Hamilton, Ontario startup NodeAI wins Falcons’ Fortunes 2025 for revolutionary lung cancer diagnostics using artificial intelligence

Mar 25, 2025 – The winning pitch at FACIT’s sold-out annual Falcons’ Fortunes pitch competition and recipient of the $100,000 Ernsting Entrepreneurship award was delivered by Dr. Waël Hanna, co-founder and Chief Medical Officer of NodeAI Diagnostics (“NodeAI”). The Hamilton, Ontario based start-up is leveraging the power of artificial intelligence to improve the speed and accuracy in evaluating and staging non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. The innovation is poised to address a long standing gap in lung cancer diagnostics that can better inform treatment decisions and ultimately improved patient outcomes.

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FACIT and OBIO® announce inaugural WeSEED cohort of women-led start-ups in joint seed capital and commercialization program

Mar 06, 2025 – The Women’s Synergistic Entrepreneurship and Economic Development (WeSEED) program leverages the combined, complementary capital, expertise and resources of OBIO® and FACIT. The resulting synergies provide a continuum of seamless support and lower barriers faced by women STEM leaders in accessing business training, advisory resources, networks and venture funding.

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Idea to Investment Podcast: How FACIT’s support propels early cancer innovations

Jan 17, 2025 – FACIT’s David Koehler, Director of Fund Operations, appeared on TechAlliance’s Idea to Investment podcast along with Saumik Biswas, President, CEO and Founder of Tenomix Inc. based in London, Ontario. Tenomix’s advancements exemplifies how FACIT’s continuum of commercialization programs can strategically capitalize on homegrown talent and innovations to spur promising start-ups to grow roots in Ontario and bring cancer solutions to benefit patients sooner.

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Esphera SynBio closes seed financing round to advance their lead designer cancer vaccine

Jan 07, 2025 – FACIT congratulates portfolio company, Esphera SynBio (“Esphera”), on successfully securing seed financing and strategic partners to continue developing bespoke cancer immunotherapies using their proprietary engineered exosome-based platform for improved vaccine efficacy.

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Pitch Your Cancer Innovation at Falcons’ Fortunes 2025

Dec 12, 2024 – Call for entrepreneurs and scientists to pitch your Ontario-made cancer innovation for a chance to win the $100,000 award. Falcons’ Fortunes is FACIT’s premier event to celebrate and grow the entrepreneurial spirit within the cancer research community. Apply by January 17, 2025.

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Wishing you a Happy Holiday!

Dec 12, 2024 – Season’s Greetings! From the Ontario life sciences community, your friends at FACIT wish you and your family a safe and enjoyable holiday season. We look forward to collaborating with you in 2025.

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FACIT investment in cTRL Therapeutics focuses cell therapy R&D on Ontario for patients with cancer

Oct 10, 2024 – cTRL Therapeutics announced it is strengthening its research and development operations in Canada. Following an investment by FACIT, the company will establish a state-of-the-art laboratory and leverage Ontario’s world-leading cancer research network to accelerate advancement of its cancer therapeutics pipeline to benefit patients sooner.

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Hyivy Health raises seed financing to modernize pelvic rehab to improve recovery from gynecological and colorectal cancers

Sep 27, 2024 – Hyivy Health announced the closing of a seed financing round to advance their game-changing Pelvic Health Rehabilitation System. Hyivy will now complete clinical trials and seek regulatory approval allowing their technology to benefit patients recovering from gynecological and colorectal cancers.

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Radiant Biotherapeutics reaches milestone to advance its new class of therapeutics against complex cancers

Sep 11, 2024 – FACIT seeded start-up, Radiant Biotherapeutics (“Radiant”), announced the closing of Series A financing to advance the company’s proprietary multi-specific therapeutics for patients with complex cancers. Radiant’s unique multi-valent antibody platform, called Multabody™, generates best-in-class antibodies with superior potency against multiple target sites implicated in heterogenous diseases such as cancers and can potentially improve patient outcome.

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FACIT portfolio company HDAX Therapeutics closes seed financing to target CNS cancers and neuropathies

Sep 05, 2024 – FACIT congratulates HDAX Therapeutics (“HDAX”) on the closing of a seed financing round to develop their best-in-class HDAC therapeutics for the treatment of a serious cancer conditions. Capital from the investor group, which included an investment from FACIT’s Compass Rose Oncology Fund, will empower HDAX to address the debilitating neuropathic pain frequently experienced by patients with cancer.

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Mind the Gap Canada!

Jun 27, 2024 – Importance of FACIT and other seed stage venture groups in building the local innovation ecosystem. Life sciences commercialization in Canada has a seed venture financing gap where companies fail to establish local roots and intellectual property gravitates to the US, reinforcing the export of jobs and industry experience.

