Ignite

The Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation’s (CABHI) Ignite program is now accepting applications from healthcare/research organizations and early-stage companies!

Ignite provides successful applicants with up to $150,000 CAD in non-dilutive funding and access to CABHI’s Acceleration Services. The program is designed to help healthcare/research organizations and early-stage companies overcome early innovation challenges that often stall progress and prevent promising solutions from achieving impact.

Apply to the Ignite program by December 5, 2025!

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Key Benefits

Access non-dilutive funding in the range of $50,000 to $150,000 CAD

If selected, the funding will be administered throughout the project in alignment with the completion of mutually agreed-upon milestones

Funds can be used towards a range of activities, including:

  • Prototype development

  • Proof-of-concept testing

  • Usability studies

  • Early solution validation

  • Intellectual property (IP) generation (patents, disclosures)

In addition to funding, successful applicants will gain access to CABHI’s Acceleration Services, which include learning and networking opportunities through the Ignite Learning Series, featuring subject matter experts from various industries.

Applicant Eligibility

Companies:

  • The company must be incorporated in Canada, either federally or provincially.

  • The company cannot be owned (in part or in whole) by a parent company.

  • The lead applicant must have signing authority for the company (generally the founder and/or CEO).

  • The company must meet the following maturity criteria:

    • Funding Raised (Private + Public): Less than $1M CAD

    • Annual Revenue Generated: Less than $250k CAD

    • Company Valuation*: does not exceed $6M CAD

      • *Valuation represents the projected financial value of your company, determined by investors or financial institutions using funding mechanisms like convertible notes, SAFEs (Simple Agreements for Future Equity), or priced equity rounds. If you have not received a formal valuation via these mechanisms, your company is “Pre-Valuation” and therefore eligible for this criterion.

Healthcare/Research Organizations:

  • The applicant must be affiliated with an accredited Canadian academic institution (e.g., university, college) or a recognized research or healthcare organization (e.g., hospital, research institute).

  • The applicant must hold a position as a faculty member, postdoctoral fellow, point-of-care worker (e.g., physician, nurse, PSW, clinical manager), or research scientist at the affiliated institution or organization.

  • Must control Intellectual Property (IP) and have filed (or intends to file) for Intellectual Property protection.

  • The project team must also meet the following maturity criteria:

    • Funding Received towards specific IP: Less than $2M CAD

    • Technology Readiness Level (TRL): 2-6