What Paperplane Therapeutics does

Paperplane Therapeutics is a Canadian health technology company founded in 2019 in Granby, Quebec, that develops prescription-use virtual reality therapies for managing pediatric pain and anxiety during medical and dental procedures. The company's core platform is built on cognitive-behavioral therapy methods delivered through immersive VR experiences, with proprietary Headstill Technology™ that uses visual feedback (screen darkening) to maintain patient stillness during procedures. Its product portfolio includes DREAM (Health Canada approved for needle procedures, vaccinations, dressing changes, suturing), INSPIRE (sensor-guided deep breathing therapy with real-time monitoring), IMAGINE (interactive MRI preparation simulation with patient movement scoring), and a dental-focused VR solution featuring Action, Puzzle, and Calm experience categories.

The company operates a dual go-to-market model. For healthcare facilities, it sells enterprise licenses combining software, clinical-grade hardware (headsets, controllers, tablets), fleet management, onboarding, training, and ongoing support, with pricing tailored per facility. For dental practices, it offers a self-serve e-commerce product at $995 USD upfront plus $99 USD/month subscription (volume pricing of $49/month per additional kit), with a 60-day money-back guarantee and a distribution partnership with Benco Dental. Strategic customers and validation partners include Mayo Clinic, Cedars-Sinai Accelerator Cohort #9, CHU Sainte-Justine (first hospital deployment), CHEO, Boston Children's Hospital, Shriners Children's Hospital, and University of Michigan Health-Sparrow, with clinical trial programs spanning orthopedics, neonatology, dentistry, burn care, and pediatric neuroradiology.

The company is venture-backed, having raised $1.5M in February 2025 led by Glen Ventures with participation from Anges Quebec, Aventure Capital, Cedars-Sinai, Investissement Quebec, and Center of Aging and Brain Health Innovation, alongside prior accelerator funding from Creative Destruction Lab and Centech. Revenue is generated through subscription/recurring licensing plus hardware sales; the company has also received regulatory milestones including Health Canada approval for DREAM and EU MDR 2017/745 compliance classification. Operational outcomes demonstrated in pilots include a 90% success rate for MRI procedures without anesthesia at CHEO (reducing wait times from 550 days to under a week), ~$2,600 per-patient cost savings from avoided anesthesia, and 50,000+ patients treated during the Quebec COVID-19 vaccination campaign.

Name

Paperplane Therapeutics

Legal name

Paperplane Therapeutics Inc.

Website

https://paperplanetherapeutics.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Paperplane Therapeutics is a Canadian health-tech company developing Health Canada-approved virtual reality therapies (DREAM, INSPIRE, IMAGINE) for managing pediatric pain and anxiety during medical and dental procedures, with enterprise licensing for hospitals and self-serve subscriptions for dental practices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Virtual Reality Therapeutics Software

NAICS

Dental Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing (339114)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Surgical & Medical Instruments & Apparatus (3841), Dental Equipment & Supplies (3843)

akta.pro primary industry

Pediatrics & Adolescent Therapeutics (Digital) (HLACANAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Therapeutic Companion Apps (Drug-Device-Digital Combination) (HLACANAH)

Keywords

• Virtual reality therapy
• Pediatric pain management
• Dental anxiety software
• Medical VR therapeutics
• Clinical VR platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Montréal

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Healthcare Licensing Model: Comprehensive license model for hospitals, clinics, and care facilities, tailor-made to specific needs. Includes software, hardware package (headset, controllers, tablet), fleet management, remote updates, warranty, onboarding, training, and ongoing technical support.
2. Dental Practice Subscriptions: Subscription-based model for dental practices with initial kit purchase ($995 USD) plus monthly subscription ($99 USD/month). Volume pricing available for additional kits at $49 USD/month per kit. Includes fully managed software with remote updates.
3. Hardware Sales: Direct hardware sales including VR/AR headsets, controllers, compute units, cables, chargers, protective materials, and cases. Hardware is designed for clinical use with medical-grade materials for easy cleaning and sterilization.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

Paperplane Therapeutics designs and sells clinically validated virtual reality software therapies that distract and calm pediatric and adult patients during medical and dental procedures. Its portfolio includes DREAM (Health Canada approved VR distraction during procedures such as vaccinations and suturing), INSPIRE (sensor-guided breathing therapy), IMAGINE (MRI preparation simulation), and a Dentalcare/Stress Gone solution using Headstill Technology™. Offerings are sold as turnkey packages combining proprietary software, clinical-grade VR/AR hardware, fleet management, onboarding, and ongoing technical support, delivered via hospital licensing and a direct subscription model for dental practices.