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Newsweek: The New Era of Life Sciences 2024

May 15, 2024 – FACIT President discusses early-stage investing in Canada in an interview with Newsweek’s Investment Reports and appeared in The New Era of Life Sciences 2024. FACIT is an innovative organization focused on bridging the gap between cancer research breakthroughs and their commercialization, thereby accelerating the journey of scientific discoveries from the laboratory to the marketplace.

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Cutting-edge radiosurgery tech for brain tumours wins 2024 Falcons’ Fortunes

May 06, 2024 – At the sold-out Falcons’ Fortunes pitch competition hosted by FACIT, Dr. Hatim Fakir delivered the winning pitch as selected by the panel of judges for the $100,000 Ernsting Entrepreneurship Award. Developed at London Health Sciences Centre, Dr. Fakir’s RadioSphere is a patient-centred technology to revolutionize existing gamma knife radiotherapy procedures by providing the most precise tumour localization capabilities.

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FACIT-seeded Fusion Pharmaceuticals acquired for up to US$2.4B by AstraZeneca

Mar 20, 2024 – FACIT’s portfolio company Fusion Pharmaceuticals is being acquired by AstraZeneca for a total transaction value of up to $2.4 billion. Congratulations to the team at Fusion for building value over the last decade that will have a lasting impact on patients with cancer and the Ontario economy.

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Registration is now open for the 2024 Falcons’ Fortunes Pitch Finals – LIVE!

Mar 12, 2024 – You are invited to attend Falcons’ Fortunes, FACIT’s premier event to celebrate and grow the entrepreneurial spirit within the cancer research and innovation communities. Now in its 11th year, the Falcons’ Fortunes event features six Ontario rising stars pitching their breakthrough cancer innovation as they compete for the $100,000 Ernsting Entrepreneurship Award.

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FACIT and OBIO® partner on women-focused seed capital and entrepreneurship program

Mar 08, 2024 – On International Women’s Day, FACIT and OBIO® are pleased to announce a new partnership in the Ontario life sciences ecosystem, built on their common goal to drive entrepreneurial and commercialization mandates to address the unmet needs and barriers faced by female entrepreneurial leaders in STEM.

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FACIT portfolio company Tenomix secures an all-Canadian investment round for colorectal cancer diagnostic

Mar 01, 2024 – FACIT congratulates London, Ontario based Tenomix Inc. (“Tenomix”) on successfully reaching a key milestone in closing its latest financing round to help propel the medtech start-up. Tenomix’s bench-top device will save time and costs by automating the process of lymph node identification in resected tissue while providing more accurate cancer staging for better patient care.

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Falcons’ Fortunes 2024 – Pitch Your Cancer Innovation

Jan 31, 2024 – Apply Now! FACIT invites entrepreneurs and scientists to pitch their Ontario-made cancer innovation to a panel of judges and in front of a live audience for a chance to win the $100,000 award. Falcons’ Fortunes is FACIT’s premier event to celebrate and grow the entrepreneurial spirit within the cancer research community to drive a culture of commercialization where Ontario-based cancer research discoveries becomes Ontario-made solutions to benefit patients worldwide.

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Looking ahead to 2024

Jan 09, 2024 – The FACIT team is delighted to welcome the new year! For 2024, we maintain our focus on commercializing cancer research and attracting high tech jobs to Ontario. We look forward to working together with our stakeholders and partners to create good-paying jobs, accelerate commercialization and encourage the adoption of Ontario’s innovations to improve health care and grow the economy.

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Happy Holidays from FACIT

Dec 07, 2023 – Season’s Greetings! From the Ontario life science ecosystem, your friends at FACIT wish you and your family a safe and relaxing holiday season. We look forward to working with you in the new year.

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Women-led health and biotech companies dominate FACIT’s latest investments

Nov 20, 2023 – On the globally-recognized Women’s Entrepreneurship Day, FACIT is pleased to announce investments in four breakthrough oncology innovations – all driven by women leaders. November 19th each year is a day to celebrate and showcase women’s contributions to advance communities and to strengthen their empowerment in the entrepreneurial ecosystem to drive economic impact. FACIT’s support of the four ventures, Virano Therapeutics, Hyivy Health, Tenomix Inc., and DTPx Therapeutics are representative of an asset portfolio where over one third are women-led or founded innovations, attracting one third of every dollar invested by FACIT – as much as ten times the average for the venture capital industry.

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cTRL Therapeutics announces new Chief Executive Officer to continue advancing its novel immune cell therapy

Nov 02, 2023 – cTRL Therapeutics (“cTRL”), a FACIT co-founded and financed company developing novel tumour cell therapies for patients living with cancer, welcomes industry veteran Derrell D. Porter, M.D., as Chief Executive Officer.

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FACIT appoints seasoned life science leaders to its Board of Directors

Nov 01, 2023 – FACIT is pleased to welcome two new directors to its Board, Dr. Maura Campbell and Dr. Laszlo Radvanyi. Dedicated to commercializing Ontario intellectual property and impacting patients with cancer, both executives bring with them decades of private and public sector leadership experiences.  

