The Southern Ontario Pharmaceutical and Health Innovation Ecosystem (SOPHIE) program helps Ontario life science companies accelerate commercialization through funding, research partnerships, and access to clinical expertise.
Successful applicants can receive up to $100,000 in matching, non-dilutive funding to collaborate with an academic or hospital partner within Hamilton’s life sciences ecosystem. In addition to funding, companies gain access to researchers, clinicians, testing capabilities, and advisory support to help validate technologies, generate clinical evidence, and bring innovative health solutions to market. SOPHIE is supported by FedDev Ontario and delivered through Innovation Factory and the Synapse Life Science Consortium.
Funding Amount
Up to $100,000 in matching funding
Funding is non-dilutive
A 1.25:1 matching contribution is required from the applicant company (cash and in-kind contributions may be eligible).
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants must:
Be a Canadian-incorporated company with operations primarily based in Ontario
Be a private life sciences company
Be developing an innovative technology at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 6 or higher
Be in the later stages of commercialization
Demonstrate a clear clinical application for the innovation
Partner with an academic or hospital institution within the Hamilton ecosystem
Identify a principal investigator or clinical champion at the partner institution
Provide the required 1.25:1 matching contribution toward the project.
Eligible Partners
Projects may be conducted with organizations such as:
McMaster University
Hamilton Health Sciences
Mohawk College
St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton and affiliated research institutes.
Application Intake
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, allowing eligible life science companies to apply throughout the year.