The IDEATE platform operates as a collaborative ecosystem designed to facilitate innovation and problem-solving within communities. Here’s how it works:

Innovator Engagement:: Innovators can submit their products to the platform, once approved, their technology is added to the platform to be evaluated by all other users. They are also connected with experts who can help them prepare for formal clinical trials and commercialization by the IDEATE team. They can also browse the community challenges submitted on the platform and propose solutions

Evaluation and Feedback: When Evaluators choose a product to test, they are contacted directly by the innovator to send a test kit. They can then assess the proposed solutions and technology for usability and functionality based on the needs on the innovator.

Investor Insight and Engagement: IDEATE helps connect small businesses directly with interested and experienced investors who can provide essential feedback and/or capital to support sustainable company growth and product development.

Challenge Submission: Community members can submit specific challenges they face. These community challenges can highlight pressing issues in healthcare and how they think the can be addressed using technology. Submissions are reviewed and posted to the website for innovators to be aware of as they develop their product.

Health innovation should be accessible to all individuals. Collecting user feedback early and frequently in the product development process helps innovators create new health technologies that resonate with consumers (and investors), setting company founders up for commercial success.

• As an evaluator, you get early access to new technology and get to support small local businesses. Most importantly, you can ensure that your experiences are represented in product development and that emerging digital health technologies reflect your needs.
• As an investor, you can gain insights into innovation trends and be a first-to-the-table investor in products your care about.
• As a community member, IDEATE can be leveraged to bring attention to issues you care about. Through our challenge feature, you can make direct connections with changemakers in the health technology ecosystem and source funding to advance issues you care about.

By ensuring user-centered innovation, we are able put humans at the center of health innovation and technology. Everyone is encouraged to participate!

Your IDEATE Alberta dashboard helps you keep track of the technologies and challenges you are interested in or are evaluating. You need to register on the platform to be able to follow products and community challenges

Thanks to the support of Prairies Canada and Alberta Innovates, registering and participating in the IDEATE program, using the platform, and additional innovator support provided by the IDEATE team is free of charge for all personas!