Discover Our Startups: Biomedical Zone Edition
You may be wondering what startups are or you may already know! Regardless of that, I’m going to tell you anyway; startups are businesses that are in the beginning stages of their life. This is when they start getting things moving and see what works and what doesn’t. The startup stage is a crucial stage for any business because it lays the foundation for their future. At our university, Zone Learning is for anyone who wants to get practical experience in what it takes to build an initiative or venture from the ground-up. One of the 10 zones on campus includes the "Biomedical Zone (opens in new window) " in which various health-related startups are incubated. In this blog, I will be talking about a few of the startups in this zone that have caught my attention.
This medical device company develops technologies and products to aid in bettering people's lives. At this moment, they are developing a molecular diagnostic system which detects RNA viruses in human saliva. Reading about this was so interesting to me because I learned about RNA viruses in my program, Biomedical Sciences (opens in new window) , so I was able to understand and appreciate the importance of their work.
As someone who is a person of colour and a huge mental health advocate, PsyMood has really impressed me. Their system is an online platform that can connect you to mental health specialists who speak your language and are from your cultural background. Their website also has a blog (external link, opens in new window) where you can learn more about mental health, culture and people’s journeys.
This online platform helps you by identifying specialized steps you need to take to assist with a health-related problem. It does so by first encouraging you to fill out a questionnaire to assess your current situation. Then through an algorithm, it analyzes your responses and carefully provides you with recommendations you should take into consideration. You are also able to book appointments with specialists to further help you make healthy lifestyle changes. This website also has a blog to help educate you in health risks. I found this platform to be intriguing because it caters its responses to you and your condition in order to maximize support.
Anooka is an application that acts as your personal trainer to overcome pain. It provides you with a coach to watch over and guide you through your journey. It also gives you the best physical practices from cognitive functional therapy to help provide you with the best results, and it contains virtual exercise programs. I know this is something that someone like my grandmother would use to help stay active, so I’m excited to see what kind of impact Anooka makes.
This platform aids in bringing parents and caregivers by matching them with pediatric professionals from all over Canada. Their platform’s goal is to create better outcomes for children’s health. I believe this platform is so versatile because it gives users access to numerous resources. There are professionals that are available including mental health workers, tutors, physicians and specialists in the legal profession. Everyday Heroes Kids is partnered with different kinds of organizations with focuses on mental health, medical help, education, legal aid and technology. The digital blog (external link, opens in new window) is a platform that shares stories and informative articles to educate their audience of parents, guardians, caregivers and kids. Their website also focuses on accessibility by offering a sidebar where you can adjust the text size and spacing, select different cursors, use animations and adjust the contrast, and with just a click of a button, make it more dyslexia-friendly. I can appreciate how difficult the journey may be when having children who need extra pediatric care, and this platform creates the best atmosphere for this kind of care.
These are only a few of the startups in the Biomedical Zone, and I encourage you to check out the ones that I haven’t covered because they are just as captivating. These startups mark the beginning of great impacts that will be made in our world, and I’m really glad I get to see them in the works.
“See” you soon!
- Nishka
