10 Best AR and VR Firms in Canada 2024
Canada has become an innovation center for AR (Augmented Reality) and VR (Virtual Reality), with a specific focus on healthcare. There are several ways in which AR and VR can change the face of health care, including immersive training, improved surgical precision, better patient outcomes. Covering their special solutions, some key points about them and their industry impact this article features such top ten Canadian AR/VR companies in healthcare that will dominate by 2024.
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Precision OS
The Overview
Precision OS is leading the revolution of orthopedic surgery through AR, VR mixed reality. Based in Vancouver since 2017, they have built simulation software that enables surgeons to do virtual surgeries before real interventions.
Key Offerings
- Arthroplasty Platform: It helps the surgeons to carry out virtual joint replacement operations thereby enhancing their skills and levels of accuracy.
- Trauma Platform: It assists the surgeons to understand fracture configurations as well as optimal screw trajectories or plate positions for complex injuries.
- Custom VR/AR Experiences: Personalized solutions aimed at improving outcomes for orthopedic industry training programs.
Some Key Facts
Founded Year: 2017
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Stage: Series A
Funding: $2.3M
Investors: AO Invest, XR Invest among others.
Its Impact
On one hand it improves the training and preparedness of orthopedic surgeons hence surgery results being much better than before while on the other hand it also leads to better patient outcomes when considering its global adoption in medical field.
2. Marion Surgical
The Overview
Marion Surgical designed a hardware-based training platform that allows surgeons to gain experience on simulated procedures up to perfection. Its components are HTC Vive headset, haptic robot plus cloud-enabled simulation software.
Key Offerings
- Virtual Training Environment: This helps doctors practice procedures involving haptic feedback rather than just unlimited usage builds muscle memory.
- Customizable Solutions: Learning modules which are fine tuned to suit individual surgical specialties.
Some Key Facts
Founded Year: 2015
Location: Toronto, Canada
Stage: Seed
Funding: $381K
Investors: Gov.uk, The Growth Company and others.
Its Impact
Marion Surgical’s platform is changing surgical education by allowing surgeons to practice their skills in a safe environment for enhanced patient safety and better outcomes in the future.
3. Realize Medical
The Overview
Realize Medical makes VR platforms for developing 3D medical models which help healthcare professionals view and interact with images of medicine better.
Key Offerings
- Medical Image Viewing: There are tools that advance visualization techniques to enable one understand such complex medical image presentations at a glance.
- Modeling and Communication: This allows health care providers making and exchanging 3D models that promote teamwork during treatment planning sessions.
Some Key Facts about the Company
Founded Year: 2019
Location: Ottawa, Canada
Stage: Seed
Funding received so far stands at $1M.
Maple Leaf Angels invested alongside York Angel Investors among others into the venture recently when it was still at its seed stage.
Its Impact
Through its VR platform, Realize is closing the gap between medical imaging and real-world application leading to improved diagnosis, treatment planning, and better patient communication.
4. Intelligent Haptronic Solutions
The Overview
Intelligent Haptronic Solutions specializes in providing realistic gastrointestinal system models for training purposes in VR based digestive endoscopy simulation used within medical education field.
Key Offerings
- Endoscopy Simulator: It is an all-round training tool covering digestive endoscopy procedures with realistic simulations that enhance learning experience.
Some Key Facts
Founded Year: 2017
Approximate geographic area: Vancouver
Stage: Seed
Funding: $5M
Investors: SFU VentureLabs, Yuanzhen Value Investment among others
Its Impact
Intelligent Haptronic Solutions’ endoscopy simulator is transforming medical education and setting new standards for in-field practitioners to have first-hand experience in a controlled environment without any risks.
5. Weed Virtual Retail
The Overview
Weed Virtual Retail is a VR platform that allows users to see, touch and smell virtual cannabis products. This new approach employs exclusive digital 3D scanning process and scientific lab data to make a complete virtual dispensary.
Key Offerings
- Virtual Dispensary: It gives the user the ability to explore different cannabis products in a digital environment with tactile and olfactory feedback.