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FACIT and T-CAIREM at the University of Toronto partner to commercialize medical AI

Aug 02, 2023 – FACIT and T-CAIREM announce partnership to commercialize medical artificial intelligence (AI) innovations. The partners intend to harness both T-CAIREM’s innovative translational research in AI and FACIT’s unique commercialization-venture model to build the next generation of Ontario biotechnology companies. The joint mission will accelerate the benefits of AI research to support patients battling cancer.

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FACIT applauds quizartinib approval: a success for leukemia patients and Canadian cancer research translation

Jul 24, 2023 – The U.S. FDA announced the approval of quizartinib, an important new therapy for patients with leukemia. This global effort to impact patients in need is to be celebrated while recognizing the contributions from across the Canadian health R&D ecosystem to reach this significant milestone that will now make a difference for patients.

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FACIT founded Turnstone Biologics debuts on Nasdaq market

Jul 21, 2023 – FACIT congratulates Turnstone Biologics on the announcement of their upsized initial public offering (IPO) and debut on the Nasdaq market.

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From Idea to Start up: FACIT President’s interview with Amanda Lang

May 01, 2023 –

May 01, 2023 – Watch FACIT President Dr. David O’Neill’s interview with Amanda Lang, host of Taking Stock on BNN Bloomberg. The episode, titled From Idea to Start up, originally aired on April 28, 2023. This was part of a special series about innovation in Canada and some of the challenges and opportunities.  FACIT was featured as a “success story” in the commercialization of intellectual property (IP) in Canada.

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FACIT backed Radiant Biotherapeutics announces closing of $8M seed round for cancer therapies

Apr 25, 2023 – Emerging from stealth mode, Radiant’s financing enables the Company to continue rapidly advancing its Multabodies that have application across multiple diseases including cancer.

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New Innovative Cancer Technology Wins 2023 Falcons’ Fortunes Pitch Competition

Mar 31, 2023 – The winning pitch for the 10th anniversary Falcons’ Fortunes pitch competition and the $100,000 Ernsting Entrepreneurship Award was delivered by Dr. Sumaiyah Rehman, co-founder and CEO of DTPx Therapeutics.

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FACIT generates $1.5 billion in follow-on investment

Mar 29, 2023 – FACIT announced $1.5 billion in follow-on investment attracted to its portfolio of cancer biotechnology start-ups in Ontario, a significant milestone for life science commercialization in Canada.

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CTRL Therapeutics, a FACIT-backed start-up, raises US$10M to develop autologous cell therapy for patients living with cancer

Mar 23, 2023 – CTRL Therapeutics (“CTRL”) closed a seed financing round to develop a tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy for solid tumours. CTRL is advancing novel, non-invasive and less costly therapies for patients living with cancer.

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Registration is now open for FACIT Falcons’ Fortunes pitch competition and reception

Feb 21, 2023 – This year marks the 10th anniversary of the FACIT Falcons’ Fortunes pitch competition! Be part of the audience and watch the six finalists pitch their Ontario oncology innovations.

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Happy Holidays from the FACIT team!

Dec 05, 2022 – Your friends at FACIT wish you a healthy and relaxing holiday season. It has been a productive year and our team continues to grow the province’s biotech ecosystem through the commercialization of Ontario’s most promising cancer innovations. 

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FACIT’s Prospects Fund fuels women’s health and brain cancer therapies for Ontario patients

Sep 28, 2022 – FACIT congratulates Ontario-based start-ups Hyivy Health and HDAX Therapeutics as the latest recipients of capital through its Prospects Oncology Fund. Selected among a top-tier pool of applicants, these Ontario-based innovations illustrate excellent potential to benefit patients with cancer.

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FACIT’s David O’Neill shares strategy for Ontario intellectual property

Jun 16, 2022 – The paper “How to boost Ontario’s life sciences IP to help patients and the economy” discusses the importance of seed-stage investing and commercialization-venture partnerships to reap the benefits of taxpayers’ investment in post-secondary education and health research.

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FACIT invests in OICR’s groundbreaking approaches to integrated drug discovery and cancer informatics

April 27, 2022 – FACIT announced two recent strategic investments from its Prospects Oncology Fund in innovations arising from renowned cancer experts at the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR): Dr. Rima Al-awar, Head of Therapeutic Innovation and Drug Discovery, and Dr. Lincoln Stein, Head of Adaptive Oncology.

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FACIT announces winner of 2022 Falcons’ Fortunes pitch competition on World Cancer Day

February 4, 2022 – FACIT is pleased to announce the 2022 winner of its Falcons’ Fortunes pitch competition: Point Surgical Inc.. Point Surgical was founded as a joint venture between Toronto’s University Health Network, Unity Health Toronto and Light Matter Interaction Inc.

