Currently there is a significant gap in delivering healthcare products to people with Spinal Cord Injury (SCI). There are limited resources in bringing developed prototypes to commercialization in this area, with comparatively more resources available for earlier stage proof of concept and research and development (R&D).

Praxis’ SCI Accelerate Program is a 6-month in-residence program for up to five high potential SCI Innovators/Small to Medium Enterprises. This accelerator program is the first of its kind and will be focused on commercializing post-prototype innovations with SCI applications. The SCI Accelerate program brings resources and networks unique to Praxis including research and SCI consumer expertise, as well as leading external mentors and advisors with tailored healthcare experiences in regulatory processes, reimbursement, and sales. Praxis has also developed a complementary 4-month SCI Incubate Program, to help foster earlier stage companies to feed into the SCI Accelerate program.

Through the execution of the 2021 SCI Accelerate and Incubate programs, Praxis has achieved significant program outcomes including:

• SCI Accelerate companies leveraged >$10M CAD (non-dilutive and dilutive) funding. SCI Incubate companies leveraged ~$1.4M in grant funding for product development and feasibility studies.
• 2 SCI Accelerate companies approved to market their products through Health Canada bringing new technologies and innovations to Canadians living with SCI
• BC based companies retained/added 10 non-founder FTE HQPs. Canadian companies retained/added 20 non-founder FTE HQPs

Through this program, Praxis contributes to BC’s regional excellence in spinal cord related R&D and contribute to the gap in resources between research and commercialization. Praxis helps companies in their critical seed stage of development, retaining and creating R&D jobs in the region while advocating for life changing technology for people with SCI in BC, Canada, and internationally.