(L to R: Asif Hasan, Co-founder & CEO, NeuroAI, Jessica Brian, Principal Investigator, Social ABCs, Geoff Pradella, CEO, Kids Brain Health+, Dr. Elina Birmingham, Co-Principal Investigator, Hearon and, Sara Saber Freedman, Board Chair, Kids Brain Health Network)

$650,000 Venture Studio investment helps move made-in-Canada solutions from research to market

Calgary, AB, October 19, 2026 — Today, Kids Brain Health Network (KBHN) announced its inaugural portfolio investments: $650,000 through its Venture Studio Pilot in three Canadian companies developing solutions for children and youth with neurodevelopmental disabilities and their families. The funding will support each company’s next phase of growth and commercialization — a milestone in KBHN’s mission to build Canada’s NDD innovation ecosystem.

The investments mark a shift from grant to growth. Over the past 17 years, KBHN has invested $3.5 million in research and development to help move these innovations from the lab into practice.

“This is an historic step forward in Kids Brain Health+’s (KBH+) commitment to supporting Canadian innovators who are developing real-world solutions for individuals and families affected by neurodisabilities,” says Geoff Pradella, KBH+ CEO. “Through this investment, we are not only backing promising companies — we are helping build a stronger, more connected innovation economy that puts Canadian ideas, and the people they serve, first.”

The inaugural portfolio features:

  • Hearon Technology Inc., Simon Fraser University (SFU) spinout, a patented, on-device AI system that finds aversive sounds and selectively reduces or masks them while preserving speech and awareness. Hearon is designed to support children and neurodivergent listeners. The investment will directly support spinning out the company from SFU, establishing its corporate structure and enabling the transition into the commercialization phase.

 

  • NeuroAI, AI-driven tools and support for neurodevelopmental disability care, combining technology with human support. The investment will enable NeuroAI expand its pilots to more clinics and caregivers and build the foundation to scale across Canada.

 

  • Social ABCs Technology Inc., a Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital spinout, is a home-based coaching program that helps parents build connection and communication with toddlers during the earliest signs of autism or social-communication challenges. The investment will directly support spinning out the company from Holland Bloorview—establishing the corporate structure and validating the digital platform for commercial deployment.

“This network turns years of research into practical solutions that help more families across Canada access neurodevelopmental support,” The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions. “Through the Strategic Science Fund, the Government of Canada is proud to support the Kids Brain Health Network in improving outcomes for children with neurodevelopmental disabilities.”

Together, these companies represent the culmination of years of academic and clinical research, now being transformed into scalable, evidence-based solutions that widen access to services for families across Canada.

“Hearon Technology Inc. is an example of how faculty members such as professors Birmingham and Arzanpour can translate research discoveries into real-world solutions, with SFU’s creator-owned intellectual property policy incentivizing commercialization and SFU facilities providing R&D, prototyping and other support,” says Elicia Maine, associate vice-president, knowledge mobilization and innovation, at SFU. “This funding from the Kids Brain Health Network will enable Hearon to pursue commercialization and advance its AI-assisted audio device to assist children and youth with neurodivergence better engage with their environments.”

Each investment aims to close the gap between research discovery and implementation, faster—supporting earlier access to essential services and innovations for children and youth with neurodisabilities, and their families.

“At Holland Bloorview, we believe the true value of research lies in its ability to transform care and improve the lives of children, youth and families,” says Bruce Squires, President and CEO, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital. “Turning promising discoveries into accessible, real-world solutions requires strong partnerships and a shared commitment to innovation. Investments like these are an important step in ensuring that evidence-based solutions reach more families, wherever they are.”

KBHN has also secured its first two limited partners (LPs), strengthening its capacity to accelerate innovation and deliver real impact across the neurodisability sector.

About KBH+

Since 2009, KBHN has led transformative projects and real-world solutions that improve outcomes for children and families. In 2016, the Kids Brain Health Foundation (KBHF) was established to mobilize philanthropy, partnerships, and public support, amplifying the reach and impact of our work. Kids Brain Health Innovation Fund (KBH-IF) further strengthens our ability to accelerate the growth, scale, and spread of tested and effective innovations emerging from the KBHN and KBHF portfolios.

Together, KBHN, KBHF, and KBH-IF form KBH+, a national platform delivering impact for children and youth with neurodisabilities. Through coordinated efforts in government funding, philanthropy, and impact investing, KBH+ advances early identification, effective interventions, and access to family supports. For more information, visit: kidsbrainhealth.ca

About Hearon Technology Inc.

Hearon is a Simon Fraser University spin-off company, launched based on research conducted out of the Autism in Education Lab.   R&D activities have enabled the development of an on-device system that listens for sounds a person finds difficult and reduces or masks those sounds, while keeping speech and the rest of the environment audible. It is being built for children and others with decreased sound tolerance, including many autistic and neurodivergent people, who need to stay connected to conversation and their surroundings rather than block the world out.

About NeuroAI

NeuroAI is a Canadian health technology company headquartered in Fredericton, New Brunswick, with operations, and the deployment and partnerships team based in Toronto, Ontario.  The company is building a more connected model of neurodevelopmental care, helping families and care teams stay connected around each child from the first developmental concern, through the wait for assessment, and into ongoing care.

Its BRIDGES platform gives everyone involved a shared picture of each child over time. BRIDGES Engage offers caregivers evidence-based resources, tools to capture observations and progress, and support from Allie, an AI assistant designed to support — never replace — the families and professionals who make care decisions. BRIDGES Clarity gives clinicians a shared workspace to review that information and coordinate care across teams.

Built in Canada, with clinical data stored and processed in Canada, BRIDGES is being deployed with Canadian health authority and clinical partners as NeuroAI works to make connected, evidence-informed neurodevelopmental care more accessible and scalable across Canada and beyond.

About The Social ABCs Technology Inc. 

SocialABCs Technology is a Canadian health technology company bringing the Social ABCs early intervention to more families. Social ABCs is a caregiver-mediated program for toddlers showing early signs of autism, developed at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital. With over a decade of research, it has been shown to be a highly effective early intervention that improves the lives of children and parents. Trained coaches teach parents to support their child’s communication and social engagement in everyday routines at home. The company’s secure digital platform keeps the entire intervention in one place, from coach training, to sessions with families. Our goal is to make Social ABCs available to families wherever they live in Canada.

Strategic Science Fund (SSF) 

SSF provides funding to Canadian not-for-profit science and research organizations. Through a transparent and competitive process, the SSF helps eligible organizations continue important research and innovation that directly affects Canadians. Learn more about SSF.

 

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Media Contact:

Katie O’Connor

Communications Manager

KBH+

koconnor@kidsbrainhealth.ca