Collision will be bringing together tech companies, entrepreneurs, and world-class speakers in Toronto from June 17 to 20. Dubbed the “Olympics of Tech,” at its core Collision remains a conference for the freshest and brightest business ideas and this year there are outstanding companies from Alberta attending with Innovate Calgary’s support.
Innovate Calgary helps bridge the gap between discovery and innovation for startup companies while operating as a technology transfer and business-incubation centre for the University of Calgary.
We’re highlighting seven companies leading up to Collision. Today our spotlight is on Nimble Science.
Company Overview
It was Hippocrates who said, “All disease begins in the gut.” Nimble Science is revolutionizing the field of gastrointestinal research with its innovative technologies. Their flagship product, the Small Intestine MicroBiome Aspiration (SIMBA) Capsule, is a pioneering ingestible capsule that provides a non-invasive means of sampling the gut microbiome. The technology offers researchers and healthcare providers unprecedented insights into gut health, enabling more accurate diagnostics and personalized treatments.
The capsule is a tiny, swallowable device that travels through the gastrointestinal tract, collecting valuable data and samples. Once the capsule has completed its journey, it is naturally excreted and can be retrieved for analysis. This process eliminates the need for invasive procedures like colonoscopies, making it a patient friendly alternative for studying gut health.
Funding and Development
In 2023, Nimble Science raised $4 million to commercially scale their revolutionary Health Platform to food, diagnostic, and drug companies. This funding round brought Nimble Science out of stealth mode, enabling academia, government, and industry to unlock critical health data insights from the previously out-of-reach small intestine.
Over 15 chronic diseases are associated with dysbiosis of the small intestine, representing a $75 billion total addressable market. Nimble Science’s consumer-friendly capsule finally enables small intestine multi-omic microbiome data collection, empowering novel consumer products, therapeutic, and diagnostic development.
Fusion Fund of Palo Alto, California, led the oversubscribed financing round, which included new investors First Spark Ventures, Alumni Ventures, Joyance Partners, Adara VC, and Startup TNT and TNT Capital. Follow-on funding came from pre-seed partners including BoxOne Ventures, Threshold Impact, BlueSky Equities, UCeed Child Health and Wellness Fund, and various angels.
The funds are being deployed to advance the SIMBA GI Health diagnostic test platform, grow commercial research partnerships spanning consumer products, academia, government, and drug companies, as well as expand Nimble Science’s team.
Expert Leadership
Nimble Science was founded by Dr. Sabina Bruehlmann and Dr. Joseph Wang who are experts in the fields of gastrointestinal research and biomedical engineering. Their vision and leadership have been instrumental in driving the company’s success and innovation. The leadership team at Nimble Science includes professionals with extensive experience in biotechnology, clinical research, and product development.
Dr. Bruehlmann, CEO of Nimble Science, says, “Our mission is to advance our technology and expand the applications to improve patient care. The support we are receiving from Innovate Calgary is vital for a startup like ours. We are so grateful to the Alberta innovation community for championing our ideas and opening doors to generate investments in our company.”
What’s Next?
Nimble Science is poised to make a significant impact on the field of gastrointestinal research. The capsule represents a major leap forward in how we study and understand gut health, offering a patient friendly, non-invasive solution that can provide valuable insights for diagnostics and treatment.
With the support of Innovate Calgary and the exposure gained from attending Collision, Nimble Science is well-positioned to lead the way in this field and to drive advancements and better health outcomes.
Those attending Collision can drop by the University of Calgary booth, powered by Innovate Calgary and the Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking, to connect with Nimble Science.
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