ECHO Spotlight Series: AVA

Entrepreneurship for Cardiovascular Health Opportunities (ECHO) is a 12-month national training program supporting cardiovascular research commercialization through education, mentorship, networking, and funding. Led by a diverse team of experts, ECHO fosters successful startups in cardiovascular health, culminating in an annual pitch competition (ECHO PITCH) offering up to $250,000 in funding.

With the upcoming 2023-2024 ECHO cohort preparing to pitch this fall, we took the opportunity to sit down with some of the ventures involved in the program to learn more about them, their commercialization process, and how the ECHO program has helped their entrepreneurship journey so far. Today we’re speaking with the team at AVA, including Dr. Shehroz Khan (Scientist, KITE-UHN), Dr. Tracey Colella (Scientist, KITE-UHN), Nirusan Rajakulendran (MBA, Business Consultant), Dr. Ali Abedi (Scientific Associate, KITE-UHN) and Fateme Pourghasem (MASc student, UofT). AVA is an AI-powered digital rehabilitation platform that helps patients adhere to prescribed exercise routines following cardiovascular procedures.

What was the inspiration behind creating AVA?

Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death and disability in Canada. Even after a heart attack or cardiac procedure, patients can enjoy a long and prosperous life if they receive appropriate post event rehabilitation. However, due to a lack of resources, and accessibility challenges, many patients cannot access the care they need. We believe the status quo is unacceptable and that patients should have access to cardiac rehabilitation, which can reduce morbidity and mortality by as much as 50%. This inspired us to create AVA, an AI-powered digital rehabilitation platform that we believe can help address the accessibility challenge and provide care efficiently across the country.

Can you explain how the technology for AVA works to help individuals undergoing cardiac rehabilitation in an at-home setting?

AVA’s technology addresses accessibility and adherence challenges in cardiac rehabilitation through an innovative asynchronous digital approach. By leveraging AI, AVA delivers personalized exercise programs directly to patients’ homes, allowing independent rehabilitation without constant clinician consultations, thereby reducing healthcare burdens and costs. The patient has to simply open the AVA platform in a browser on their device (e.g., laptop, smartphone), enter their credentials, and the prescribed exercises can be initiated easily from a user-friendly interface. The platform provides real-time audio-visual and textual feedback on exercise execution, ensuring correct technique and effective performance. Additionally, patients can create personalized avatars, making the process interactive, engaging, and enjoyable, which promotes adherence and improves overall outcomes.

How might AVA complement traditional rehabilitation techniques for patients, and what makes AVA distinct from other rehabilitation tools currently available?

AVA complements traditional rehabilitation programs by enabling patients to engage with the same care providers they would see in-person. Patients begin their journey with an initial physical assessment with a clinician team at the rehabilitation center. Following this, they continue at home through digital rehabilitation. AVA leverages existing rehabilitation infrastructure, enhancing the experience with a digital component that allows for scalable support of all cardiac patients.

What sets AVA apart from other rehabilitation tools are several key features:

1. No External Hardware Required: AVA uses AI to convert patient video recordings into data for real-time analysis, needing only a webcam-enabled device. This eliminates the need for specialized equipment, making AVA low-cost, accessible, and easy to use for various patient populations, including older adults and those lacking digital literacy.
2. Real-time Feedback: AVA’s real-time feedback system ensures correct technique and effective exercise performance. By continuously analyzing body movements, AVA identifies deviations from the recommended exercise form and provides immediate feedback through text or auditory prompts.
3. Personalized Exercise Library for Asynchronous Rehabilitation: AVA allows healthcare providers to create a comprehensive library of personalized exercises for patients, supporting asynchronous care. Providers can record themselves performing prescribed exercises, which are then processed to generate digital avatars demonstrating the movements. These avatars, customizable in appearance, provide clear and personalized guidance, enabling patients to complete rehabilitation exercises at their convenience without the constant presence of clinicians. This system enhances accessibility, increases healthcare outreach to remote areas, and addresses clinician understaffing issues.

You’ve been a part of the ECHO program since the fall of 2023. What makes ECHO unique compared to other accelerators/programs available to health entrepreneurs?  

Joining ECHO last fall has been an exceptional experience. What truly distinguishes ECHO is the program’s focus on cardiovascular solutions. Unlike typical tech accelerators, ECHO is dedicated exclusively to heart health, providing our team with highly specialized support.

The curriculum is rigorous, covering every aspect of commercialization from product development to navigating the complex regulatory landscape. The pitching practice is comprehensive, and we found it beneficial to practice with coaches and receive constructive feedback. What we appreciate most is the people. Every member of the ECHO community is genuinely committed to our success, ensuring we receive meaningful support. The mentorship that ECHO provides has been a transformative experience. The mentors possess extensive experience in the cardiac health sector, offering insights that have helped us advance our solution.

What has been the biggest benefit of being part of the ECHO program so far, and what are you looking forward to in the remaining half of the program? 

The ECHO program has several components that have significantly benefited our team. If we were to highlight one aspect that has had the greatest impact, it would be the access to experts across various fields. From pitch preparation to intellectual property to developing a robust business plan, the ECHO program has granted us access to expertise that would otherwise not be available to us. Engaging in these conversations has accelerated the development of our business strategy.

Looking ahead, we are enthusiastic about the upcoming sessions focused on pitching and preparing for investors. Over the next two months, we look forward to engaging with the ECHO program to refine our pitch and to ensure that our team is in the best position for success during the October pitch day. The forthcoming months are pivotal for us as we aim to improve our business strategy and address key questions we anticipate receiving from the judges.

How does AVA plan to expand or evolve in the next five to ten years?

Over the next five to ten years, our plan is to release a commercially ready product that we will continually iterate and improve upon. Our product vision is to integrate AVA within a hospital’s electronic medical health records, so clinicians will have access to their patients’ most up-to-date information about their recovery journey.

Over time, we aim to expand beyond cardiac rehabilitation and venture into other health verticals, including stroke recovery. Once we have established a foothold in the Canadian market, we plan to expand to the US and international markets. Our goal is to offer our product globally, making a significant impact on improving the lives of cardiac patients.

ABOUT ECHO

ECHO is a specialized training program led by veteran entrepreneurs and consultants across a variety of sectors. Its mission is to:

• Provide entrepreneurship training, mentorship, partnership, and funding opportunities for innovators of cardiovascular technologies.
• Create more successful start-ups in the cardiovascular health sector.
• Accelerate the application of cardiovascular innovations and their transfer from bench to bedside.

ECHO is funded and organized by the Translational Biology and Engineering Program at the University of Toronto and the Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research, in partnership with the Health Innovation Hub (H2i). To learn more, please visit https://tedrogersresearch.ca/echo-pitch.