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High-potency TIL cell therapy approach reported using CytoFind platform developed by FACIT portfolio company Cellular Analytics

January 27, 2022 – FACIT congratulates portfolio company Cellular Analytics on a recent publication by its CSO, Dr. Shana Kelley and collaborators, on the Company’s tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapeutics platform.

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Registration is now open for FACIT Falcons’ Fortunes virtual pitch competition

January 11, 2022 – Now in its 9th year, the FACIT Falcons’ Fortunes event is back for 2022! Be part of the audience and watch the six finalists pitch their Ontario oncology innovations.

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FACIT portfolio company and leader in synthetic health data, Replica Analytics, acquired by New York-based Aetion

January 7, 2022 – Having recently announced several collaborations following the closing of a financing round with Nina Capital, Replica has significant momentum behind it.

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FACIT broadens Executive-in-Residence program to capitalize on Ontario IP

November 4, 2021 – The appointment broadens the available expertise to provide critical senior management and leadership to create and nurture FACIT start-ups in Ontario.

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FACIT Features: Radiant Biotherapeutics, next-gen biotech developing multabody therapies for cancer

October 21, 2021 – Radiant received a seed investment from FACIT’s Compass Rose Oncology Fund.

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FACIT Features: Replica Analytics, Ottawa-based start-up in health data artificial intelligence

October 13, 2021 – Having recently announced several collaborations following the closing of a financing round with Nina Capital, Replica has significant momentum behind it.

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FACIT’s Prospects Fund invests in two emerging Ontario diagnostics for colorectal and prostate cancers

September 16, 2021 – Both innovations were previous finalists in FACIT’s 2021 Falcons’ Fortunes pitch competition.

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FACIT Features: Turnstone Biologics completes oversubscribed $80M USD Series D Financing

July 21, 2021 – The start-up seeded by FACIT in collaboration with several Ontario research institutes continues to deepen its roots in Canada and grow on both sides of the border.

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FACIT leads seed round in Nanology Labs

May 18, 2021 – FACIT deploys Ontario First capital, enables rising local start-up to reach critical value inflection point. FACIT has previously supported Nanology, spun out of the University of Toronto, through both its early-stage Prospects Oncology Fund and seed-stage Compass Rose Oncology Fund.

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FACIT Features: Notch Therapeutics Closes $85M USD Series A for Renewable Stem Cell-Derived Cancer Immunotherapies

February 10, 2021 – The financing is one of the largest Series A financing round in Canadian biotech history, notably at a time of heightened interest by Ontario in commercializing homegrown intellectual property.

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FACIT crowns 2021 winner of Falcons’ Fortunes pitch competition; announces follow-on investment in 2020 winner, Bridge7 Oncology

February 4, 2021 – FACIT’s Prospects Oncology Fund and its annual pitch competition help to advance Ontario oncology innovations.

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FACIT welcomes life sciences executive Ken Newport to its Board; Director Shana Kelley appointed to the Order of Ontario

January 26, 2021 – Mr. Newport is a passionate executive and advocate of Ontario’s life science sector, having decades of leadership experience in both public and private ventures.

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FACIT fuels promising made-in-Ontario breast cancer therapeutic and medtech innovations through Prospects Oncology Fund

December 10, 2020 – The newest recipients of Ontario First seed capital include Dr. Rebecca Laposa of the University of Toronto, as well as London-based start-up Multi-Magnetics Inc.

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FACIT Features: Triphase Accelerator reports positive interim results of lead compound in Phase 1 Clinical Trial for Lymphoma

December 8, 2020 – FACIT congratulates Triphase Accelerator on interim results from its ongoing Phase 1 multi-center, open-label monotherapy study of TRPH-222.

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FACIT Features: DNAstack to lead and develop COVID Cloud for Canada’s Digital Technology Supercluster

December 1, 2020 – FACIT is pleased to accept the invitation to join the national consortium as Lead Commercialization Advisor.

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FACIT Features: Portfolio company KA Imaging secures FDA approval for portable dual-energy x-ray detector

September 17, 2020 – Since FACIT’s early seed investment in KA Imaging, the company has greatly expanded its IP portfolio, as well as the number of highly skilled jobs it has brought to Ontario.

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FACIT congratulates Fusion Pharma on its Initial Public Offering

June 26, 2020 – FACIT congratulates Hamilton-based Fusion Pharma (NASDAQ: FUSN) on its initial public offering (IPO) with shares of the company beginning to trade on the Nasdaq Global Market exchange today.

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FACIT backs made-in-Ontario data science and medtech innovations through Prospects Oncology Fund

June 23, 2020 – FACIT’s investments strategically address the seed-stage gap experienced by Ontario’s life sciences sector, fueling promising cancer breakthroughs towards a value inflection point and helping local start-ups establish and anchor jobs in the province.

