Femtech Canada, in partnership with Innovation Factory, launched the wHealth MedPath program to support women's health startups with a $20,000 boost.
The program offers a two-step process, including a product-market assessment and connections to research and manufacturing partners.
Startups must be privately incorporated, hold a Femtech Canada membership, and have a working prototype to qualify for the program.
Applications are open until March 2026, but founders are urged to apply by July 30, 2025, due to limited spots.
Femtech Canada, in partnership with Innovation Factory, has launched its first commercialization program to help women's health startups navigate the path from prototype to product. The wHealth MedPath initiative gives founders a $20,000 leg-up in expert services, from clinical feedback to manufacturing support.
A healthy opportunity: The program targets a historically under-resourced space that represents one of the country's "most promising growth opportunities," according to Innovation Factory's Karen Linseman. It provides a two-step process, starting with a product-market assessment from a physician network before connecting startups with contract research and manufacturing partners.
Getting in the door: To qualify, startups need to be privately incorporated, hold a Femtech Canada membership, and have a working prototype ready. While applications are open until March 2026, the organization is urging founders to apply by July 30, 2025, due to a limited number of spots.
The bottom line: By providing targeted capital and expert connections, Femtech Canada is creating a dedicated pathway to help critical women's health innovations overcome early-stage commercialization hurdles. The new program builds on recent momentum for the organization, which officially launched its nationwide network in early 2024 after several years of developing its ecosystem in association with Innovation Factory.
