Egyptian Healthtech Startup VRapeutic Getting Set to Enter Canadian Market

Egyptian healthtech startup VRapeutic has joined the MakerLaunch accelerator program at the University of Ottawa, bringing it closer to expanding into the Canadian market.
Founded by Ahmad Al-Kabbany in 2017, VRapeutic uses virtual reality (VR) technology to treat learning challenges and developmental disorders. The start-up develops 3D virtual worlds that are particularly adapted to infuse children with different life skills, including emotional, cognitive, motor and academic skills.

VRapeutic provides VR software modules to therapy centres, mounted on VR headsets, with a child then viewing various modules based on the therapy plan set by the therapist. For every doctor and child, it provides specific cloud accounts where the output data and the request modules can be accessed for every child.

VRapeutic has been chosen to participate in the MakerLaunch programme after three years of service in the MENA region, especially in Egypt and the Gulf region. The program is intended to provide the required support to entrepreneurs among uOttawa students and recent graduates, one of whom is Al-Kabbany, to promote the commercialisation of innovations and to create successful technology start-ups.

During the 48-week programme, in addition to introducing more features and enriching the user experience of its current products, VRapeutic will focus on many milestones that include the creation of more products. The team will also work on the design and execution of its first Ottawa marketing campaign, the acquisition of clients and the establishment of research partnerships with related institutions and research labs.

The startup will also receive grant funding of CAD50,000 (US$39.00), released over three tranches as it reaches certain milestones.