HealthSpark
Work with Vector to supercharge your AI research and development efforts.
Accelerate your health care AI solution with Vector’s HealthSpark program. Collaborate with our machine learning experts and receive technical support over 4 months to build or enhance your innovation.
We’re seeking southern Ontario startups and scaleups at a stable growth stage, whether you have an active product to enhance with AI or a well-defined plan for a new AI-driven solution.
HealthSpark gives you access to:
- Training – Workshops and training opportunities to build your capabilities
- Expertise – A dedicated team of AI engineers to collaborate with you in developing and refining your solution
- Mentorship – Team mentorship from experts
- Networks – Value-add events and connections as part of our network
Want to join Vector’s HealthSpark program?
The application process for 2026 will launch in February 2026.
Should you have any questions that are not addressed on this site, please email us.
Following the 2025 Call for Project Proposals, Vector Institute is pleased to welcome these companies to the HealthSpark program for 2025-2026:
Verto Health
MedMe Health
Tenomix Inc
Verto Health
Verto Health‘s patented AI technology delivers Digital Twin journeys for Population Health, powering 11.5M+ patient visits across 100+ sites and 25+ health systems. Verto transforms data from any source into near real-time patient journeys to improve care and reduce administrative burden for providers.
The HealthSpark initiative will accelerate Verto’s development of an AI-driven model that unlocks a new era of personalized care and better population health management for Canadians.
MedMe Health
MedMe Health is Canada’s leading pharmacy clinical services platform, trusted by 4,500+ pharmacies, including 70% of enterprise chains. MedMe equips pharmacies to launch, manage, and grow their clinical services through a SaaS platform that transforms them into community health hubs. MedMe’s AI Clinical Assistant, the first and only pharmacy-specific scribe, automatically fills clinical documentation, marking the company’s first step toward an AI-powered workflow solution tailored to pharmacists. The company aims to tap into Vector’s expertise to build complementary AI-driven patient concierge capabilities.
Tenomix Inc
Tenomix Inc. is reshaping the future of pathology to enable physicians and the Canadian health system to deliver better and more timely cancer care. Its novel technologies harness robotics, imaging and AI to streamline pathology workflows and enhance precision, enabling faster, more efficient, and cost-effective diagnosis and subsequent treatment. The company is working with the HealthSpark team to advance AI innovation that will help power the next generation of precision cancer diagnostics.
How IDENTOS transformed their healthcare technology with AI expertise
IDENTOS partnered with Vector Institute’s HealthSpark program to develop an AI-powered navigation tool that connects patients with community services using natural language. In four months, IDENTOS is deploying their client-ready AI solution, created and preserved five new jobs has more staff trained in AI, and new intellectual property developed.
“Through HealthSpark, our team collaborated with top AI minds and health data experts to enhance our solutions that simplify how Ontario patients and providers access care.”
Mike Cook
CEO and co-founder of IDENTOS
Program details
- The HealthSpark program supports startups and scaleups based in the Southern Ontario region of Canada
- Preference will be given to companies at a stable growth stage that have an active and functional product or service that they aim to enhance with AI, or a well-defined plan for developing a new AI-driven product or service
- Selected companies will collaborate with Vector to establish clear milestones for AI product development and will sign a milestone-based agreement to ensure alignment and accountability
- Selected companies will be paired with a dedicated AI engineering support team from Vector to provide hands-on support and technical expertise over a four-month intensive development period
- Selected companies will be invited to participate in programs, networking opportunities, and events hosted by Vector and its partners
2025 Topics/Priorities
Project themes
- Advanced Diagnostics: AI solutions that enhance diagnostic accuracy, efficiency, and clinical decision-making, including applications in image-guided therapy, digital pathology, genomics, and multimodal diagnostics.
- Access to Care and Care Delivery: AI solutions and applications that improve how patients access, navigate, and engage with health care services, including primary care, emergency departments, virtual care, and care delivery workflows.
- Mental Health and Neurological Health: AI solutions and applications that support prevention, early detection, monitoring, and personalized care for mental health and neurological conditions, including digital therapeutics and decision-support solutions.
Note: Vector is open to reviewing any proposal with a direct health focus, even if it does not fall within the specified themes.
AI/ML methods & techniques of interest
- Multimodal AI (including Vision Language Models)
- Model Evaluation & Safety
- Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs)
- Interpretability and Explainability
- Agentic Systems
- RAG/Compound AI Systems
- Bias & Fairness
- Medical Image Analysis
Program eligibility
- Must be an incorporated company in Canada and based in Southern Ontario
- Must be active participants in Vector’s Fastlane Program or commit to joining the program upon proposal acceptance; Vector Bronze sponsor companies are eligible to participate in the program
- Must have at least 10 full-time employees and no more than 500 full-time equivalent employees
- Must commit at least two (2) full-time technical employees for the duration of the development period of the program (four months)
- The proposal must be focused on developing and commercializing a technology that utilizes AI/ML, and that has a fundamental impact on the health sector
- The proposed solution must demonstrate the ability to scale
Application guidelines
Round 1: Online Application
Part I: Applicant information
This section includes information such as the company mission, objectives, team structure, etc.
Part II: Application questions
This section includes questions about the project/product and technology. Please be clear and concise and adhere to the word limits.
Project assessment:
Potential Impact [30%]
- Magnitude of problem is appropriate in scale
- Alignment and clear evidence/direct link that the solution will improve the HealthSpark program target areas
- Clear outcomes have been identified that can be used to assess project success
Technical Feasibility [30%]
- Alignment with HealthSpark priorities (e.g., advanced diagnostic and therapeutic techniques, primary care, health platforms).
- Clear product vision and/or solution readiness
- Integration complexity with the existing SMEs system is feasible
Strategic Fit [30%]
- AI/ML is central to value in the project
- Vector fills a capability or expertise gap that the SME cannot cover internally
Commercial Opportunity [10%]
- Clear pathway to scale the solution beyond the collaboration
- Barriers to adoption are manageable (technical, regulatory, organizational)
- Market demand and potential willingness to adopt the solution
- Sustainability model of the solution beyond collaboration is clear
Round 2: Solution deep dive and Q&A session
Selected applicants will move forward to the second round – the Solution Deep Dive and Q&A Session. During this session, applicants will have the opportunity to engage in a detailed discussion with the selection committee. The session will begin with a 10-minute overview of the proposed solution, followed by a 20-minute interactive Q&A where the committee will ask questions to explore the feasibility, impact, and scalability of the solution
Applicants will participate virtually, and the session will be recorded. The recording may be used, in whole or in part, for Vector’s internal purposes only.
During the Solution Deep Dive and Q&A Session, applicants will be evaluated on the technical and commercial potential of their proposed solution, as well as the ability to articulate their vision and respond to other relevant questions.
Selection Process
- The HealthSpark selection committee will evaluate and select projects
- Vector will support three (3) SMEs for the 2026-2027 fiscal year
- Offers of acceptance will be shared by mid-April 2026
Key dates
- February 9, 2026 – Call for Proposals Launch (9:00 AM EST)
- February 27, 2026 – Application Deadline (11:59 PM EST)
- Mid March 2026 – Invitation to Solution Deep Dive and Q&A
- Mid April 2026 – Proposal Selection Notification
- Early May 2026 – Welcome/Orientation
Dates are subject to change
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