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FACIT recognized with 2020 Venture Capital Regional Impact Award by the Canadian Venture Capital & Private Equity Association (CVCA)

June 9, 2020 – FACIT’s award was specifically related to the 2019 historic US$1B partnership between its portfolio companies, Propellon Therapeutics and Triphase Accelerator, and US pharma giant Celgene (acquired by Bristol-Myers Squibb Company).

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FACIT Features: OICR leads international team to generate world’s most comprehensive cancer genome map

February 6, 2020 – The output from this global study vastly improves the fundamental understanding of cancer and will provide guidance and new directions for its diagnosis and treatment

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FACIT Announces Artificial Intelligence pitch as Winner of 2020 Falcons’ Fortunes on World Cancer Day

February 5, 2020 – The winning pitch was delivered by Mr. Meir Dick of Bridge7 Oncology. This local start-up is scaling clinical expertise with AI to automate and improve the efficiency, consistency and quality of delivering cancer care.

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FACIT in the News – @globeandmail

Feb 04, 2020 – “Commercializing innovation for cancer patients and economic impact”, February 4, 2020

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FACIT announces follow-on investments in Xpan Inc. and Nanology Labs through Compass Rose Fund

January 28, 2020 – Spun out of the University of Toronto, both start-ups have previously received funding through FACIT’s proof-of-concept Prospects Fund.

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FACIT Features: Fusion Pharma Attracts $20M USD Commitment from Canada Pension Plan Investment Board

January 13, 2020 – The financing enables the company to continue leveraging strong Ontario science, as well as develop manufacturing and local career opportunities for scientists and trainees…

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FACIT Features: Turnstone Biologics Partners with Takeda on viral immunotherapies for cancer

December 19, 2019 – The strategic collaboration will focus on developing multiple products from Turnstone’s next-gen oncolytic viral immunotherapies, marking an important alliance for both companies in the fight against cancer.

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FACIT Features: OICR's Dr. Trevor Pugh wins $1M award for early cancer detection

December 5, 2019 – The $1M award will support Dr. Pugh’s development work towards advancing a blood-based diagnostic for early cancer detection, in collaboration with Dr. Raymond Kim of the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre.

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FACIT, Triphase Accelerator, Celgene, and OICR to present at Canadian Science Policy Conference 2019

November 8, 2019 – Titled “Ontario First in the innovation economy: impacts of a $1B USD public-private-partnership (PPP) on Canadian healthcare commercialization”, the panel seeks to highlight the outcomes and key lessons from this unprecedented partnership.

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FACIT launches assessment of venture philanthropy models to scale Canadian commercialization of cancer research

November 6, 2019 – Scaling FACIT’s impact requires new partners and expanded expertise in the management of investments and equity markets. To that end, FACIT has recruited two seasoned executives through its Executive-in-Residence (EIR) Program.

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FACIT and University of Toronto launch precision medicine company: Cellular Analytics

October 30, 2019 – Cellular Analytics is founded upon a proprietary microfluidic platform that enables molecular characterization of cancer at the level of single circulating tumour cells.

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FACIT Features: Portfolio company KA Imaging secures Series A financing and new global strategic partner

October 24, 2019 – New partnership will provide the Ontario-based start up with both capital and advanced manufacturing expertise to accelerate its portable multi-energy x-ray detector technology.

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FACIT’s Prospects Oncology Fund invests in Ontario-developed medical device and novel therapeutic platform technologies

September 26, 2019 – FACIT announces investments in Xpan Inc. and innovations from OICR and the University of Toronto…

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FACIT Features: OICR, Thermo Fisher Scientific & Genome Canada announce commercial partnership

August 8, 2019 – New collaboration will develop targeted next generation sequencing (NGS) assays and software to improve cancer management…

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FACIT portfolio reports $750M follow-on financing

June 3, 2019 – FACIT’s network of industry partners and investors are becoming increasingly aware of the top-tier quality of Ontario’s innovations, which has been integral in attracting the $750M follow-on investment.

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Entrepreneurs from Ontario’s Nanology Labs and Xpan Inc. receive FACIT investment for early-stage cancer innovations

April 8, 2019 – FACIT is pleased to announce recent successes in its mission to help bridge the capital gap often experienced by early-stage entrepreneurs.

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FACIT Features: Fusion Pharma completes $105M Series B financing

April 2, 2019 – Ontario First investor FACIT congratulates portfolio company Fusion Pharmaceuticals, a clinical-stage biotech developing novel targeted alpha radiotherapies…

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FACIT Features: Triphase Accelerator initiates Phase 1 clinical trial of next-gen ADC for B-cell lymphoma

April 1, 2019 – Triphase Accelerator has dosed their first patient in a Phase 1 clinical trial of TRPH-222, an anti-CD22 antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) for the treatment of patients with lymphoma.