Product overview

Paperplane Therapeutics offers a portfolio of immersive virtual reality therapies for pain and anxiety management in healthcare settings. The core products include DREAM (VR therapy for children during medical procedures), INSPIRE (breathing-guided VR therapy with real-time monitoring), and IMAGINE (MRI preparation simulation). For dental care, the company offers a complete VR solution featuring Headstill Technology that keeps patients still during procedures through three experience categories: Action, Puzzle, and Calm. The company provides turnkey solutions combining software (tailored modular therapies), hardware (headsets, controllers, tablets with fleet management), and implementation services (onboarding, training, ongoing support). All products are designed for clinical use with evidence-based, non-pharmacological approaches and are supported by clinical trials and partnerships with healthcare institutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DREAM: Immersive virtual reality therapy designed to assist children during medical procedures, managing pain and anxiety. Clinically validated and Health Canada approved. Helped more than 50,000 patients during the COVID vaccination campaign.
• INSPIRE
• IMAGINE
• Headstill Technology™

Products and services

• DREAM VR Therapy An immersive virtual reality therapy that helps children manage pain and distress during medical procedures such as vaccinations, dressing changes, venipunctures, intraosseous pin removals, suturing, and fracture reductions. It is clinically validated, Health Canada approved, and based on cognitive-behavioral therapy methods; intended for hospitals, clinics, and care facilities treating pediatric patients.
• INSPIRE VR Therapy A virtual reality therapy that uses a sensor-guided deep-breathing technique to engage the parasympathetic nervous system and induce relaxation during painful or stressful medical procedures. Real-time monitoring of patient breathing via an advanced sensor and analytics delivers biofeedback to clinicians; targets pain, anxiety, and isolation for patients in clinical settings.
• IMAGINE VR Therapy An interactive VR simulation designed to prepare children for MRI scans, with a preparation phase and an MRI simulation phase that uses audiovisual cues replicating the actual procedure. Clinicians can use the patient's movement score inside the simulation to predict the child's readiness for the real MRI scan, helping reduce or eliminate the need for anesthesia.
• Paperplane VR Dentalcare Solution (Stress Gone) A turnkey VR dental anxiety solution for dental practices that combines AR/VR headset hardware, compute unit, controllers, onboarding materials, warranty, and a managed software subscription. The clinical software includes three experience categories — Action (interactive games), Puzzle (cognitive games), and Calm (relaxation/mindfulness) — designed to keep patients engaged and still during dental procedures via Headstill Technology™. Sold direct online at $995 USD per starter kit plus $99 USD/month per kit, with volume pricing at $49 USD/month for additional kits.

