Embryo Grants
Early-Stage Funding for HealthTech Innovation in Newfoundland & Labrador
Building a healthtech company comes with constant uncertainty, especially in the early stages when founders are trying to validate ideas, develop prototypes, conduct early testing, and build momentum.
The Embryo Grants Program exists to help bridge that gap.
Bounce Health Innovation works closely with healthtech start-ups to help identify and navigate funding pathways that support company growth, including programs such as NRC IRAP, Springboard Atlantic, and other innovation funding opportunities. The Embryo Grants Program is designed to help fill early-stage funding gaps where projects or activities do not yet align with the requirements of larger funding programs.
Through non-dilutive pre-seed funding, the program supports healthtech innovators across Newfoundland and Labrador as they advance commercially oriented healthcare technologies, products, and tech-supported services. Funding is intended to help founders move critical work forward, whether that means refining a prototype, conducting validation activities, accessing specialized expertise, or preparing for future commercialization opportunities.
Funding is available through a rolling intake process for projects with strong potential for real-world healthcare impact and commercial growth.
What the Program Supports:
Embryo Grants are designed to support meaningful progress during the earliest stages of company and product development.
Eligible activities may include:
- Product and technology development
- Pilot projects and validation activities
- Clinical trial planning and execution
- Software and hardware development
- Prototype refinement
- Commercialization activities
- Regulatory and technical consulting support
- Marketing and business development
- Skills development and specialized training
- Equipment, materials, and project infrastructure
- Internal project-related salary support
- Travel directly related to project implementation
The program is intentionally flexible to support the real-world challenges healthtech founders face while building innovative healthcare solutions. This program does not support research activities.
Who Should Apply:
The Embryo Grants Program is designed for innovators across Newfoundland and Labrador who are advancing early-stage, tech-based, health-focused technologies, products or tech supported services with national and international commercial potential.
The program is open to:
- Early-stage healthtech startups
- Entrepreneurs and founders
- Researchers pursuing commercialization opportunities
- Post-secondary students developing health innovation projects
- Companies advancing healthcare technologies or services
Applicants may be developing innovations in areas such as digital health, medical technologies, healthcare software, patient care solutions, AI applications in healthcare, or other emerging health innovation fields.
The program is intended to support innovators working to validate ideas, refine products, advance research and development activities, or prepare for commercialization and market readiness.
Successful applicants must be incorporated prior to receiving funding unless affiliated with an accredited post-secondary institution.
Funding Support
Successful applicants may receive:
Up to $15,000 in non-dilutive funding
Funding is intended to help innovators accelerate early-stage product and business development activities that strengthen the commercial and technical readiness of their healthtech solution.
Most Embryo Grants fall between $5,000 and $10,000, with up to $15,000 available in exceptional cases. Support typically includes cost sharing, meaning companies are expected to contribute toward a portion of the project costs.
How Applications Are Evaluated
Applications are reviewed through a competitive evaluation process led by Bounce Health Innovation and ecosystem partners with expertise in health innovation, entrepreneurship, and technology development.
Projects are evaluated based on factors such as:
Innovation and Commercialization Potential
Applicants should demonstrate a strong healthtech innovation with clear commercial potential, supported by a team with the capacity and commitment to move the project forward. The review committee will consider the uniqueness of the solution, the problem it addresses, the strength of the team, and its potential to grow into a sustainable product, service, or business within the healthcare sector.
Relevance and Potential Impact to Healthcare System
- Projects should address a meaningful healthcare challenge or system need and demonstrate the potential to create measurable impact within the healthcare ecosystem. Applications will be evaluated on their ability to improve healthcare delivery, patient outcomes, accessibility, efficiency, or other priority areas while contributing to broader healthcare innovation and system transformation
Technical and Business Feasibility
- Applicants should present a realistic and achievable plan for advancing their innovation during the funding period. The committee will assess whether the proposed activities, timelines, and resources demonstrate a strong likelihood of successful execution from both a technical and business perspective.
Strength of the Proposed Work Plan and Milestones
Applicants should provide a clear and well-defined work plan outlining key activities, milestones, deliverables, and anticipated outcomes. Strong applications will demonstrate how the requested funding will directly support measurable progress in research, product development, validation, or commercialization efforts.
Successful applicants will enter into a funding agreement and participate in project reporting throughout the funding period.
More Than Funding
Beyond financial support, participants gain access to Bounce Health Innovation’s growing network of founders, healthcare partners, researchers, and industry experts.
The goal is not only to help companies secure early funding, but to help them build momentum, reduce barriers, and strengthen their path toward commercialization and growth.
Apply for an Embryo Grant
Applications are accepted throughout the year through a rolling intake process. Contact our team at info@bounceinnovation.ca or by using the contact form on our contact us page.
The Embryo Grant has made possible in part to the support of the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador and Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA).