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FACIT Features: Portfolio company Fusion Pharma launches Phase 1 trial for next-gen radiotherapeutic

Feb 25, 2019 – Fusion Pharma announced the first patient dosing with lead candidate in Phase 1 trial for solid tumors.

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FACIT in the News – @globeandmail

Feb 06, 2019 – “For innovation, open science means open for business”, February 6, 2019

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FACIT in the News – @globeandmail

Jan 29, 2019 – “U.S. biotech giant Celgene invests in Ontario-developed blood-cancer drug in potential $1-billion deal”, January 29, 2019

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FACIT and Triphase Accelerator Announce New Partnership with Celgene for First-in-class WDR5 Leukemia Therapy

Jan 29, 2019 – Triphase Accelerator, together with its majority shareholder FACIT, today announced a new strategic collaboration with Celgene for a first-in-class preclinical therapeutic targeting the WDR5 protein for the treatment of blood cancers including leukemia.

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FACIT Makes Follow-on Investment in AI-based genomics company, DNAstack

Jan 10, 2019 – FACIT’s Compass Rose Oncology Fund is providing the follow-on investment. DNAstack also previously received capital from FACIT’s early-stage Prospects Oncology Fund, illustrating FACIT’s strategy to ensure promising companies grow roots and scale up in Ontario.

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FACIT Features: Portfolio company KA Imaging launches first-in-human pilot study to test lung screening x-ray

Nov 12, 2018 – KA Imaging, a recent Prospects Fund recipient, is partnering with Grand River Hospital to conduct a pilot study on the use of a high-resolution multi-energy digital x-ray imager for patients with lung nodules.

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FACIT Welcomes Har Grover and Ken Lawless to the Board

Oct 11, 2018 – Both leaders are passionate supporters of the Ontario life science sector, have broad industry experience and decades of work with entrepreneurial ventures.

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FACIT Invests in Three Top Ontario Entrepreneur-Teams from Near Record Pool of Applicants

Sep 13, 2018 – With an expanding portfolio of breakthrough innovations, FACIT is committed to supporting Ontario entrepreneurs through the latest round of its Prospects Oncology Fund.

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Healthcare Software Start-Up Ziliomics Financed by FACIT

Jun 27, 2018 – Derived from a leading oncology bio-computing group and leveraging insights from the world’s largest cancer genomics projects, Ziliomics develops web-based, modular software platforms that help physicians make actionable treatment decisions for patients living with cancer.

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FACIT Appoints Biotech Veteran Dr. David O’Neill as President

Jun 13, 2018 – Dr O’Neill brings two decades of cancer drug development and seed stage investment experience, as well as an extensive business network in pharma and biotech.

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OICR Welcomes Former Merck IO Executive as new President

May 01, 2018 – FACIT looks forward to working with Dr. Radvanyi on translating Ontario’s breakthrough oncology innovations.

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Winner of 2018 Falcons’ Fortunes Pitch Competition Announced

Apr 12, 2018 – Biotechnology competition modeled after popular TV program Dragons’ Den.

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FACIT Announces Latest Round of Investments Under Prospects Fund

Feb 20, 2018 – Investment supports emerging entrepreneurial scientists and critical proof-of-principle studies.

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FACIT’s Year in Review (2017)

Dec 14, 2017 – We hope 2017 was a prosperous year for you, our partners in health innovation. While FACIT had many successes this year…..

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Jeff Courtney, in Memoriam

Dec 09, 2017 – Jeff was a fantastic leader in the OICR-FACIT family and the broader Ontario life sciences community.

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FACIT Features: OICR Launches CTIP Initiative

Dec 06, 2017 – The Clinical Therapeutics Innovation Pipeline (CTIP) will support the local translation of Ontario discoveries into therapies with the potential for improving the lives of patients with cancer. Ten projects were selected in this highly competitive funding round, and reflect the strength of the province’s collaborative network and drug discoveries.

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FACIT Welcomes Kevin Empey, Cynthia Goh and Shana Kelley to the Board of Trustees

Nov 21, 2017 – New Trustees join existing Trustees, Mr. Greg Gubitz and Mr. John Morrison, bringing additional financial, entrepreneurial and biotech industry expertise.

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FACIT Features: Turnstone and AbbVie Announce Collaboration

Oct 11, 2017 – Turnstone Biologics, a startup co-founded by FACIT, announced a research, option and license agreement with AbbVie Inc. for up to three of Turnstone’s next-gen oncolytic viral immunotherapies. This partnership deepens the Ontario roots established by FACIT and its co-founders, expanding the scale of innovative research and local career opportunities for scientists.

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FACIT Portfolio Company Fusion Pharmaceuticals Closes US$46M Oversubscribed Series A

Sep 25, 2017 – FACIT congratulates Fusion on completing the second closing of their Series A, now oversubscribed at US$46M, with new investors joining including Adams Street Partners, Seroba Life Sciences, and Varian Medical Systems Inc. FACIT participated in both, this latest closing and as an early seed investor in Fusion.

