HAMILTON, ON | March 26, 2026 — Innovation Factory has announced the winners of the 2026 Synapse Life Science Pitch Competition, following three months of intensive training and mentorship. The final showcase, held in Hamilton, marked the culmination of the 13th annual program designed to support Ontario’s emerging health-tech and life science innovators.
This year’s competition narrowed an initial pool of 13 innovators down to a group of five finalists, including Better Bionics, Digits Health, Epiloid Biotechnology, Neuro-mod, and NovaSonix Healthcare Inc. These companies distinguished themselves through their commercialization plan — developed in collaboration with post-secondary student team members — that demonstrated a clear path to market. Together, this cohort represents a diverse range of sectors within the life sciences, with each venture working to bridge gaps in the current health landscape.
After a final round of live pitches, NovaSonix Healthcare took the top honour, securing $20,000 in cash and $12,500 of in-kind prizes, including a legal package from Gowling WLG, a strategy consultation package and a medical device quality management package. NovaSonix’s NovaVue enhances ultrasound technology to capture 3D and dynamic images for the non-invasive prevention, diagnosis, and monitoring of musculoskeletal diseases like osteoarthritis.
“We first competed in the Synapse Life Sciences Competition shortly after incorporating NovaSonix Healthcare. While we didn’t place at that time, the experience played a meaningful role in shaping our growth, both as founders and as a company. Returning this year and winning the competition feels like a true full-circle moment,” said Randa Mudathir, Co-founder and CEO of NovaSonix Healthcare Inc. “It’s also incredibly humbling to share the stage with such an inspiring group of innovators and breakthrough technologies that will undoubtedly have a meaningful impact on patient care. We’re proud to be part of this community and excited to build on this momentum as we advance through key milestones toward bringing our technology to market.”
Second place was awarded to Epiloid Biotechnology, which received $15,000 in cash and $5,000 of in-kind prizes, including a legal package from Smart & Biggar for its innovation that uses human brain organoids and machine learning to analyze how drugs interact with functional brain circuitry while treating neurological diseases.
Better Bionics came in third place and received $5,000 cash for its use of AI generative design and 3D printing to transform limb scans into personalized, affordable bionic prosthetics that reduce manufacturing time and cost.
Along with these awards, the Quick Pitch Award was presented to Sensible Vascular, receiving $2,500, and Synod Intellicare, which won the Medstack Prize from Launchit Solutions valued up to $25,000 in-kind.
The final pitches were evaluated by a panel of judges, including Mark McQueen, Director in Deloitte’s Global Investment and Innovation Incentives service line; Dr. Elizabeth Gray, Head of Health at Ontario Genomics; and Isabelle Harris, Analyst at Lumira Ventures.
“The calibre of innovation we’ve seen in this year’s cohort is a testament to the strength of Ontario’s life science ecosystem,” said David Carter, CEO of Innovation Factory. “Programs like the Synapse Competition are about more than just the prizes; it’s about providing the mentorship and strategic connections necessary to turn research into a scalable business. We are incredibly proud of this year’s finalists for their commitment to driving the future of healthcare and contributing to the economic growth of our region.”
Reflecting on the region’s collaborative life science ecosystem, this year’s event was made possible by “Title Sponsor”, Deloitte, and “Innovation Sponsors”, Smart & Biggar, and Gowling WLG, whose combined support equipped the finalists with mentorship and resources required to navigate the complex path to commercialization.
For more information, visit synapselifescience.com.
About Innovation Factory
Innovation Factory is a not-for-profit business accelerator, serving as the catalyst for technology innovation in the Brant, Halton, Hamilton and Norfolk regions since 2010. Innovation Factory provides business services, training, mentorship, and strategic connections to drive market adoption, leverage intellectual property, and increase revenues, investment, and jobs. Innovators can also access sector-specific resources including exclusive smart transportation test environments and data; and a formal life science and health innovation ecosystem.