In addition to their day-to-day work as Medical Innovation Fellows (MIF), completing market validation studies and prototyping two major projects, the ambitious team participated in the 2021 Falcons’ Fortunes pitch competition hosted by FACIT. The annual pitch competition offers a cash prize for novel cancer solutions to Ontario-based entrepreneurs and industrious researchers. FACIT is a commercialization venture firm for Ontario cancer innovations and acts as a bridge between the public and private sectors.

The team of fellows had to deliver a 10-minute pitch with the goal of convincing a panel of potential investors, much like CBC’s hit show Dragon’s Den. Although the team did not net the top prize, they were awarded the Audience Choice Award for the best pitch.

The 2020-21 cohort of fellows include Saumik Biswas, Sheyla Abdic, Sherif Abdou, Gordon Ngo, Eveline Pasman, Kirill Fedorov and Michael Lavdas. All the fellows contributed to the presentation from creating an engaging pitch deck, developing content and preparing for any questions the judges might have thrown their way. The team credited their fellowship program with providing them solid understanding of value proposition, business models, market opportunity, competitive advantages, funding needs and the desired milestones needed for a successful venture.

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