INOVAIT announces innovation award winners

OTTAWA – INOVAIT, Canada’s image-guided therapy and artificial intelligence network, presented the 2025/26 INOVAIT Awards at its annual meeting in Ottawa earlier this month. The INOVAIT Awards recognize industry and academic members of the INOVAIT Network who are developing breakthrough innovations in healthcare and spearheading economic development for Canada.

“Through the INOVAIT Awards, we are spotlighting those who are not only advancing breakthrough medical technologies, but also strengthening Canada’s health innovation ecosystem,” said Kullervo Hynynen (pictured), co-executive director of INOVAIT. “The 2025/26 award recipients exemplify the leadership, rigour, and real-world impact that define Canadian medtech.”

The 2025/26 INOVAIT Awards were granted to the following recipients:

Altis Labs received the 2025/26 Maple Leaf Award. The Maple Leaf Award recognizes an industry member who has strengthened working relationships and partnerships with other companies and institutions across Canada.

Altis Labs has three INOVAIT R&D projects that have established research collaborations with BC Cancer, Alberta Health Services, Hamilton Health Sciences, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Trillium Health Partners, the University Health Network, and the University of Calgary. Altis brings together Canada’s unique AI talent and clinical research excellence to develop prognostic imaging AI models that accelerate drug development.

“INOVAIT’s support has been vital in bridging the gap between AI research and commercialization,” says Duoaud Shah, head of clinical partnerships at Altis Labs. “Together with our pan-Canadian partners, we are ensuring Canadian innovation leads the global advancement of medicine.”

Nova Scotia Health received the 2025/26 Aurora Borealis Award. The Aurora Borealis Award celebrates academic institutions and their administrative teams who foster synergetic relationships between industry and academia to drive healthcare innovation.

Over the last five years, Nova Scotia Health has partnered on five pan-Canadian R&D projects. Nova Scotia Health also enabled the second Medventions site across Canada, and this year supported the launch of Medventions Atlantic NL in Newfoundland & Labrador.

Nova Scotia Health actively champions innovation opportunities and enables the next generation of innovators in Eastern Canada to acquire the skills they need to succeed in medtech.

“We’re honoured to receive the Aurora Borealis Award from INOVAIT, said Margaret Palmeter, senior director of innovation at Nova Scotia Health. “This recognition reflects the dedication of our teams and partners who work every day to move innovation from idea to impact – quickly, thoughtfully, and in ways that truly support patient care and system needs.”

Profound Medical received the 2025/26 Mount Logan Award. This award acknowledges the INOVAIT member who has achieved their project milestones and reached new heights for their company, demonstrating Canada’s greatness on the world stage.

Profound Medical has achieved significant milestones and international acclaim over the last year, including treating their 4,000th TULSA-PRO patient, securing new U.S. reimbursement codes from Medicare, and establishing strategic partnerships to expand patient access globally.

“We are incredibly honoured to receive this award and sincerely thank INOVAIT for supporting AI development of TULSA-PRO as we work to drive widespread global commercialization of this home-grown Canadian medical innovation,” said Arun Menawat, Profound Medical’s CEO and chairman. “Toronto’s renowned Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre was the original innovator of the TULSA-PRO technology, and to date, more than 4,000 men around the world have undergone the TULSA Procedure for prostate cancer and/or BPH.”

Through the INOVAIT Awards, the network continues to amplify the Canadian medtech companies and healthcare institutions that are transforming patient care and advancing medical innovation globally.

INOVAIT is supported by the Government of Canada through the Strategic Response Fund.