Five HealthTech Startups Advance to the BVX 2026 Finals
Group photo of 10 BVZ Launch Startups, Deputy Mayor Harkirat Singh from City of Brampton, BVZ team, & Invest Brampton team at the Health Innovation Showcase
BRAMPTON, ON — Aug. 20, 2026 — Five emerging HealthTech companies developing solutions across cancer detection, at-home health screening, asthma monitoring, physician staffing and AI-enabled clinical care are advancing to the Mitacs Health Innovation Showcase (external link) finals at Brampton Venture Expo (BVX) 2026.
Athel AI, NewGen Health, DIA Labs, LOCVM and LBx Bio were selected from the 2026 BVZ Launch HealthTech Cohort following the Health Innovation Showcase, held Aug. 13th at Toronto Metropolitan University’s School of Medicine campus in Brampton.
The showcase brought together 10 early-stage HealthTech startups to pitch emerging solutions across digital health and medical technology. The five finalists will now compete live at BVX on Sept. 10 at The Rose Brampton, where three startups will be selected to receive up to $70,000 in non-dilutive funding to support their continued growth and commercialization.
Their progression from incubation to an industry-facing pitch competition reflects a broader healthcare innovation pipeline taking shape in Brampton — connecting entrepreneurs with the mentorship, market validation, industry relationships and funding opportunities needed to move emerging healthcare solutions closer to market.
"Brampton has a unique opportunity to become a leading hub for healthcare innovation. We have a growing and diverse community, the institutional strength of Toronto Metropolitan University and its School of Medicine, and an increasingly connected ecosystem of entrepreneurs, industry and partners. By helping HealthTech founders validate their solutions here and build the relationships they need to grow, we can create companies and economic opportunities that are rooted in Brampton while developing healthcare solutions with impact far beyond our city."
Meet the Five BVZ HealthTech Finalists
Athel AI
Founder: Alex Arrazaghi (external link)
Athel AI (external link) is developing an autonomous clinical operating system designed to reduce the administrative burden in specialty medicine by delivering decision-ready patient intelligence before an appointment begins.
NewGen Health
Founder: Mazhar Shahen (external link)
NewGen Health (external link) is developing a device-enabled SaaS platform that moves prenatal screening and chronic disease monitoring from the clinic to the home, transforming urine testing into actionable, trackable health data for clinicians.
DIA Labs
Founder: Sahil Manjania (external link)
DIA Labs (external link) is developing a novel Class II medical device to monitor inflammatory biomarkers in patients with moderate-to-severe asthma. The technology is designed to provide real-time, point-of-care insights to support personalized treatment decisions and improved disease management.
LOCVM
Founder: Angélique Bernabé (external link)
LOCVM (external link) is a healthcare locum marketplace that helps physicians find locum opportunities while enabling clinics to identify and hire verified temporary physician coverage more efficiently.
LBx Bio
Founder: Mussab Tauseef (external link)
LBx Bio (external link) is building a fast, low-cost, point-of-care liquid biopsy platform designed to detect cancer within the same clinical visit, bringing molecular diagnostics closer to the point of care.
Together, the five finalists represent a range of technologies being developed to address challenges across healthcare delivery, diagnostics, clinical workflows and patient care.
Building Brampton’s HealthTech Innovation Pipeline
The finalists are part of BVZ Launch, Brampton Venture Zone’s four-month, non-equity incubator for MVP-ready HealthTech and wellness startups.
Through the program, founders receive mentorship and commercialization support while working to validate product-market fit, prepare for market entry and build connections with healthcare and industry partners, including opportunities for early validation and potential pilots.
BVZ’s HealthTech programming is part of a broader innovation ecosystem developing in Brampton alongside TMU’s School of Medicine & Invest Brampton by the City of Brampton, creating opportunities to connect healthcare, entrepreneurship, research and technology within the city.
Since launching in 2020, BVZ has supported 140 startups, facilitated 108 industry pilots, and achieved a 77 per cent alumni continuation rate.
The Final Pitch: BVX 2026 Finals
The five companies will next take the stage at BVX 2026, BVZ’s flagship annual technology and innovation event.
Now in its sixth year, BVX is expected to bring together more than 1,500 founders, investors, healthcare leaders, corporate innovators, SMEs, researchers, policymakers and ecosystem partners under the theme “Where Industry Meets Innovation.”
In addition to the HealthTech, BVX will feature programming focused on Robotics and Artificial Intelligence, and Cybersecurity and Defence, alongside startup showcases, industry panels, exhibitors, networking and interactive sessions.
For the five finalists, the competition provides an opportunity not only to secure non-dilutive funding, but to present their technologies directly to potential customers, investors, healthcare professionals and industry partners.
Watch the BVZ HealthTech Finals at BVX 2026
Date: Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026
Location: The Rose Brampton, 1 Theatre Lane, Brampton
BVX: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Health Innovation Showcase: 12 p.m. - 1 p.m.
Admission: Free with registration
Healthcare professionals, investors, entrepreneurs, researchers, students, industry partners and members of the public are invited to attend.