OBIO® Celebrates Women Leaders in Life Sciences and Health Tech with Investment in Block Biosciences and Launch of Women’s STEM Entrepreneurship Training Program

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TORONTO – In honor of International Women’s Month, OBIO^® hosts a celebration of women leaders in all fields of life sciences and health technology. The event, supported by EY and FACIT, featured remarks by Chi Nguyen, Member of Parliament for Spadina – Harbourfront, and the Honorable Charmaine Williams, Minister for Social Work and the Economy, a panel discussion on global fundraising and scaling, and a competition showcasing OBIO’s nine women-led companies this year’^® A seed program for the Women in Health Initiative (WiHI).

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OBIO^® Supporting Women-Led Innovation by Investing in Block Biosciences

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Now in its third cohort, the WiHI Seed Program was established in 2023 to address the significant barriers that women-led companies face in accessing financial and institutional funding. group, 20/20 OptimEyes Technologies, Arche Biotechnologies, Block Bioscience, Fiber, Hada Medtech, NodeAI Diagnostics, NuvoBio, Savyn Tech again Virano Therapeuticsbenefit from six months of mentoring services, access to professional networks, industry resources and tools, and consistent funding. To celebrate International Women’s Day, the team presented their business opportunities at a competition on March 5, where Block Biosciences, a Hamilton-based company developing first-in-class treatments designed to stop the spread of cancer in the brain, received a $100,000 investment from OBIO.^® WiHI. The audience also voted Arche Biotechnologies as the recipient of the $10,000 non-cash Audience Choice Award. The company develops a real-time fluid monitoring solution to improve patient safety and care efficiency.

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“Participating in OBIO^® The WiHI Seed program has been a great opportunity for Block Biosciences. Mentorship, network access, and commercial support have helped accelerate our progress and strengthen our approach to market. We are delighted to receive this investment from OBIO^®which will allow us to continue to develop our technology and increase our impact. Programs like WiHI are critical to supporting female innovators and ensuring that new health technologies can reach the patients who need them most,”

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said Amie Phinney, CEO and Founder of Block Bioscience

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“Women are driving some of the most promising developments in Canada’s life sciences and health technology sectors, yet many still face barriers to growing their companies. This third cohort shows how targeted programs can unlock talent, strengthen our innovation economy, and bring new health solutions to Canadians. FedDev Ontario is proud to support the creation of this impactful program,”

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said the Honorable Evan Solomon, Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario.

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“On International Women’s Day and throughout Women’s History Month, we celebrate the incredible leadership, resilience, and innovation of women across Ontario. Congratulations to this year’s winners, whose groundbreaking work in life sciences not only advances important health solutions but also changes lives and shapes the future of care,”

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said the Honorable Charmaine Williams, Associate Minister of Women’s Social and Economic Affairs.

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“Our government is proud to support women entrepreneurs who are breaking barriers and driving progress in fields where their leadership is often underrepresented. When we invest in women, we invest in stronger communities, an inclusive economy, and a healthier future for all Ontarians. I look forward to seeing the continued impact of these remarkable companies and the inspiration they will provide to the next generation of women leaders.”

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OBIO^® and FACIT Mark First Anniversary of Joint Women’s Entrepreneurship Programme

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The event also commemorated the first years of the Women’s Synergistic Entrepreneurship and Economic Development (WeSEED) program, jointly launched by OBIO.^® and FACIT. Both organizations have established records in creating value by supporting women entrepreneurs and co-investing in women-led companies such as HDAX Therapeutics and Tenomix. The WeSEED program provides participating women-led companies with advice and resources for both organizations, resulting in continued targeted marketing support.

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“The WeSEED program shows how collaboration across Ontario’s life sciences space can increase opportunities for women entrepreneurs,”

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said Dr. Connie Chen, Senior Director, Strategy and Business Development at FACIT.

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“The seed company boasts an investment portfolio that now includes more than 40% female-led innovation or oncology startups that have attracted more than one-third of FACIT’s investment dollars, far exceeding the commercial industry average. Through our partnership with OBIO^®WeSEED brings together complementary expertise, capital, and commercial support to provide women entrepreneurs with the training, mentoring networks, and financing needed to grow their companies. We are pleased to see the continuation of this program and the growth of companies benefiting from our coordinated support.”

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New Entrepreneurship Training Program for Women in STEM

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OBIO^® WiHI is designed to increase the participation and advancement of women in the fields of life sciences and health technology. As of 2022, the program has supported more than 370 women through training and/or work-based learning. Building on this success and addressing the underrepresentation of women in ownership and leadership positions in life sciences and health technology, OBIO^® announced a partnership with PRIME, the next-generation precision medicine program at the University of Toronto and BioLabs – University of Toronto to deliver an Entrepreneurship Training Program for Women in STEM: Health and Life Sciences. The program will run from March to June 2026 and provide commercial training to 25-30 women innovators developing technology in health and life sciences.