During one of the pitches at the Polaris Pitch Competition and Showcase, a murmur of discomfort rippled through the audience when an image of a speculum appeared on the screen — an understandable reaction from the numerous women founders and innovators in the crowd, recalling their own painful and intrusive pap smear experiences. But the tone in the room quickly shifted as the founder on stage revealed a groundbreaking innovation poised to transform the femtech space on a global scale. Ibukun Elebute, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer at CELLECT Laboratories, later went on to be one of the winning pitches at the Polaris Pitch Competition and Showcase, and rightfully so.

A passive alternative for the collection of gynecological samples, CELLECT Laboratories leverages nanotechnology to non-invasively collect and preserve DNA for the diagnosis of HPV, cervical cancer, STDs, and other reproductive and gynecological conditions. “We are working together with research labs to be a platform that facilitates and fuels the under-studied and under-researched area of women’s health,” says Elebute. Existing data and statistics showcase the need for such innovations in Canada and beyond. According to Cancer Care Ontario, when it comes to screening for cervical cancer, 36% of the eligible cervical screening population is overdue. This is largely attributed to the wait period of three years, and the painful, and invasive pap smear test that often discourages the screening population. “The numbers get worse in our neighbouring country, the United States of America. We are first world nations, and still struggle with these numbers, so we can only imagine how they look like for countries beyond our borders. This is what drives us at CELLECT,” adds Elebute.  

Disrupting an existing technology and process in an under-researched area of medtech is no easy task, but CELLECT’s Co-Founder and Inventor, CT Murphy, was determined to find a solution after her own painful pap smear experience. Focusing her design project on this mission in the fourth year of her Nanotechnology Engineering graduate program at the University of Waterloo, Murphy and the CELLECT team use a patent-pending cell capture technology that leverages menstrual blood to select the target cells of interest for screening tests. “Menstrual blood is not just blood – it contains red and white blood cells, cervical and epithelial cells as well as extracellular DNA where typical viruses live, if they are present,” says Elebute. CELLECT’s cell-capture technology targets cells of interest while letting go of the white and red blood cells which act as contaminant in their area of research. “Our current focus in the preclinical validation phase is to ensure that we bring down the level of contaminants. Early proof of concept has successfully brought down this level to 50% and we have strong evidence showing that the number of contaminants can go down as low as 30%,” adds Elebute. For the CELLECT team, reducing the level of contaminants is an essential step to de-risking their solution as this will lead to better adoption and integration of their collection technology in gynecological research labs. Leading primarily with a B2B model, this step will enable CELLECT to be readily available for use in your nearby sample collection and testing labs.

It takes a village to build innovative solutions, and this was no different for CELLECT. “We have often leaned into the expertise and experience of our advisors, including Dr. Marc Aucoin, Co-Chair of Chemical Engineering at University of Waterloo, Dr. Kim Alexander, one of Ontario’s leading gynecologists, and Rachel Bartholomew, Founder of FemTech Canada and Hyivy Health,” says Elebute. With CT Murphy winning the Waterloo Institute of Nanotechnology Velocity scholarship, CELLECT has been able to fuel the development of its IP portfolio and strategy through tailored support and guidance by TechAlliance’s Venture Growth team. Helping CELLECT make connections to Intellectual Property Ontario (IPON), Venture Growth Advisor, Dr. Martin Smith shares the impact that this venture is making in the innovative Canadian medtech landscape. “CELLECT has made impressive strides in commercializing state-of-the-art intellectual property in the medical technologies industry. By winning Polaris Pitch Competition and Showcase, they have demonstrated their dedication to improving women’s health.” Looking to raise their pre-seed funding round this year, the team is seeking aligned investors who believe in the mission and vision of making gynecological screening accessible, painless, and non-intrusive.

With a bold vision and science-backed innovation, CELLECT Laboratories is redefining the future of women’s health diagnostics — making screening more equitable for all. As they move forward into regulatory validation and fundraising, their mission is clear: to eliminate the barriers that have long kept women from critical preventative care. In a field that has been overlooked for too long, CELLECT is building a future where women’s health is prioritized, understood, and advanced worldwide. 

To know more about their solution and join the waitlist, visit their website here.