Femtech Canada also announced the launch of the Femtech Toolbox to help employers support women’s health at work
TORONTO, ON | November 3, 2026 | The third annual Femtech Canada Forum convened 150+ leaders from research, clinical care, government, industry and investment at Artscape Daniels Spectrum in Toronto for a working conversation on what is slowing Canadian women’s health innovation on its way to market.
Under the theme Turning Strategy into Impact, the day focused on three specific obstacles: the population and health data founders need to validate their solutions, the procurement pathways that determine whether those solutions reach hospitals, and the policy influence the sector needs to move both.
The Forum brought together speakers from the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada, CAMH, the Ontario Ministry of Health, and Women’s Health Collective Canada alongside founders commercializing women’s health technology in Canada.
Hosted by Femtech Canada with the support of sponsors Santis Health, BD Canada, Deloitte Canada and PTL Solutions Ltd., the event focused on translating Canada’s femtech momentum into action that founders and health systems can use.
A highlight of the Forum was the announcement of the Femtech Toolbox, an employer-focused platform that helps emerging small and medium-sized businesses adopt women’s health inclusive policies, benefits and leadership practices launching in late November. Built in partnership with Western University’s Morrissette Institute for Entrepreneurship and funded through the Women’s Economic Leadership and Legacy (WELL) Fund from Ontario’s Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services, the Toolbox is designed to help employers build knowledge of what a safe and supportive workplace requires, implement retention and advancement practices that help women succeed at work, and embed gender equity into formal policies and procedures.
The first iteration launches in late November and will grow with new content over time. It includes on-demand women’s health leadership training for HR teams, managers and executives; gender-equitable workplace assessments and policy templates covering women’s health, safety and advancement; tools for evaluating benefits and total rewards against the needs of women at different life stages; coaching resources for employees and leaders managing health concerns; and a marketplace for adopting femtech solutions.
The discussions at the Forum brought together researchers, clinicians, founders, and government in each session. Highlights from the event will be available for viewing over the coming weeks.
“The case for women’s health as a market has largely been made. The harder part is practical: a procurement officer who has never been asked to evaluate a pelvic health device has no framework for comparing it. That is a solvable problem, and it is where we think the sector’s energy is best spent next,” said Andrea Guest, Senior Manager, Femtech Canada.
As Femtech Canada’s flagship event, the Forum is held annually in a different Canadian city to support regional and national growth, following gatherings in Montreal and Vancouver. The 2026 edition in Toronto moved the conversation from the scale of the opportunity, valued at more than $37 billion for Canada’s economy, to the mechanics of capturing it: whose data, which procurement route, and which decision-makers.
Employers interested in early access can sign up for the Femtech Toolbox.
About Femtech Canada
Femtech Canada is a national network dedicated to advancing women’s health technology by connecting femtech companies with essential resources and visibility. Through strategic networking, business advisory support, mentorship and a dynamic online community, Femtech Canada inspires entrepreneurs and researchers to pioneer technologies that improve the lives of women and end-users across the country. Operated by Innovation Factory, Femtech Canada is committed to fostering intentional, intersectional, and inclusive growth in the sector by advocating to close the longstanding gaps in women’s health, a field historically under-served, under-researched, and under-funded.
About Innovation Factory
Innovation Factory is a not-for-profit business accelerator, serving as the catalyst for technology innovation in Ontario since 2010. Innovation Factory provides business services, training, mentorship, and strategic connections to drive market adoption, leverage intellectual property, and increase revenues, investment, and jobs. Innovators can also access sector-specific resources including exclusive smart transportation test environments and data, and a formal life science and health innovation ecosystem.