Key Facts
Year of Foundation: 2017
Location: Toronto, Canada
Investment Round Stage: Acquired
Impact
Through its interactive, informative product knowledge platform that enhances purchasing decisions, Weed Virtual Retail has completely overhauled the marijuana retail experience.
6. GestureTek Health
The Overview
GestureTek Health designs video gesture-controlled displays for use in rehabilitation centers, assistive technology marketplaces and healthcare facilities. For instance, advertising, gaming industry as well as health care are among sectors served by the company’s diversified product lines.
Key offerings
- IREX: A virtual platform for physical therapy exercises or practices used in rehabilitation centers.
- GestureXtreme: A system of dynamic body tracking.
- Immersive Therapy Suite: Music therapy program implementation tool.
- SensoryFX: Therapeutic VR special effects.
- Multi-Sensory and MultiTouch Solutions: Several applications require interactive hardware or software.
Key Facts about GestureTek Health:
Founded Year: 2007
Location: Toronto,
Canada Stage of Funding Raised Among them were Impact Investment
Partners investors: Impact These solutions developed by GestureTek Health increase patient involvement in rehabilitating programs and assistive technologies improving their effectiveness through interactivity.
7. Conquer Experience
The Overview
Conquer Experience presents an immersive learning platform based on virtual reality targeting professionals in medical practice. PeriopSim is their leading product which provides evidence-based training modules for surgical practitioners.
Offering key points
- PeriopSim: A VR based training tool for nurses and surgical techs integrating actual surgery videos along with voiceover narration.
- Engaging Apps: Designed based on principles of UX, gamification and simulation to speed up learning.
Key Facts about Conquer Experience:
Founded Year: 2018
Location: Surrey,
Canada Stage of Funding Raised Among them were Discovery Parks investors: Impact Conquer Experience has developed immersive interactive VR simulations for surgical training that enhance the skills readiness levels of health care professionals.
8. Luxsonic
The Overview
Luxsonic provides healthcare education software and services through AR/VR technology. Their VR software is available for medical content and consultation services.
Key Offerings
- MedCast360: Virtual reality software for medical instruction.
- SieVRt: An image visualization tool to improve understanding of medical images.
- VR Consultation Services: Offering virtual consultations and training programs.
Key facts about Luxsonic
Founded Year: 2014
Location: Saskatoon,
Canada Round Stage: Seed
Round Among these were Startup TNT investors: Impact These AR/VR technologies are aimed at making it easier to understand and learn medicine among health care professionals in order to apply complex medical concepts properly.
9. SimforHealth
Overview
SimforHealth offers interactive virtual patient simulators in VR technology as part of their healthcare training solutions portfolio available specifically for licensed practitioners.
Offering key points
- Virtual Patient Simulation (Real-time Interactive & Collaborative Training Solutions).
- Nursing Education (Drug Preparation & Dose Calculation Simulations).
Key Facts about SimforHealth
Founded Year: 2008
Location: Montreal,
Canada Funding Stage: Unfunded
Impacts: Through its realistic VR simulations that enable healthcare professionals practice safely, Simfor Health’s products have improved training facilities for those who want to perfect their expertise thereby reducing risks found during real-time operations.
10. Hoame
The Overview
Hoame creates meditation-based immersive VR experiences, offering subscriptions for studio classes, on-demand experiences among others.
Key Offerings
- Immersive Meditation Spaces: These are VR designed virtual reality meditation experiences.
- Subscription Service: Provides access to workshops, classes and community events.
Key Facts about Hoame:
Founded Year: 2018
Location: Toronto,
Canada Funding Stage: Unfunded
Impact: Hoame uses immersive VR experiences to make meditation more accessible and engaging by promoting mental wellness and relaxation through interactive media.
Conclusion
In Canada, AR and VR healthcare startups are redefining medical education, training and patient care boundaries. These revolutionary companies have revolutionized the healthcare industry through practices including virtual surgical simulations, interactive rehab exercises or even immersive meditation sessions. This has been via the use of latest ICT capabilities to impart knowledge to health professionals for better discharge of their duties, improving patients’ well-being and making medicine more lively than ever before. As these start-ups continue to scale up their operations and come up with new ideas, they will eventually leave a mark on Canadian and international healthcare systems that cannot be erased easily.
