarter, M&A is expected to hold steady in 2024 as dealmakers will be on the lookout for opportunities in the physician practice, payer and health IT markets.
“We see a convergence of factors laying the groundwork for a potentially stronger deal market in 2024,” Ash Shehata, U.S. sector leader for healthcare at KPMG, said.
How to move the “big rock” of inclusion in tech
(BETAKIT)
Canadian tech is facing a deep tech talent shortage and government leaders tend to want to fill this gap with foreign talent. But plans to draw from the international worker pool ignore the talent in our own backyard, including underrepresented communities across Canada.
Pablo Listingart, Executive Director of digital skills school ComIT, shared with BetaKit what he’s learned is necessary to continue pushing inclusion forward.
Dog cancer treatment ImpriMed aims to expand its AI technology into human oncology
(TECHCRUNCH)
ImpriMed, a California-based precision medicine startup, builds AI-powered dog cancer treatment technology that helps veterinarians identify the most suitable drugs for individual canine and feline blood cancers.
The startup, which centers on improving treatment outcomes of dogs and cats with cancer first, now aims to expand its precision medicine technology for human oncology applications.