Who are we?

Shiphrah Biomedical Inc. is a Toronto-based, Canadian, start-up specializing in evidence-based design of general wellness devices and medical devices to advance and improve health and wellness prior to, during, and after pregnancy. Specifically, we specialize in sleep in pregnancy. Established by a clinician-engineer-scientist in March 2019, Shiphrah Biomedical Inc.’s launchpad and modus operandi is at the intersection of artificial intelligence, science, engineering, and medicine.

Despite our recent establishment, we have a successful track record in the medical research and development arena dating back to 2012, which includes forging international collaborations, winning multiple R&D grants, conducting clinical trials, complying with ethical and regulatory standards, and publishing in major medical journals.

We are multidisciplinary. We are researchers helping researchers, inventors helping inventors, physicians helping physicians, midwives helping midwives, nurses helping nurses, patients helping patients.

We are situated in the heart of the University of Toronto at the center of one of the world’s most diverse and innovative cities. The University of Toronto is a critical part of the Toronto-Waterloo Corridor, which has a higher concentration of startups than anywhere else on the planet besides Silicon Valley. The vibrant MaRS Discovery District and University Avenue’s “hospital row” are both just across the road from U of T’s St. George Campus where Shiphrah Biomedical’s office is located, and the University has numerous partnerships with key industry players and world-class hospitals as well as a global alumni network that spans most countries and territories. With this concentration of innovation and industry at our doorstep, we are making the connections we need to unlock the full potential of our transformative ideas and products.

How did we get our name?

Everyone always asks this question! The name ‘Shiphrah’ can be found in the Book of Exodus in the Old Testament of the Bible. Shiphrah was a Hebrew midwife and Jewish national hero who lived in Egypt thousands of years ago. Along with her colleague, Shiphrah courageously withstood the sovereign authority of the land by refusing to conform to his genocidal edict to kill all the Jewish males at birth. Shiphrah’s courageous defiance, speaking truth to power, became one of the earliest-known instances of civil disobedience in history. The name Shiphrah means ‘beautiful’, which, we contend, epitomizes both the design and delivery of our solutions to current, real-world, pregnancy challenges.