As part of an on-going series, Edmonton Global’s Almas Danish is looking at some investments that have been made in the Region and asking, “what made you chose the Edmonton Region?”
Ciba Health is a digital therapeutics and virtual healthcare company headquartered in New York and founded in 2020 by CEO Dr. Innocent Clement. In July of 2023, the company expanded into Canada by establishing its Canadian headquarters in the Edmonton Metro Region.
Ciba Health describes their solution as using a “whole person” approach, aiming to address the root causes of disease, rather than just managing symptoms.
Their technique includes using wearable devices, analytics, personalized care plans, clinical testing, and dedicated care teams of doctors, dietitians, health coaches, and more. Ciba uses the information from these tools to provides personalized, AI-enabled healthcare solutions for chronic conditions, focusing on Type 2 diabetes reversal, prediabetes, obesity, and weight loss programs.
Dr. Clement said that they chose to expand into the Edmonton Region for several reasons including partnerships with companies like Alberta Innovates, Plug and Play Alberta, and Edmonton Global.
Through Alberta Innovates, Ciba Health participated in the Scaleup and Growth Accelerator Program, a program designed to assist entrepreneurs in Alberta in bridging the scaleup gap, growing their businesses, and expanding globally. As part of this program, Ciba Health gained access to the Edmonton Region’s well-developed health and life science sector — thus providing them with further opportunities for growth within North America.
Plug and Play Alberta also aided Ciba in their recent $10 million Series A funding round, alongside other investors like DigiTx Partners, E12 Ventures, and 3CC Capital. Additionally, Edmonton Global facilitated Ciba Health’s expansion by providing insights, introductions, and support.
Another thing that drew Ciba Health to the Edmonton Region was the local talent that the Region has. With a 45% growth rate in tech jobs from 2017 to 2022, the Region is tied for fourth largest growth in North America.
The Region has also seen an uptick in funding for its life sciences sector, giving potential investors like Ciba Health the support they need in expanding.
In 2023, according to Dealroom, Edmonton Region saw a 69% surge in venture capital, reaching upwards of $209 million. Alongside the growth in venture capital funding, there were federal support initiatives (like the Canadian Critical Drug Initiative) that provided $56.8 million more in funding towards the life sciences sector.
Source: Edmonton Global Staff
Alongside the eight post-secondaries that provide companies like Ciba Health with opportunities to collaborate, the Region’s well-developed health and life sciences sector and facilities (for example, the Region’s world-renowned Alberta Diabetes Institute) complemented Ciba Health’s focus on digital therapeutics and chronic disease management.
The Edmonton Metro Region has one of the lowest costs of living and a tax-friendly environment compared to other major metropolitan centres in Canada. Additionally, with no provincial sales tax, no payroll taxes, and low corporate tax rates of 8%, the Region has the second lowest business costs in North America.
Source: Numbeo
Source: Statistics Canada
Source: Colliers Canadian Market Q2 2024
When Ciba Health announced its expansion in July 2023, it had planned to hire 15 to 20 employees within the first year, with the goal of doubling the team size in the second year of operations. The company established their office at the Health Innovation Hub (HIH) in downtown Edmonton, a community incubator run by the University of Alberta for innovators and entrepreneurs working towards better human health outcomes.
The HIH helps health innovators and entrepreneurs achieve commercialization success for life science innovations by providing programming support, access to space and training resources, coaching and consulting support, and connections to peers and advisors.
It has been a little over a year since Ciba expanded into the Region. Although Ciba Health’s services are not yet available in Canada, as the company is awaiting regulatory approval, they have plans to launch their first pilot project in Canada in October 2024.
Ciba Health is also working on partnership with Health Cities and Primary Care Network (PCN) to help serve the Indigenous population.
They are also working on a clinical validation study with Applied Pharmaceutical Innovation as the Contract Research Organization (CRO) and Amii (Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute) — one of Canada’s three centres of AI excellence — to help build their AI/ML capabilities and enhance care delivery.
So far, Ciba Health has hired a Head of Canadian operations and four team members with plans to hire 40 full time employs by 2025
Additionally, the company’s presence in the Edmonton Region is expected to provide benefits to Alberta’s health system by contributing to reduced hospital visits, increased research and development opportunities in life sciences, and improved access to care through technology and personalized health plans.
Ciba Health’s decision to establish its Canadian headquarters in the Edmonton Metro Region marks a significant milestone for both the company and the Region.
The combination of the Edmonton Region’s robust health and life sciences sector, a supportive ecosystem, and the Region’s strategic initiatives in innovation and technology made it an ideal location for Ciba Health’s expansion.
As Ciba Health continues to grow, the company’s presence is anticipated to enhance the local economy, create high-quality jobs, and contribute to the improvement of healthcare outcomes in Alberta and beyond. Expected collaboration with local partners, such as Health Cities and Primary Care Networks, particularly to serve Indigenous populations, will further highlight Ciba Health’s commitment to making a meaningful impact with their Canadian branch.
With regulatory approval on the horizon and plans for a pilot project set for October 2024, Ciba Health is poised to bring its innovative, AI-enabled healthcare solutions to the Canadian market, aiding the Edmonton Region in its pursuit of being a global leader in health innovation.
The company’s expansion is not only a testament to the Region’s growing stature in the global MedTech landscape but also a promising step towards improved healthcare through technology and personalized care.
“And when we looked at the landscape here … we saw that Edmonton Region is certainly very forward-thinking,” Dr. Clement said. “They built an ecosystem that is a very collaborative space that allows for startups like us to thrive.”
Almas Danish is the Manager of Health Technology & Research at Edmonton Global. She was born and raised in Karachi, Pakistan and moved Canada in 2015. With a Master’s degree in Computer Science, Almas has more than 15 years of experience in higher education teaching and research. She is also a Microsoft certified Data Analyst and certified Professional SCRUM Master. Her problem solving and analytical skills enables her to tell stories through data and numbers. Contact Almas: adanish@edmontonglobal.ca
