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 Taylored Biotherapeutics.
Company Overview
Taylored Biotherapeutics is a microbiome therapeutics company focused on the research and development of new drugs to combat a variety of mental health illnesses. By leveraging their robust data platform, sophisticated machine learning technologies, and patient-driven developmental pipeline, Taylored Biotherapeutics is coming up with new solutions for maintaining the well-being of the mind and body.
The company is dedicated to the study of the microbiome to harness and treat a variety of mental health issues. They take a human-first, patient-informed approach as they create and improve treatments available for those with psychiatric conditions. The company believes that understanding the bacteria in your digestive system, the human microbiome, holds tremendous potential for diagnosing and treating various psychiatric conditions.
Funding and Development
Taylored Biotherapeutics is leveraging sophisticated scientific technologies and machine learning approaches to identify, grow, and package the bacteria causing positive changes to develop new treatments for mental illness. Work from their clinical trials examining the effect of fecal transplants to treat depression indicated that targeting the microbiome results in substantial and sustained clinical improvement and is essentially side-effect free.
The company has partnered with Netramark, providing proprietary AI to optimize the path in new drug development, accelerate clinical trials, mitigate placebo response, and redefine the landscape of how disorders are treated. Additional partnerships have been made with the University of Calgary and the Canadian National Research Council’s Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP).
The University of Calgary, with assistance from the startup incubator Innovate Calgary, is known for being a top startup creator in Canada. Taylored Biotherapeutics has benefited from the Innovation@UCalgary ecosystem which includes mentorship, training, funding, and services to support each stage of the innovation journey to move research-to-impact. The company has also benefited from support and guidance from the Cumming School of Medicine.
Expert Leadership
Taylored Biotherapeutics was founded by Dr. Valerie Taylor, who is dedicated to improving the treatments available for mental health illnesses. In addition to its Chief Operating Officer Asem Bala, the leadership team at Taylored Biotherapeutics includes professionals with extensive experience in psychiatry, microbiome research, and biotechnology.
Dr. Taylor, the company’s CEO, says, “Our mission is to improve our patients’ mental health so they can live better and healthier lives. Our approach to doing so by studying the microbiome is one with immense potential and promise. It takes a village to develop an organization like ours and that includes the support and guidance of parties like the University of Calgary and Innovate Calgary.”
What’s Next?
Taylored Biotherapeutics is poised to make a significant impact on the field of mental health treatment. Their approach to leveraging the microbiome represents a major leap forward in how we understand and treat psychiatric conditions, offering a patient-friendly, effective solution that can provide valuable insights for diagnostics and treatment.
With the support of Innovate Calgary and the exposure gained from attending Collision, Taylored Biotherapeutics is well-positioned to lead the way in this field and to drive advancements that will improve mental health outcomes for many individuals.
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 Taylored Biotherapeutics.
Content developed in partnership with
Leave a Reply