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Announcing: Ontario’s New GAPP Projects

GAPP 2026 is now Open for Applications

As part of the Canadian Genomics Strategy (CGS), the Genomic Applications Partnership Program (GAPP) helps commercialize research by investing in Canadian for-profit companies that are partnered with Canadian researchers.

Eligibility Criteria:

  • The program supports Canadian for-profit enterprises, also known as a receptor, that have an economic interest in developing an idea or research into a commercial application.
  • Each project must be a partnership between an industry receptor and researcher, with active roles for each, with optional support from one or more co-investigators and/or collaborators.
  • If the researcher has a position with the receptor, the receptor must have clear decision-making processes that are independent of the researcher.

Funding:

  • Total project budget can be $900,000 – $6,000,000.
  • NEW: Receptor organizations can receive up to 20% of the Genome Canada funding contribution.

If you meet the criteria above, we’d love to hear from you! Letters of Intent are now being accepted, but only until Friday, May 8. Learn more below:

Program Details

Eight Ontario start-ups share $1.2-million Government of Canada Investment

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BioCreate business accelerator is driving industrial biotech in Ontario

Ontario Genomics’ BioCreate business accelerator is welcoming in eight new biotech companies. Each start-up will receive seed funding, 18 months of business mentorship, access to critical infrastructure and introductions to potential investors.

This is part of a five-year, $5.6-million investment from the Government of Canada, through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), to help biotech companies commercialize their game-changing solutions in food and agriculture, health, and cleantech.

Here are the newest BioCreate start-ups:

  • I-RNA (London) is using precision medicine to improve diabetic retinopathy detection and treatments.
  • Kulture Rebellion (Toronto) is creating healthy microbial strains for the functional beverage industry.
  • Launch Bioindustries (Toronto) is upcycling food waste into compostable bioplastics and coatings.
  • New Code Oncology (Toronto) is developing AI technology to detect rare and complex cancers faster.
  • NuvoBio (Ottawa) is using an AI platform to speed up and de-risk peptide drug discovery.
  • Synakis (Toronto) is bioengineering treatments for eye diseases like retinal detachment and glaucoma.
  • Tessella Biosciences (Hamilton) is developing a bio-printed dissolvable bandage for burn wounds.
  • VascuBio Innovation (Toronto) is bioengineering tissues for the research and healthcare industries.

With an 11 per cent acceptance rate, BioCreate is known for its stringent selection process, which has yielded impressive results since its start in 2023, with companies raising $71.9 million in funding and earning sales and revenue of $26.2 million and creating/maintaining 122 jobs.

BioCreate Program Senior Director Elizabeth Gray says, “Canada is laser focused on strengthening and diversifying its economy. BioCreate is supporting this goal by giving high-potential companies the funding and critical mentorship boost they need to commercialize their products and technologies faster, not just for the benefit of this country, but for the rest of the world.”

“By supporting high‑potential start‑ups through BioCreate,” said the Honourable Evan Solomon, Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, “we are helping bring made‑in‑Ontario innovations to market faster and building a stronger, more competitive economy for Canadians.”

For more details on these new companies and the other 24 already in the accelerator, go to BioCreate.ca.

Ontario Genomics invests in researchers and start-ups to drive industrial biotech through homegrown, cutting-edge solutions in food and agriculture, medicine and cleantech. With more than 600 partnerships and $3.5 billion in investments, we’ve been working with governments, industry and innovators for over 25 years to get ideas out of the lab and into the real world. Learn more at OntarioGenomics.ca.

About FedDev Ontario
Since 2009, the Government of Canada, through FedDev Ontario, has worked to advance and diversify the southern Ontario economy through funding opportunities and business services that support innovation, growth and job creation in Canada’s most populous region. The Agency has delivered impressive results, which can be seen in southern Ontario businesses that are creating innovative technologies, improving productivity, growing revenues, creating jobs, and in the economic advancement of communities across the region. Learn more about the impact the Agency is having in southern Ontario by exploring our impact stories, our Southern Ontario Spotlight, and FedDev Ontario’s X, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn accounts.

