NanoTess has received an investment grant from the federal government to commercialize its civilian technology for defence applications.
The Calgary-based biotechnology startup, a developer of innovative catalytic healing solutions, is known for NanoSALV Catalytic, a proprietary technology that leverages copper to help re-establish key biochemical signals.
The healing technology can “support prolonged dressing intervals, reduce pain, accelerate epithelialization, and hasten surgical and chronic wound recovery,” according to Dr. Eric Fung, who is part of the Edmonton Firefighters Burn Treatment Unit at the University of Alberta Hospital and works within Alberta Health Services.
“For the military, that means a faster recovery and return-to-duty from soft tissue injuries and burns and a chance to stabilize wounds longer, reduce dressing complexity, and preserve limbs when evacuation is contested,” commented the doctor, who has deployed NanoSALV Catalytic firsthand.
NanoTess co-founder and chief executive officer Megan Leslie says her startup’s product is “ideal for the unpredictable and inhospitable environments which are often encountered by our Armed Forces and civilians in disaster zones or military operations without a timely evacuation option.”
“The catalysts within CTM are designed to be tough, durable, and versatile, making them well-suited to austere environments and extreme temperatures,” she explains, adding that “CTM is easily dispersed within a ruggedized gel that quickly conforms to irregular wound and burn topographies and continues to be effective over long periods of time, provided it remains in direct contact with the injury.”
Kathryn Ambler, who serves as Executive Director of Alberta Aviation, Aerospace, and Defence, describes NanoTess’ technology as a “high value, dual-use innovation.”
Such technologies can “significantly accelerate the delivery of critical capabilities to our military,” she says.
“By driving advancements in both the civilian and military sectors, companies like NanoTess play a key role in meeting the nation’s goals for technological advantage within the Canadian Armed Forces while fundamentally improving lives globally,” Ambler stated.
Authorized by Health Canada in 2022, NanoSALV Catalytic is currently accessible across 2,500 hospitals and healthcare facilities and 14,000 pharmacies nationwide thanks to a recent agreement with embecta, which supplies insulin injection devices to 30 million people in over 100 countries.
NanoTess, a 2026 homegrown startup-to-watch, was co-founded in Calgary in 2020 by Leslie alongside Julian Mulia.
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