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FACIT Launches Cross-border Campaign to Recruit Clinical Scientists and Biotechnology Industry Executives

Jul 18, 2017 – FACIT is expanding and updating its database of US-based industry advisors for roles ranging from investment diligence to full time management roles in Ontario-based biotech start-ups.

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FACIT Announces Investment in 3 Ontario Start-ups Under Prospects Fund

Jul 10, 2017 – Ontario start-ups Radialis Medical of Thunder Bay, KA Imaging of Kitchener, and DNAstack of Toronto are the first to receive capital from FACIT’s new Prospects Oncology Fund for proof-of-concept development of breakthrough cancer technologies.

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FACIT Builds on Commercialization Momentum by Attracting Experienced Executive-in-Residence

Jun 20, 2017 – Anil Amlani joins FACIT with strong executive and transactional experience, broadening the available expertise to provide critical senior management and leadership to create and nurture FACIT start-ups in Ontario.

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First Patient Treated in Turnstone’s Lung Cancer Trial Combining Novel Viral Cancer Therapy with Approved Checkpoint Inhibitor

Apr 26, 2017 – Turnstone announced that treatment has been initiated on the first patient in the company’s Phase I/II clinical trial combining its novel oncolytic viral immunotherapy agent, MG1-MAGEA3, with pembrolizumab, an approved anti-PD-1 antibody.

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FACIT Announces Investment in Propellon Therapeutics

Mar 22, 2017 – Seed funding from FACIT enables Propellon to accelerate the nomination of a candidate drug and position the Company for financing and/or entering a strategic partnership for clinical trials in patients with haematological cancers.

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FACIT Launches The Prospects Oncology Fund

Mar 21, 2017 – FACIT announces the launch of The Prospects Oncology Fund, designed to advance early-stage Ontario cancer discoveries by supporting the proof-of-concept studies needed to attract seed-stage investment.

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FACIT-Seeded Fusion Pharmaceuticals Closes US$25M Series A Led by Johnson & Johnson Innovation

Feb 23, 2017 – FACIT and OICR report that Fusion Pharmaceuticals Inc. has closed a US$25M Series A financing, with Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JJDC, Inc. as the lead investor. Additionally, new investors include venture groups HealthCap, TPG Biotechnology Partners, and Genesys Capital, as well as founding investor FACIT.

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Triphase Accelerator Announces New Product Option Deal with Celgene

Dec 21, 2016 – Triphase Accelerator Corporation announced a new strategic collaboration with Celgene Corporation, that provides Celgene with an option to acquire all Triphase Accelerator’s assets relating to TRPH 222 (CD22-4AP), an antibody-drug conjugate in development for lymphoma.

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Triphase Accelerator Announces Acquisition of its First Compound, Marizomib, by Celgene Corporation

Nov 17, 2016 – Triphase Accelerator Announces that Celgene Corporation has acquired the company’s assets related to its proteasome inhibitor, marizomib, which is in development for glioblastoma and relapsed and/or refractory multiple myeloma.

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FACIT Start-up Turnstone Biologics Closes USD $41M Financing

Nov 02, 2016 – FACIT-created Turnstone Biologics raises USD $41M, one of the largest Series B rounds for a Canadian biotech, attracting blue-chip healthcare investors to accelerate commercialization of proprietary oncolytic viral immunotherapies.

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Catalent Biologics and Triphase Accelerator Corporation Announce License Agreement to Advance SMARTag™ ADC to Clinic

Oct 04, 2016 – Triphase will obtain worldwide rights to further develop Catalent’s proprietary CD22-4AP Antibody-Drug Conjugate (ADC), which has been developed by Catalent’s wholly owned subsidiary, Redwood Bioscience, Inc., using its SMARTag™ technology platform.

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Propellon Therapeutics to Accelerate WDR5 Inhibitor Development for Cancers

Jun 23, 2016 – The creation of Propellon to manage the development and commercialization of a portfolio of first-in-class epigenetic therapeutics, WDR5 inhibitors, enables important development activities including attracting private sector investment and industry partnerships.

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Privacy Analytics Acquired by IMS Health

May 26, 2016 – The transaction combines Privacy Analytics’ leading edge expertise in health data anonymization and de-identification with IMS Health’s broad range of healthcare information, technology and services solutions.

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Trillium Therapeutics Acquires Fluorinov Pharma

Jan 28, 2016 – Trillium Therapeutics has acquired all of the outstanding shares of privately-held Fluorinov Pharma, a FACIT portfolio company.

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FACIT Announces Investment in Fusion Pharmaceuticals and Alpha-Emitting Radiotherapeutics

Dec 16, 2015 – FACIT’s investment will support the development of Fusion’s radiopharmaceutical FPX-01 for the treatment of cancer.

