Southern Ontario Pharmaceutical and Health Innovation Ecosystem

Powering life sciences innovation in Ontario

SOPHIE is a catalyst for the commercialization and scale-up of innovative technologies in Ontario. The SOPHIE program was established as a partnership between the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), Innovation Factory and the Synapse Consortium.

SOPHIE brings together Innovation Factory’s commercialization services with the Synapse Life Science Consortium’s strategic network to leverage access to Hamilton’s unique life sciences capabilities and research expertise.

Leverage more with SOPHIE

Canadian MedTechAlliance

Through the CAMEDA grant program, you can leverage up to $100,000 in matching funds to access expertise and facilities required to build up domestic manufacturing know-how and establish manufacturing capacity in Canada by launching a project with world-class contract development and manufacturing organizations.

Synapse Pitch Competition

Innovation Factory’s Synapse Life Science Pitch Competition is designed to help move innovative life science products and services out of the lab and into the market.  The competition is the culmination of a cohort commercialization training and mentorship program that supports businesses to prepare for investment and growth opportunities.

Synapse Life Science Consortium

The Synapse Life Science Consortium is the formal regional cluster organization for the life sciences ecosystem in the greater Hamilton region. Acting as a strategic broker, Synapse helps to accelerate the commercialization of healthcare and life science innovation, and celebrates the successes of industry leaders and new start-ups in the Hamilton region.

Partnerships that move you forward

SOPHIE is a catalyst for the commercialization and scale-up of innovative technologies being produced by life science firms across Ontario. Our partnerships accelerate commercialization efforts, enabling health-tech innovators to further develop intellectual property, obtain critical clinical data or undertake key product testing and evaluation.

Meet our team

Alex Muggah
Biography
Alek Tirpan
Biography
Brandon McIntyre
Biography

Help to bring your innovation to market

Apply to the SOPHIE program to begin your collaborative project and access clinical and research expertise, and evidence to commercialize your innovation. The SOPHIE Program bridges your access to Hamilton’s unique life sciences capabilities, research expertise and the financing to help achieve technology validation.

Program Partners

McMaster University
Hamilton Health Sciences
The Research Institute of St. Joe’s Hamilton
Mohawk College
Innovation Factory
Synapse Consortium