We’re excited to announce a major expansion of API’s existing presence in Southern Alberta.
Thanks to support from Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund (OCIF), API is expanding its services and capacity to Calgary to offer more commercialization support for life sciences
startups and scaleups as they advance products from the lab to the market.
As part of this expansion, we will be relaunching BioHubx as a dedicated life sciences incubator that combines established infrastructure, specialized facilities and community programming with API’s commercialization expertise and integrated service model.
Since establishing a presence in the Life Sciences Innovation Hub (LSIH) in 2020, API has worked alongside innovators across the region to help accelerate commercialization and company growth. This investment builds on that foundation, creating new opportunities for entrepreneurs to access the space, expertise, services and connections needed to grow and scale.
Read Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund’s news release below.
Media Release
(Calgary, Alta.) – The Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund (OCIF) is investing up to $368,048 in Applied Pharmaceutical Innovation (API) to grow its team in Calgary,
expand existing services and establish a life sciences commercialization centre in the
Biohubx facility.
OCIF’s investment will strengthen Calgary’s life sciences ecosystem by sustaining and expanding one of the sector’s few commercialization assets. It will improve pathways for companies to develop, test and bring innovations to market, enabling more life sciences businesses to grow and remain in Calgary.
The funding will expand API’s services and capacity across multiple areas in Calgary and help startups and scaleups advance products from lab to market. API is expected to support 16 companies and create two high-skilled jobs over two years. Companies will have access to a broad range of commercialization supports, including contract research services, regulatory advisory and shared office and laboratory infrastructure within the Biohubx facility.
“Calgary is home to hundreds of health and life sciences companies and researchers who are solving global challenges,” said Brad Parry, CEO of the Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund and President and CEO of Calgary Economic Development. “This investment fills a gap in the commercialization lifecycle, ensuring those companies can access the space
and tools needed to validate and scale their innovations.”
Biohubx has served as a launchpad for life sciences and health tech companies to advance promising technologies from development to commercialization. It will be relaunched as an API Incubator, with API taking a direct role in operations and
combining Biohubx’s infrastructure, staff and physical space with its commercialization model and expertise.
“There’s incredible momentum in Alberta’s life sciences sector right now, and with that comes tremendous opportunity. API has worked closely with innovators and entrepreneurs in Calgary for some time, supporting their growth and development, but with limited onsite engagement, we couldn’t always bring our full capacity to bear. With the support of OCIF, we’re now able to seed an enhanced offering that the sector truly requires as it takes off, enabling made-in-Alberta growth in a big way for Calgary,”
said Andrew MacIsaac, CEO, Applied Pharmaceutical Innovation.
With a presence in the Life Sciences Innovation Hub (LSIH) since 2020, API will work with LSIH to create a graduation-pathway partnership to help local companies move early ideas into development.
As one of Canada’s largest not-for-profit life sciences commercialization organizations,
API strengthens the sector through fee-for-service support, commercialization
programs and training. API has supported hundreds of commercial and innovator projects, contributing to more than $700 million in value creation across the industry.
Supported by top talent and institutions, Calgary’s health and life sciences sector is home to more than 140 companies developing solutions in human and animal health.
“Innovate Calgary supports investments that strengthen the life sciences ecosystem and expand the choices and opportunities available to startups in Calgary. API’s expertise
in the technical and regulatory development of health sciences fills an important gap in the local innovation ecosystem and contributes to the sector’s continued growth,” said Nima Najand, Executive Director, Innovation and Intellectual Property, Innovate Calgary/Life Sciences Innovation Hub.
“Having access to a space like Biohubx was instrumental in Nanotess’ growth and commercialization journey. During our time there, we achieved key milestones including regulatory approval, establishing our biomanufacturing processes, certifying our quality management system, building our team, and launching our product in Canada,” said Megan Leslie, CEO of NanoTess. “We’re excited to see this investment build on an already strong foundation, helping more companies grow, scale, and bring new technologies to market while continuing to strengthen Calgary’s innovation ecosystem.”
Media Inquiries
Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund
Evynn Anderson
Manager, Communications
Media line: 403-880-7040
Email: media@calgaryeconomicdevelopment.com
About Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund
The Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund (OCIF) was created as a wholly owned
subsidiary of the City of Calgary in 2018 to build economic resilience. OCIF finds, fuels and fosters high potential opportunities in key and emerging sectors that will help make Calgary the innovation capital of Canada.
Since inception, OCIF has spurred $1.1 billion in economic activity, a 12x return on funding committed, while supporting more than 1,000 companies and creating over 4,000 jobs for Calgarians. Learn how OCIF is fueling Calgary’s economic future at opportunitycalgary.com.
About Applied Pharmaceutical Innovation
API is one of Canada’s largest not-for-profit life sciences organizations that accelerates the commercialization of life-saving products. Supporting the full development lifecycle from research to manufacturing with in-house expertise, API helps companies bring innovations to market. API strengthens Canada’s ecosystem by fostering local talent, enabling local IP development and securing critical medicines.