Toronto-based healthtech startup Pendium Health is one of the winners taking home prize money from the DiscoveryX Conference and Trade Show.
The DiscoveryX Conference and Trade Show, an annual innovation conference hosted by the Ontario Centre for Innovation (OCI), wrapped up in Toronto on April 17. Now in its 15th year, DiscoveryX returned to Toronto’s Enercare Centre after a four-year hiatus.
The event featured two pitch competitions: the Where Next Showcase and the InnovateU pitch competition, with each of the winners taking home $10,000.
The InnovateU pitch competition showcased early-stage startups from Ontario’s academic institutions’ accelerators. Founded in 2023, Pendium Health develops AI-powered clinical tools, including a chatbot, aimed at increasing physician productivity and improving patient care. The startup is led by CEO Stacy Nguyen, CTO Omri Nachmani, COO Emily Chen, and research and development lead Alejandro Quiros.
“Pendium Health impressed the judges with their groundbreaking pitch, showcasing their innovative approach to solving critical healthcare challenges,” OCI said in a statement. “Their visionary ideas and commitment to revolutionizing the healthcare industry have earned them the top spot in this esteemed competition.”
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The Where Next Showcase saw teams from Ontario’s universities and research hospitals pitch their emerging tech products in a number of sectors, including AI, automotive, life sciences, and more. Judges included Snita Balsara of the Business Development Bank of Canada, David Rich of StarForge Fund, and Lucas Ng of the Ontario Brain Institute.
Prameet Sheth, professor and clinical microbiologist from Queen’s University, was named the winner of the Where Next Showcase after pitching his novel protease treatment. Protease treatment refers to the process of using protease enzymes to break down proteins.
DiscoveryX also featured keynotes and panel discussions between Canadian tech leaders and industry experts, including Waabi’s Raquel Urtasun, Maverix Private Equity’s John Ruffolo, and Passage’s Martin Basiri. This year’s event saw a total of 2,000 attendees and 250 exhibitors.