UHN's KITE Research Institute is calling on all UHN innovators and entrepreneurs to help shape the future of health care by submitting ideas for a one-of-a-kind pitch competition with more than $50,000 in prizes.
The KITE PowerPlay Pitch Competition is the signature event planned for this year's International Conference on Aging, Innovation and Rehabilitation (ICAIR), which is scheduled to take place at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre on Monday, May 8.
"The purpose of this pitch event is to help accelerate innovation and the commercial success of potential products and services for the health care sector," says Dr. Milos R. Popovic, Director of KITE and Chair of the ICAIR Organizing Committee.
"This competition is open to innovators at all stages of product and technology development, from concepts and prototypes to finished products and services and start-up companies."
Entrepreneurs and fledgling start-ups will be hard pressed to find a more engaged group of health thinkers than those expected to be in attendance at this year's ICAIR event – which is being co-organized by KITE and the Rehabilitation Sciences Institute at the University of Toronto.
"We are anticipating that ICAIR will attract the leading researchers, scientists, academics, entrepreneurs and innovators working to improve the lives of people living with the effects of aging, disability and illness," says Dr. Popovic, who notes the prize money is significant enough to help entrepreneurs bring their innovations to the next stage.
"We are looking for energetic, innovative and passionate health care innovators who can address an unmet need in the health care industry, through preventative health care solutions, treatment and management of disabling injuries and illnesses, restorative assistive devices to help restore function, diagnostic tools, digital health, and others."
There is no registration fee to participate in the competition. The deadline for online application submissions is March 13.
Read more about the PowerPlay competition
