Canada’s health tech sector is at a critical juncture for Growth

Amid global instability and long-standing systemic hurdles, Canada’s health-tech sector finds itself at a pivotal crossroads. The MaRS report outlines how structural challenges—funding shortfalls, regulatory frictions, and market limitations—are colliding with historic opportunities, particularly around talent repatriation and deepening domestic ecosystems.

A Shrinking Funnel: Funding Challenges

2024 saw a notable pullback in venture capital for Canadian health tech:

• Overall health-science VC fell 18%, dropping to CA $700 million across 287 deals MaRS Discovery District.

• Early-stage investment took the hardest hit: deals were down 26%, funding volumes 30% lower than the prior year MaRS Discovery District.

• In biotech, investors gravitated toward mega-deals, sidestepping riskier early-stage ventures. The standout was a CA $248 million Series A for Borealis Biosciences, which accounted for 22% of all funding MaRS Discovery District.

• Medical devices saw a 30% increase—but largely thanks to just a few large rounds, like an CA $143 millionfinancing for Kardium MaRS Discovery District.

• Digital health lagged behind, with 36% less funding in 2024 than in 2023, except for growth in behavioural/mental health and wellness sectors MaRS Discovery District.

Structural Struggles: From Labs to Market

Long-standing challenges persist:

• Canadian innovation remains strong in academia, but commercialization lags—many promising ideas stall before reaching market MaRS Discovery District.

• Regulatory systems are fragmented, and securing early-stage capital is difficult MaRS Discovery District.

• Canada’s smaller market forces startups to target U.S. investors, manufacturers, and customers. Yet geopolitical unpredictability, such as tariff threats, is making that increasingly risky MaRS Discovery District.

A Silver Lining: Talent Returning & Homegrown Momentum

Despite these hurdles, a shift is underway:

• U.S. funding cuts, visa restrictions, and political turmoil are fueling a reversal of the “brain drain.” A Nature poll found 75% of U.S. scientists are considering relocating, naming Canada and Europe as top destinations. Recruiters report a roughly two-fold increase in interest from American physicians MaRS Discovery District.

• In response, University Health Network launched the Canada Leads 100 Challenge, aimed at attracting 100 early-career research stars to Ontario—with plans to expand nationwide MaRS Discovery District.

• Investors are showing renewed interest in Canadian ventures. Interprovincial trade barriers are being dismantled, enabling broader domestic scale and reducing dependence on U.S. markets MaRS Discovery District.

Bridging the Gap: Fresh Funding Models Emerging

With VC retrenching, new funding pathways are gaining traction:

1. Philanthropic “catalytic capital”: The Wittington Innovation Fund backed Grey Matter Neurosciences’ CA $14 million round. The Cancer Breakthrough Fund (via Lumira Ventures and the Terry Fox Foundation) and the SickKids Breakthrough Fund similarly support early-stage, high-impact health tech ventures MaRS Discovery District.

2. Founder-first models: Experienced serial entrepreneurs are drawing investor support, offering faster paths to commercialization—though may lack access to certain non-dilutive academic funding MaRS Discovery District.

3. Pharma partnerships: Deals like Sanofi’s strategic investment in Zucara Therapeutics (U.S. $20M Series B) demonstrate pharma’s growing role in early-stage biotech support MaRS Discovery District.

4. Build-to-buy studios: Incubator models like Pre-Amp Fellowship or Versant’s collaboration with Novartis are reviving build-to-buy strategies, embedding early entrepreneurial support MaRS Discovery District.

Five Tech Trends Shaping the Horizon

The report spotlights five innovation areas where Canadian startups are making strides:

1. Liquid biopsies

   • Detect cancer early through tiny biomarkers in blood or saliva.

   • Examples include Adela, mDetect, Oxford Cancer Analytics, Asima Health. OICR’s new DNA sequencer enhances research capabilities MaRS Discovery District.

2. Biomarkers & real-world data

   • Innovations such as RetiSpec (eye scan detection of Alzheimer’s), Interaxon (consumer EEG biomarkers), and AI-based platforms (Perceiv AI, AiimSense, etc.) are advancing early and non-invasive diagnostics MaRS Discovery District.

3. Women’s health (Femtech)

   • Underfunded historically, but now gaining momentum:

     • Afynia (endometriosis diagnostics), Cellect (nanomaterial diagnostics via menstrual products), Maman Biomedical (IVF patch), Flutter Care (perinatal platform), SanoLiving (menopause support).

   • Femtech funding increased 55% year-over-year; Canada hosts the world’s third-largest ecosystem in this space MaRS Discovery District.

4. Metabolic disorder therapeutics (GLP-1s)

   • With Novo Nordisk’s semaglutide patent expiring in January 2026, generics are on the horizon. GLP-1 drugs are being explored for broader use—arthritis, liver disease, heart & kidney therapy. Nymble Health offers AI-supported patient guidance for GLP-1 users MaRS Discovery District.

5. AI in action

Conclusion: A Strategic Inflection Point

Canada’s health-tech sector faces heightened uncertainty—but also rare opportunity. Brain-drain reversal, domestic funding models, and emerging regulatory support (e.g., Ontario’s Health Innovation Pathway) are laying groundwork for stronger commercialization.

As Louise Pichette (MaRS) puts it: “Challenging economic times breed really resilient companies.” For Canada to become a life-sciences superpower, sustained commitment—financial, regulatory, and cultural—is essential now.

Source: MaRS Discovery District’s report Vital signs: Canada’s health tech sector is at a critical juncture MaRS Discovery District