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FACIT Gains Rights to WDR5 Inhibitors for MLL Leukemia

Dec 08, 2015 – FACIT acquires exclusive rights to a portfolio of first-in-class WDR5 inhibitors for the treatment of mixed lineage leukemia.

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Triphase Accelerator Corporation Announces FDA Orphan Drug Designation for Marizomib in Malignant Glioma

Nov 19, 2015 – Triphase is evaluating marizomib in combination with bevacizumab in patients with recurrent glioblastoma.

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FACIT Startup Turnstone Biologics Closes $11M Financing, Secures Additional Capital Commitment, and Adds Strong Management

Oct 28, 2015 – Versant Ventures-led investment accelerates development, broadens oncolytic viral immunotherapy potential.

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OICR, UHN, Novera Therapeutics Announce Collaboration with Johnson & Johnson Innovation on Drug Discovery and Development for Haematological Cancers

Oct 14, 2015 – OICR, UHN, Novera Therapeutics collaborate with Johnson & Johnson Innovation to accelerate the development drug candidates for haematological cancers.

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Turnstone Biologics Announces Enrollment in Landmark Oncolytic Vaccine Trial

Jul 10, 2015 – Turnstone Biologics Inc., a FACIT portfolio company, has announced the ongoing enrollment of the Marabex™ clinical trial assessing the safety and immune responses in patients with advanced or metastatic, MAGE-A3-expressing solid tumours.

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Luke M. Beshar Appointed to Fluorinov Pharma Board of Directors

May 26, 2015 – Mr. Beshar’s appointment strengthens Fluorinov’s leadership team, adding financial and pharmaceutical industry expertise as Fluorinov accelerates its clinical development activities.

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Roger J Garceau Joins Fluorinov Board, Adds Clinical Expertise to Bromodomain Program and Oncology Pipeline

May 04, 2015 – With extensive experience guiding biotech companies in matters including corporate development and clinical strategy, Dr. Garceau’s appointment strengthens Fluorinov’s leadership team and adds significant regulatory expertise as Fluorinov transitions to clinical development.

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Turnstone Biologics Inc. to Accelerate Clinical and Commercial Translation of Cancer Immunotherapies

May 04, 2015 – FACIT and its partners are pleased to announce the formation of Turnstone Biologics Inc., a biotechnology company focussed on developing treatments for cancer that harness the patient’s own immune system.

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Fluorinov Pharma and FACIT Announce Investment in Breakthrough Bromodomain Inhibitors for the Treatment of Cancers

Jan 07, 2015 – TORONTO, ON (January 07, 2015) – FACIT and Fluorinov Pharma announced today an investment in the development of highly potent inhibitors of key bromodomain targets.

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Xagenic Announces Second Closing of $25.5M Series B Financing

Jul 14, 2014 – BDC Capital joined as a new investor and Dion Madsen, Senior Managing Partner at BDC Capital, will join Xagenic’s Board of Directors.

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XLV Diagnostics Inc. secures a $3 Million Series A investment

May 28, 2014 – XLV, a MaRS Innovation start-up company based in Thunder Bay, closed a $3 million Series A investment round with Boston-based Bernard M. Gordon Charitable Remainder Unitrust.

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Fluorinov, FACIT and OICR announce novel candidate drugs

Apr 24, 2014 – The candidate drugs have shown excellent preliminary safety profiles, improved treatment and expect to have fewer sedative side effects.

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Fluidigm Completes Acquisition of DVS Sciences

Feb 13, 2014 – With the closing of the acquisition, Fluidigm adds a high-parameter single-cell protein analysis platform to its industry-leading single-cell genomics platforms.

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Triphase Signs Collaboration and Option Agreement with Celgene Corporation

Jan 09, 2014 – Triphase was spun out of the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research to develop and advance late pre-clinical, Phase I or early Phase II potential products.

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OICR and MaRS Innovation announce funding for the development of Cellax™

Nov 13, 2012 – Cellax™, invented by OICR researchers, is a drug-polymer conjugate based on the proprietary NanoCMC™ technology.

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Fluorinov Pharma Inc. develops drug for the treatment of blood cancers

Jun 07, 2012 – OICR will provide $1.5 million for the development of FV-162, a highly potent, orally-delivered small molecule proteasome inhibitor for multiple myeloma and some forms of Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

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Xagenic Inc. Raises $10 Million to Advance Commercialization of Breakthrough Screening Technology

Jan 30, 2012 – Investors in the Series A round included CTI Life Sciences Fund L.P., Qiagen N.V. and Ontario Capital Growth Corporation through its Emerging Technologies Fund.

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Triphase Accelerator Corporation Announces Expansion of Collaboration with Celgene

May 03, 0206 – Triphase is expanding its current collaboration with Celgene in the development of marizomib for the potential treatment of malignant gliomas.

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