TORONTO – Telus Ventures has announced a strategic investment in Sprout, a leading Canadian organization helping companies engage employees to improve their health and wellness. Sprout helps companies and their workforces by providing technology-based tools that motivate employees to get fit and additional tools for leaders to manage and measure the positive impact to their business.

This funding stake will enable Sprout to transform and expand the reach of its platform to additional companies as well as grow their engineering, account management and customer success teams.

This investment expands Telus’ focus on preventative health by promoting user-friendly tools that allow employers to invest in the physical well-being of employees and encourage healthier, more productive lives, which in turn benefits their business.

According to a recent study by Medisys Health Group, boosting employee engagement and satisfaction is one of the top three reasons for implementing a wellness program. Further, studies also show that employees are eight times more likely to be engaged in their work when their employers make wellness a priority.

“Telus is committed to enabling better health for all Canadians by embracing innovative healthcare technology that encourages smarter lifestyle choices,” said Paul Lepage (pictured), President, Telus Health. “By working with Sprout we are boosting our suite of personal health tracking solutions and furthering the ability to connect wearable devices to a social network, both of which have been proven to increase long-term commitment. We are proud to be supporting the growth of small, innovative Canadian companies in health and wellness to build a stronger health ecosystem in Canada, driven by technology.”

Telus Health also expanded its suite of personal health tracking technology solutions by entering into a reseller arrangement with Sprout to allow Telus to promote the Sprout solution as part of its Self-Health program for large enterprise customers.

Self-Health is an online portal for organizations to encourage their employees to track fitness, nutrition and biometrics while engaging with a health coach in an effort to increase their overall health and general wellness.

Sprout’s platform drives employee participation and engagement in wellness programs by enabling them to set goals, create challenges and compete amongst colleagues. Sprout provides tools that track physical activity and other metrics such as nutrition and mental health as well as biometrics such as BMI for a holistic approach to wellness.

The platform also integrates with leading fitness trackers such as the Nike +, Fitbit, Jawbone and Strava. Additionally, Sprout’s reporting functionality ensures that companies can easily track and measure the impact wellness initiatives are having on their business.

“We are thrilled to partner with Telus Health to transform corporate wellness in Canada and improve the health of Canadians,” said Martha Switzer, Co-Founder, Sprout. “Our values and objectives are aligned and we are eager to expand the reach of our platform with Telus Health’s support. At Sprout we are passionate about the impact a healthy and engaged workforce can have on businesses, and by partnering with Telus we are confident that impact will be maximized.”

“Telus Ventures actively seeks innovative and entrepreneurial start-ups, particularly those that have the potential to positively impact healthcare in Canada through technology,” said Mathew George, Vice-President, Telus Ventures. “This investment strengthens our relationship with a leading innovator in the health space that offers a complementary solution to our existing wellness and patient engagement initiatives.”

About SPROUT

Sprout is the leading Wellness Engagement Platform, used by progressive companies to improve the health of their employees and their business. Sprout creates a work culture that enables individuals to lead happier, healthier lives, while empowering employers to effectively manage and measure wellness outcomes. More information is available at www.sproutatwork.com.

About Telus Ventures

Telus Ventures, the strategic venture investment arm of Telus, evaluates companies, markets, management teams and technologies to ensure a fit to Telus’ strategy and to maximize financial returns on investment. The Ventures’ team drives success for its portfolio of company investments by actively facilitating relationships within Telus and our network of partners.

About Telus Health

Telus Health is a leader in telehomecare, electronic medical and health records, consumer health, benefits management and pharmacy management. Telus Health solutions give health authorities, providers, physicians, and patients the power to turn information into better health outcomes. For more information about Telus Health, please visit www.telushealth.com.