Quantifiable outcome

• MRI wait times reduced from 550 days to under a week
• +9 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature5 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Mayo CliniccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating on VR project to reduce need for general anesthesia in children undergoing MRI. Chief of Pediatric Neuroradiology Dr. V. Michelle Silvera leading the initiative. Aligns with Mayo Clinic's focus on minimizing sedation in pediatric neuroradiology.
• Cedars-Sinai AcceleratorcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSelected for 9th cohort of Cedars-Sinai Accelerator program providing mentorship, resources, and access to Cedars-Sinai hospital network for clinical trials and product validation across various departments.
• CHU Sainte-JustinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirst hospital to implement Paperplane's VR technology. Ongoing partnership conducting clinical trials in orthopedics, neonatology, dentistry, and burn care. Research projects include VR-TOOTH, DEVINCI, PINS, MOBILE, and IMAGINE studies.
• CHEOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCHEO is using Paperplane's VR technology to make MRIs easier for children. Partnership resulted in dramatic wait time reduction from 550 days to under a week. 90% success rate without anesthesia in 36-patient pilot study presented at RSNA 2024.
• Hôpital Maisonneuve-RosemontcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in IMAGINE project to validate effectiveness of VR in managing pre-procedural anxiety in children undergoing MRI scans.
• Montreal Shriners Hospital for ChildrencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in PINS multicenter clinical study measuring therapeutic effect of VR compared to tablet for pain and anxiety management in children during painful outpatient procedures.
• Montreal Children's Hospital (MUHC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in PINS multicenter clinical study measuring therapeutic effect of VR compared to tablet for pain and anxiety management in children during painful outpatient procedures.
• Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue (UQAT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founder Prof. David Paquin's academic institution. Full professor in Creation and New Media Department with 20 years experience in VR/game design research.
• Université de MontréalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner where founders David Paquin, Jean-Simon Fortin, and Sylvie Le May presented research as part of Jeu ET Intelligence Numérique series organized by inven_T, Center D'Innovation Technosociale U de M.
• Polytechnique MontréalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner institution listed on About page.
• HEC MontréalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner institution listed on About page.
• Medteq+coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as Healthtech Start-Ups to Watch 2021; Canadian research hub for medical technologies supporting innovation in healthcare.
• Benco DentalcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDental-specific distribution partner for Paperplane's dental VR solutions.
• Creative Destruction Lab (CDL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAccelerator program supporting science-based companies with mentorship and resources for scaling.
• CentechcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnology accelerator in Montreal supporting innovative health tech companies.
• Boston Children's HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare partner organization listed on About page.
• University of Michigan Health-SparrowcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare partner organization listed on About page.
• TelusminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative mental health project between Paperplane Therapeutics and Telus; featured in La Presse coverage.
• AllureminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner organization listed on About page.
• Medical AlleyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization from Minnesota's healthcare and medical technology ecosystem.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• AppliedVR: AppliedVR is an FDA-authorized VR therapeutics company (EaseVRx) for chronic lower-back pain and procedural anxiety, with published clinical evidence and CPT code coverage. Comparable to Paperplane as a leading VR-DTx company pursuing payer/provider adoption through clinical validation and reimbursement pathways.
• Smileyscope: Smileyscope is a pediatric-focused VR therapeutics company providing procedural-distraction and pain-management VR for children during needles, IVs, and dental procedures. Highly comparable to Paperplane Therapeutics given shared pediatric procedural anxiety use case and similar clinical-validated product positioning.
• XRHealth: XRHealth operates a VR-based telehealth platform for pain, anxiety, stroke rehab, and physical therapy, combining headset delivery with clinician-supervised remote sessions. Comparable to Paperplane for VR-as-therapeutic delivery model, although it is more adult and rehabilitation-focused.
• BehaVR: BehaVR develops VR-based digital therapeutics for chronic pain, anxiety, and mental health conditions, with clinical trials and pharma partnerships. Comparable to Paperplane for evidence-based VR therapeutics targeting pain and anxiety indications.

Broad incumbents

• Penumbra (REAL Immersive System): Penumbra's REAL Immersive System is a commercial VR rehabilitation platform used in hospitals and clinics for stroke and neuro-recovery. Comparable to Paperplane as a clinically validated, hospital-deployed VR therapy solution targeting specific patient populations.
• MindMaze: MindMaze is a neuro-rehabilitation and digital therapeutics company offering VR-based platforms for cognitive and motor recovery in hospital and clinic settings. Comparable to Paperplane for hospital-grade VR therapeutic products with regulatory clearances and clinical evidence.
• Headspace Health: Headspace Health delivers evidence-based digital mental health interventions (now combined with Ginger) to employers, payers, and providers for anxiety and stress. Comparable to Paperplane for evidence-backed digital therapeutics targeting anxiety, though via app-based delivery rather than immersive VR.
• Calm Health: Calm Health extends the consumer Calm platform into payer- and provider-distributed mental health programs including anxiety and pain management. Comparable to Paperplane as a digital therapeutic for anxiety with provider/payer distribution, though delivered via mobile rather than immersive VR.

Emerging players

• Psious: Psious provides VR-based exposure therapy for anxiety disorders, phobias, and PTSD used by mental-health clinicians. Comparable to Paperplane for VR-driven anxiety treatment with a clinical-deployment model, though focused on mental-health clinicians rather than pediatric procedures.
• Limbic (previously Headspace for Health / mental-health DTx): Limbic is a UK-based digital therapeutics company with CE-marked AI-driven cognitive behavioral therapy products for anxiety and depression, distributed via NHS and other providers. Comparable to Paperplane as a regulated, evidence-based DTx for anxiety targeting provider and payer adoption.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/paperplanevr
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@PaperplaneTherapeutics
• Facebookfacebook.com/paperplanetx
• LinkedInca.linkedin.com/company/paperplane-therapeutics
• Instagraminstagram.com/paperplane.therapeutics
• TikToktiktok.com/@paperplane.therapeutics?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors12 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Paperplane Therapeutics