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Media Contacts
Maggie Blood
Innovation Communications and Public Affairs Manager
Ontario Genomics
mblood@ontariogenomics.ca

Sofia Ouslis
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Artificial Intelligence, Digital Innovation and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario
sofia.ouslis@ised-isde.gc.ca

HARVEST Accelerator – Growing smarter with biotechnology

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HARVEST Business Accelerator Funding Opportunity

Calling all upcycling and agricultural cleantech companies!

HARVEST is a brand-new business accelerator investing in Canadian cleantech and agricultural companies. By scaling up their biotechnologies or processes, these companies will strengthen Canada’s agriculture and food economy.

This two-year partnership between Ontario Genomics, Genome Alberta and Genome Prairie will award up to $750K per project to companies under two streams:

HARVEST Business Accelerator - WCC

wasteCANcreate
Ontario Genomics is investing in waste-upcycling companies across Canada, with a focus on valorizing agricultural and/or food-and-beverage waste or by-products to improve biomanufacturing processes and commercialize new bio-based products.

HARVEST Business Accelerator - PACT

PACT (Primary Agriculture Clean Technologies)
Genome Alberta and Genome Prairie are investing in sustainable agriculture companies in Canada with a focus on agricultural production and crop improvement, including water and fertilizer use, pest/disease resistance and environmental resilience.

Program Details

“HARVEST is an amazing agri-tech accelerator that will bring farmers, start-up companies, food processors and other manufacturers together to solve industry problems. In today’s world, Canada needs to come together to protect our most important industries and innovate to make them more competitive in the future.” – John Rafferty, President & CEO, Ontario Genomics

“Genome Prairie, in partnership with Ontario Genomics and Genome Alberta, are delighted to announce this first-of-its-kind initiative. HARVEST marks a bold new era of cooperation and collaboration that will boost Canadian commercial enterprises seeking to bring their biotechnology innovations to market. Now is the time for Canada to reap the benefits from its numerous investments in research. Genome Prairie is proud to play a key role in this journey towards greater national prosperity.” – Mike Cey, President & CEO, Genome Prairie

“We are proud to bring Alberta’s strong track record in agricultural innovation to this new national collaboration with Genome Prairie and Ontario Genomics. HARVEST will help primary agriculture companies across Canada accelerate market-ready genomics and biotechnology solutions to reduce emissions while maintaining productivity. By translating research into real-world technologies, we’re strengthening competitiveness, supporting producers, and advancing sustainable economic growth.” – David Bailey, President & CEO, Genome Alberta

“Canada’s bioeconomy is built on innovation, collaboration and purpose. Genome Canada is thrilled to see HARVEST bringing regional strengths together to accelerate growth for Canadian agri-food companies and drive environmental sustainability in our food systems.” – Rob Annan, President & CEO of Genome Canada

Click here for further HARVEST program details.
Intake forms are due on March 18, 2026.

 

We’re also hosting a webinar on Monday, March 2 at 2:30 EST to explain the program and answer any questions you may have before applying.
Register here for the online info session.

Ontario Genomics Welcomes New Board Members

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Ontario Genomics’ New Board Members

As we sharpen our focus on commercialization, we’re delighted to introduce you to four new members of Ontario Genomics’ Board of Directors to help us chart a new course and achieve our strategic goals.

Maureen Adamson

Maureen Adamson, President of Fleming College and Interim President and CEO of Colleges Ontario, has more than 25 years of leadership experience in the post-secondary, health care, government and non-profit sectors.

Maureen has served as Ontario’s deputy minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport and deputy minister of the Status of Women. Other previous roles include president and CEO of the Michener Institute for Applied Health Sciences, CEO of Cystic Fibrosis Canada and vice-president of corporate services at Mohawk College.

Her volunteer work includes chairing the board of directors for Research Canada, serving as vice-chair and commissioner for the Toronto Transit Commission, and the inaugural chair of the Scarborough Health Network hospital in 2018 through Covid. She has been the inaugural chair of the Scarborough Health Research Institute since 2021.

Ian Ash

Ian Ash is an entrepreneur and technology executive with over 25 years of experience scaling innovative technology companies.

