Innovation Matchmaking Day brought together innovators from McMaster’s entrepreneurship ecosystem to explore collaborative ways to tackle health-care challenges and bring their technologies to the market.

The event was hosted by the McMaster Entrepreneurship Academy in collaboration with Hamilton Health Sciences and St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, with support from the Juravinski Research Institute.

The action-packed day featured a panel discussion, speed networking and an innovation spotlight session, giving research and startup teams from across campus and affiliated hospitals a chance to share ideas, advice and inspiration.

“Commercialization is key to transforming academic ideas into real world impact,” says Leyla Soleymani, associate vice-president, Research (Commercialization & Entrepreneurship).

“Our research teams and startup founders are already making remarkable strides in translating their research into impactful health solutions. Events like these provide the support and connections they need to launch their technologies and build successful ventures,” Soleymani says.

The panel discussion focused on strategies for aligning clinicians, engineers and entrepreneurs to maximize health-tech success. Panelists shared challenges they’ve encountered in their commercialization journeys, resources at McMaster they’ve leveraged to support them, and tips for multidisciplinary team building and fundraising.

A speed-networking session gave participants a chance to connect and explore opportunities for collaboration. Then, 14 early-stage startup teams presented their exciting health-tech inventions in the innovation spotlight session.

Now in its second year, the Innovation Matchmaking program offers up to $75,000 in prep-funding to help research teams and innovators develop and commercialize a technology solution that tackles a pressing health challenge.

Last year, four research teams were awarded funding, including the NodeAI team, led by co-principal investigators and McMaster professors Waël C. Hanna and Michael Noseworthy.

NodeAI recently won the Falcons’ Fortunes pitch competition for their revolutionary lung cancer diagnostics technology.

Applications for the second round of the Innovation Matchmaking program are currently open and close May 25, 2025.

The program helps researchers build investable ventures, while supporting the development of McMaster’s broader innovation ecosystem, says Andy Knights, McMaster’s vice-president, Research (acting).

“McMaster’s entrepreneurship ecosystem is strengthened by collaboration,” Knights says.

“Our hospital partners play a key role in the translation of research into technologies that advance health and patient care, and they enable us to work across disciplines to drive meaningful change in society.”

Connect with McMaster’s entrepreneurship community and learn more about programs to support your startup journey at the second annual Made at Mac celebration on March 31. Click here to register or learn more.