KITE seeks innovative healthcare ideas for $50,000 pitch competition

The KITE PowerPlay Pitch Competition is the signature event at this year’s International Conference on Aging, Innovation and Rehabilitation (ICAIR)

The KITE Research Institute is calling on all UHN innovators and entrepreneurs to help shape the future of healthcare by submitting ideas for a one-of-a-kind pitch competition with more than $50,000 in prizes. 

The KITE PowerPlay Pitch Competition is the signature event planned for this year’s International Conference on Aging, Innovation and Rehabilitation (ICAIR), which is scheduled to take place at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre on Monday, May 8.  

“The purpose of this pitch event is to help accelerate innovation and the commercial success of potential products and services for the healthcare sector,” says Dr. Milos R. Popovic, Director of KITE and chair of the ICAIR organizing committee. 

“This competition is open to innovators at all stages of product and technology development, from concepts and prototypes to finished products and services and start-up companies.” 

Dr. Milos R. Popovic, Director of the KITE Research Institute and chair of the ICAIR organizing committee, is inviting people to attend ICAIR and encouraging those with “out-of-the-box solutions” to join the KITE PowerPlay Pitch Competition. (Photo: UHN) 

Entrepreneurs and fledgling starts-ups will be hard pressed to find a more engaged group of health thinkers than those expected to be in attendance at this year’s ICAIR event – which is being co-organized by KITE and the Rehabilitation Sciences Institute at the University of Toronto. 

“We are anticipating that ICAIR will attract the leading researchers, scientists, academics, entrepreneurs and innovators working to improve the lives of people living with the effects of aging, disability and illness,” says Dr. Popovic, who notes the prize money is significant enough to help entrepreneurs bring their innovations to the next stage.

“We are looking for energetic, innovative and passionate healthcare innovators who can address an unmet need in the healthcare industry, through preventative healthcare solutions, treatment and management of disabling injuries and illnesses, restorative assistive devices to help restore function, diagnostic tools, digital health, and others.”

There is no registration fee to participate in the competition. The deadline for online application submissions is March 13.

For more information visit the PowerPlay website: https://kite-uhn.com/powerplay