As Co-Founder of Dig Insights, he helped build the company into a global organization and launched the high-growth SaaS platform, Upsiide, leading to a successful private equity exit.

Ian brings deep expertise in commercialization, strategic planning, and building the frameworks that turn innovative ideas into profitable enterprises. He is passionate about helping bridge the monetization gap for science and technology start-ups.

Pierre Meulien

Pierre Meulien was most recently the Executive Director of the Innovative Medicines Initiative and oversaw its transition to the Innovative Health Initiative, a €2.4 billion cross-sector initiative in the health innovation ecosystem in Europe. He is now an independent consultant in biomedical R&I.

Previously, Dr Meulien was President and CEO of Genome Canada (2010-15) and was Chief Scientific Officer for Genome British Columbia. He has also served as founding CEO of the Dublin Molecular Medicine Centre and worked in the private sector with the French biotechnology company Transgene, and with Aventis Pasteur (now Sanofi Pasteur) as Director of Research at the Marcy l’Etoile (France) facility and then Senior Vice President for R&D at the Willowdale site (Ontario).

Greg Pope

Greg Pope is Managing Partner of GDLP Advisors Inc., where he provides financial expertise and leadership to a variety of organizations in a number of different sectors.

With his deep financial background in multiple industries spanning four provinces, he provides clients with experienced financial leadership in areas such as raising capital, M&A, and bolstering the overall strength & effectiveness of the finance function within publicly traded and private organizations.

Greg has served in directorship roles in both corporate and charitable environments, bringing over 15 years of experience as Chief Financial Officer in the restaurant, retail, information technology and healthcare industries. Greg is currently a member of Memorial University’s Faculty of Business Advisory Board and has previously served on the boards of the National Arts Centre Foundation, CNIB, and certain corporate entities.

Dominique Tertigas

Dominique Tertigas is a PhD candidate at McMaster University in the Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences in the lab of Dr. Michael Surette. Dominique’s PhD project focuses on the gut microbiome in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Her work combines microbiology, genomics, and metagenomics to discover novel pathogens in IBD. Dominique has been awarded several scholarships, including the Canadian Graduate Scholarship (Master’s) and Ontario Graduate Scholarships, to support her research.

Dominique is a part of McMaster’s Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research and Farncombe Family Digestive Health Research Institute. As a trainee in these institutes, Dominique helps organize student-run conferences, plan trainee workshops, and mentor trainees in learning bioinformatics. Dominique has also applied her expertise in microbiome research to additional projects investigating the microbiome in the context of antibiotics, probiotic use, One Health, and more!

Dominique brings these experiences and training perspectives to Ontario Genomics’ Board as the student representative.

Ontario Genomics is also bidding farewell to a couple of retiring board members.

  • Alan Winter (Former BC Innovation Commissioner) joined in October 2017 and was the Chair of the Governance, HR, and Nominating Committee and shared his extensive genomics and genome foundations expertise with the organization.
  • Tom Corr (Former President and CEO, Ontario Centres of Excellence) brought his deep innovation expertise when he joined the Board in September 2018, and held several roles including Chair of the Finance & Audit Committee, former Vice Chair of the Board, member of the Private Sector Advisory Committee (PSAC).

Both Tom and Alan have made lasting contributions to the organization by playing a central role in launching the 2021 Strategic Plan, supporting the organization through leadership transitions, as well as helping guide Ontario Genomics through the COVID-19 pandemic, an era that also saw the inception of BioCreate, our best-in-class accelerator. We are thankful for their years of deep commitment to our board.

What if we could?

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What if we could? - Ontario Genomics' Annual Report 2024-2025

25 years in and decades more to go at Ontario Genomics!

This year’s annual report comes at a milestone time and the past year has been a remarkable one with exciting progress in our health, cleantech and food and agriculture projects.

As Ontario Genomics marks its 25th year, we celebrate our success in funding cutting-edge science projects that are producing homegrown solutions to some of humanity’s biggest challenges. In this 2024-25 annual report, you’ll see how we’re backing real winners in precision healthcare, biotech SMEs, food biomanufacturing, environmental testing and waste upcycling.

