BioAlberta and Natural Products Canada partner to expand opportunities

“This is a great opportunity to bolster the natural product sector in Alberta,” said Mel Wong, president and CEO, BioAlberta, which represents more than 160 members of Alberta’s steadily growing life sciences industry of researchers, producers and suppliers. “NPC’s in-depth commercialization experience will help Alberta’s natural product companies become investment-ready and realize their full potential.”

The partnership will give Alberta companies a strong connection to Natural Products Canada, an organization that supports commercialization of naturally-derived products in health and life sciences, natural resources, agriculture and agri-food, and sustainable bioproducts.

“We are delighted to formalize our relationship with BioAlberta,” said Shelley King, CEO of Natural Products Canada (NPC). “Their extensive network and deep understanding of what it takes to drive innovation make them a perfect partner for NPC in Alberta.”

A key benefit of the partnership is the deep industry knowledge and experience of NPC’s network of commercialization experts and resources that are dedicated to advancing Canadian opportunities in natural products.

“There are so many interesting companies in Alberta producing everything from natural health products to hemp-based fibres and biofuels,” said Darren Bolding, NPC’s Regional Director for Alberta and British Columbia, co-located in the BioAlberta office. “We are working closely with BioAlberta and their regional network to identify opportunities that can benefit from NPC’s programs and services.”

NPC was developed to help Canada realize its potential in natural products. Its programs are focused on helping companies overcome commercialization hurdles through strategic insights and business advice, industry introductions, and access to capital through investment and connections to other sources of finance. Since its inception in 2016, NPC has made five investments in Canadian companies, experienced one exit, helped hundreds of companies find valuable information, partners and funds to accelerate their path to market, and recently announced a partnership with Nature’s Way to invest in promising Canadian opportunities in the natural health product and nutrition space.

As a node partner, BioAlberta will be a vital part of NPC’s diverse network of collaborators, accessing the rich pool of experts, partnerships and capital.

The announcement was made at BioAlberta’s 19th Annual Awards Gala and Health and Life Sciences Showcase as part of Global Biotech Week.

BioAlberta is the leading voice and champion for the life sciences in Alberta. The Association’s vision is to create a thriving and competitive life sciences industry to facilitate and accelerate economic diversification, investment attraction and job growth in Alberta. BioAlberta is a private, not-for-profit industry association, representing more than 160 members of Alberta’s steadily growing life sciences industry of researchers, producers and suppliers in the province. These members operate in specialized sectors, such as pharmaceuticals, medical devices, natural health products, as well as environmental, agricultural and industrial biotechnology. BioAlberta’s activities are focused on advocacy, promotion and proactively facilitating the growth of Alberta’s life sciences industry. For more information, go to: www.bioalberta.com. 

Natural Products Canada (NPC) works with an array of partners to commercialize naturally-derived products and technologies in health and life sciences, natural resources, agriculture and agri-food, and sustainable bioproducts. It acts as matchmaker and mentor to companies and researchers; serves as technology scout and ecosystem navigator for multinationals and large corporations; and helps investors discover, develop, and de-risk opportunities. NPC has over 400 opportunities in its pipeline and has completed five investments, and experienced one exit. Established in 2016, NPC is funded by a range of public and private investors, including the Government of Canada’s Centre of Excellence in Commercialization and Research (CECR) program, administered by the Networks of Centres of Excellence. Visit www.naturalproductscanada.com.