HAMILTON, ON, November 23, 2023 — Yesterday, Innovation Factory hosted ‘Molecules and Masterpieces’, an exclusive networking event that celebrated recipients and partners of the Southern Ontario Pharmaceutical & Health Innovation Ecosystem (SOPHIE) Program. The event brought the program’s community together to foster connections and partnerships and drive success in the life science sector for innovative start-ups.
The Molecules and Masterpieces event was the ideal showcase of the SOPHIE program’s role as a catalyst for fostering partnerships and bridging commercialization services with innovation in the Hamilton life science sector.
The evening included speakers such as David Carter, CEO of Innovation Factory; Sarah Howe, Executive Director of Research at St. Joe’s representing St. Joseph’s hospital; and Maria Antonaskos, Founder & COO of Allarta Life Science. Taking place at Earls Court Gallery, the event also featured one-of-a-kind art pieces from local artists with each piece being raffled off to attendees.
David Carter, CEO of Innovation Factory shared, “Hamilton’s life sciences community, bolstered by the SOPHIE program and Synapse Consortium’s initiatives, has cultivated an ecosystem rich in innovation and collaboration. The SOPHIE program exemplifies our mission to create lasting partnerships that drive scientific advancement and economic growth. The Molecules and Masterpieces event illustrated the dynamic relationship between entrepreneurs, and the life science network in Hamilton, all contributing to a robust ecosystem that’s propelling Hamilton to the forefront of life science innovation.”
The SOPHIE program supports high-potential life science companies and enables them to accelerate their path to market. The program has supported 54 commercialization projects, enabled $12.5 million in commercialization investment and helped emerging companies create new jobs and raise capital. Delivered by Innovation Factory, in collaboration with the Synapse Life Science Consortium, the SOPHIE program launched in 2021 with a $7-million investment from the Government of Canada, through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario).
About Innovation Factory
Innovation Factory is a not-for-profit business accelerator, serving as the catalyst for technology innovation in the greater Hamilton area since 2010. Innovation Factory provides business services, training, mentorship, and strategic connections to drive market adoption, leverage intellectual property, and increase revenues, investment, and jobs. Innovators can also access sector-specific resources including exclusive smart transportation test environments and data; and a formal life science and health innovation ecosystem.
About FedDev Ontario
For 14 years, the Government of Canada, through FedDev Ontario, has worked to advance and diversify the southern Ontario economy through funding opportunities and business services that support innovation, growth and job creation in Canada’s most populous region. The Agency has delivered impressive results, which can be seen in southern Ontario businesses that are creating innovative technologies, improving productivity, growing revenues, creating jobs, and in the economic advancement of communities across the region. Learn more about the impacts the Agency is having in southern Ontario by exploring our pivotal projects, our Southern Ontario Spotlight, and FedDev Ontario’s Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