Looking into the future of the province’s workforce, we also ensure Ontario’s young people are informed and inspired about all the exciting opportunities biotechnology is creating, and how they can be a part of it. Now, more than ever, Ontario Genomics is focused on getting innovative research out of the lab and into the real world for everyone’s benefit.

This report features several inspiring examples of how our exceptional team nurtures ideas into reality. We hope you’re as motivated by it as we are! What if we could is more than a theme, it’s a commitment to transforming scientific discovery into practical, market-ready solutions. As Ontario Genomics enters its next 25 years, we will continue to turn this vision into impact for Ontario, Canada and the world.

What if we could? - Ontario Genomics' Annual Report 2024-2025
Read Ontario Genomics' Annual Report

Ontario Genomics’ Regional GAPP

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Regional Genomic Applications Partnership Program (GAPP)

Fuelling Ontario’s Next Generation of Biotech Spinouts

Ontario Genomics is launching our Regional Genomic Applications Partnership Program (GAPP) to accelerate the commercialization of academic discoveries into made-in-Ontario biotech solutions.

Ontario is home to world-class researchers and institutions producing groundbreaking discoveries, yet many of them fail to progress beyond the lab. That’s because spinout companies (formed to commercialize academic intellectual property) that bring these innovations to market are often stifled by insufficient access to capital, long commercialization timelines and limited business expertise.

Thanks in part to a four year, $4 million commitment from Genome Canada, Ontario Genomics’ Regional GAPP is addressing these challenges by supporting spinouts at this critical lab-to-company technology transfer stage, facilitating R&D capacity, independence from academia and positioning them for seed financing. The end results will fuel job creation, company retention, IP generation and attract foreign investment, while reinforcing Ontario’s economic resilience and global reputation in genomics innovation.

Eligibility Criteria:

  • Your spinout company is incorporated in Canada and based in Ontario
  • Your spinout can commit $222,578 cash or in-kind over the two years of the program
  • Your technology is genomics or biotech enabled
  • Your spinout company is partnered with an Ontario-based researcher
  • Your company has at least two people (if the lead project researcher is also the CEO, the company’s governance board must have at least one additional member)

If you meet the above criteria, please visit the program page and fill out the intake form by Oct 24th.

The Canadian Biotechnology Innovation and Commercialization initiative (CBIC) is here!

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Canadian Biotechnology Innovation and Commercialization (CBIC)

Ontario Genomics is playing a role

With the power of genomics, we now have a deeper understanding of the genetic basis of life, which is driving innovation across multiple sectors. This allows us to use biotechnology tools in medicine, agriculture and environmental science to solve global challenges and enhance our quality of life.

To boost commercialization, Genome Canada has made its first strategic investment to address Canada’s urgent health and industry challenges. Ontario Genomics is leading a key project that reduces the need for prostate biopsies by predicting the risks of high grade prostate cancer (HGPrCa) with biomarkers from semen.

Read more about Prostate Cancer Predict led by FlowLabs and Dr. Keith Jarvi, Sinai Health.

BioCreate Cohorts 6 & 7 are now open

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BioCreate Program

Attention start-ups!
BioCreate applications are now open

Ontario Genomics’ BioCreate accelerator is now open to small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in southern Ontario looking to commercialize genomics and engineering biology enabled products and/or technologies in the health, food and agriculture and cleantech sectors at a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 4+.

What does BioCreate do? We provide funding, access to mentorship and unique business support to help companies bring new products and technologies to market.


Program Highlights:
  • Direct, non-repayable funding of $150,000.
  • Access to 18 months of intensive business mentorship and critical infrastructure through Ontario Genomics’ strategic sectoral and regional partnerships.
  • An investor showcase for each cohort, giving companies the opportunity to pitch to investors and potential partners.
Online Program Info Session

If you’re interested in learning more about BioCreate, join us Thursday, June 12 at noon for a 30 minute run down on program eligibility, application timelines and what to expect along your BioCreate journey. Whether you’re in health, agri-food or cleantech, this is your chance to bring your genomics-enabled innovation to market with world-class support backing you up.

Register to join the session
Biocreate header with three phases
Application Steps and Dates
Interested? Review the Program Guide for more information on BioCreate, including eligibility requirements and evaluation criteria, then fill out the BioCreate intake form and a representative from our team will reach out to discuss your project idea. Eligible applicants will be invited to submit an application. If you have questions, please contact BioCreate@ontariogenomics.ca. The deadline to submit an intake form is July 31. Additional details and the application process can be found on the BioCreate page.

The BioCreate program is supported by the Government of Canada through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) and Ontario Genomics.

eDNA Surveillance can tell us nature’s secrets

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As humans, we don’t live in a bubble. We’re connected to all living things around us, so it only makes sense to better understand the impact humans, animals and the environment have on each other. That’s where Environmental DNA (eDNA) comes in!

This advanced surveillance technique is emerging as a non-invasive and population-level method to better understand how our changing climate is impacting all living things, especially human health. Ontario Genomics is funding two new projects through Genome Canada’s eDNA Surveillance Initiative that gives regional support to better develop more sensitive and accurate detection methods.

One project will help two First Nations communities develop and implement new eDNA/eRNA tools for wastewater and ecological monitoring, while the other will track and correlate environmental and clinical antimicrobial resistance. An ethical and inclusive governance policy framework will be co-created with First Nations communities to ensure privacy protection, confidentiality and data integrity while respecting Indigenous sovereignty.

For more information, contact Laura Riley, Director, Sector Innovation & Programs.

eDNA-Surveillance-Initiative

Biomanufacturing and the Circular Bioeconomy

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In our last post, we talked about how biomanufacturing thrives when circular economy principles are applied to emphasize sustainability throughout the entire lifecycle of bioproducts. This shift in mindset goes beyond adopting new practices—it’s a rethinking of production and consumption.

We’re all well-versed in this concept, whether we recognize it or not. Natural ‘economies’ are nearly always circular in nature – think about the carbon cycle, where carbon is released from dead plants and animals, reabsorbed by the soil and microbes within it, and then reincorporated into new organisms; or the water cycle, where constant cycles of evaporation and precipitation renew the planet’s water resources naturally. In fact, our current economy is the exception to the rule. By creating circular manufacturing processes and eliminating waste, we can restore our environment while maintaining strong economic growth.

Adopting a circular economy mindset in biomanufacturing goes beyond merely adopting new practices. It signifies a profound shift in the way we think about production and consumption. While it can be daring to challenge the status quo, several industries have recognized the importance of a circular economy as the viable path forward. This is made possible through three key values:

  1. Collaboration over competition: Industries, manufacturers, and consumers must collaborate throughout the lifecycle. It’s about sharing resources, knowledge, and best practices to create a sustainable ecosystem. The wasteCANcreate upcycling consortium is a great example of this in action!
  2. Long-Term Perspective: Prioritizing long-term environmental and social impacts over short-term profits ensures sustainability.
  3. Consumer Engagement: Empowering consumers to make informed choices supports businesses committed to circularity and responsible consumption habits.
Real-World Examples

Several companies are already putting these principles into action. Ontario Genomics’ industry partners, including IGPC Ethanol, EcoPoly Solutions, and lululemon athletica, all share these values and are working together to create more impact than any of them could individually.

IGPC Ethanol has transformed distillers’ grains—once considered waste—into a highly nutritious animal feed ingredient and are now looking for even better ways of upcycling these by-products, including in the production of packaging materials. This is just one way the circular economy can create value while reducing waste. As Sheena Alexander, Director of Strategy & Innovation at IGPC, explains:

“At IGPC, we believe that circularization and upcycling are not just buzzwords but critical strategies for a sustainable future. Embracing the circular economy mindset in biomanufacturing isn’t just about changing processes; it’s a shift in perspective that drives innovation and sustainability across the entire product lifecycle“.

EcoPoly Solutions and lululemon athletica, are also collaborating to make an impact by testing materials produced through circular processes. By sharing resources and insights within the consortium, these companies demonstrate that the circular economy is not just a trend but a transformative force reshaping the way we produce and consume.

These companies are an example of what is possible. By adopting circular principles and embracing a sustainable mindset, we can reduce waste, conserve resources, and protect our biosphere for future generations. Our planet’s future depends on it.

The upcycling process