Smilezone

What Smilezone does

Smilezone Foundation is a registered Canadian charity founded in 2012 by former NHL player Adam Graves and Scott Bachly (CEO of Bachly Construction) and headquartered in Oakville, Ontario. The foundation's core activity is the end-to-end physical transformation of existing clinical spaces — waiting rooms, treatment rooms, and patient care areas in hospitals and children's treatment centres — into "Smilezones" featuring interactive technology (iPad stations, Kidzpace touch screens, TVs, gaming consoles), colourful murals, sensory play equipment, and erasable wall surfaces. Each project is delivered over a single weekend and is designed to reduce anxiety and create moments of joy for children receiving medical treatment. As of late 2025, the foundation reports 500+ installations across all ten Canadian provinces, reaching more than 400,000 children since inception.

The foundation does not sell a product; it is funded through individual donations, monthly giving, planned giving, gifts of securities, and corporate sponsorships. A significant portion of fundraising is delivered through recurring annual events — the Celebrity Golf Tournament (cumulative $1.2M+ raised over 8 years, $245K raised in 2023), the Hockey Helping Kids Tournament ($200K+ raised in 2025), and the 24-Hour Hockey Tournament — supported by celebrity ambassadors including Adam Graves, Ron MacLean, Rick Vaive, Angela James, and Alessia Cara. Strategic partners include BMO (a $1M grant in 2014), the Slaight Family Foundation, Deloitte, Bachly Construction, NHLPA Goals & Dreams, Toronto Rock, Sudbury Wolves, and Barrie Colts, among others. Healthcare facilities apply to receive Smilezones, and the foundation recently opened a US-focused vertical (Smilezone USA) on its website, signaling cross-border ambitions, though no completed US installations are evidenced.

Name

Smilezone

Legal name

Smilezone Foundation

Website

https://smilezone.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Smilezone Foundation is a Canadian registered charity that transforms hospital waiting rooms and treatment rooms into engaging, technology-equipped spaces for children, serving 400,000+ children across 500+ installations in all ten provinces.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pediatric Healthcare Space Transformation Services

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Child and Youth Services (624110), Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK)

Keywords

• Pediatric healthcare environments
• Hospital space transformations
• Children's charity services
• Healthcare facility design
• Therapeutic play spaces

Headquarters

HQ city

Oakville

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Direct donations from individuals through the website donate button, monthly giving programs, tribute/in memory donations, and gifts of securities.
2. Corporate Partnerships: Sponsorship and corporate donations including event sponsorship, cause marketing, in-kind donations, and employee giving programs.
3. Celebrity Golf Tournament: Annual celebrity golf tournament raising over $190,000 in 2014 and more than $1.2 million cumulatively over eight years.
4. Planned Giving: Legacy giving programs including planned gifts and bequests, with a Legacy Club recognition program.
5. Hockey Events: Hockey Helping Kids Tournament raising more than $200,000 in 2025, 24-Hour Hockey Tournaments raising over $110,000, and Toronto Rock 50/50 partnership games.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Smilezone Foundation is a registered Canadian charity that transforms existing hospital waiting rooms, treatment rooms, and patient care areas into bright, engaging, child-friendly "Smilezones" over a single weekend. Each installation integrates interactive technology (iPad stations, Kidzpace touch screens, gaming systems), colourful murals, erasable wall surfaces, and sensory-equipped play elements to reduce pediatric patient anxiety during medical treatment.

Product overview

Smilezone Foundation operates as a single unified service offering: transforming clinical healthcare spaces into bright, engaging Smilezones. The core product consists of physical space transformations that include interactive features (iPad stations, gaming technology, Kidzpace touch screens), vibrant murals and artwork, and therapeutic design elements. There are no separate product modules, platforms, or add-ons—the organization provides end-to-end Smilezone installations from design through completion.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Smilezone Spaces End-to-end transformation of existing hospital waiting rooms, treatment rooms, and patient care areas into bright, engaging, therapeutic environments for children and families receiving medical treatment. Each Smilezone is completed over a single weekend and includes interactive technology, colourful murals, and sensory play elements.

Quantifiable outcome

• 500+ Smilezones created across Canada benefiting children, families, and healthcare workers
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• DeloittecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeloitte has been recognized as a Bronze sponsor at the Celebrity Golf Tournament and provides professional services support to the foundation's operations.
• Toronto RockcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerToronto Rock partners with Smilezone Foundation through 50/50 ticket draw programs at home games, with proceeds supporting Smilezone installations. The partnership includes charity games and ongoing fundraising initiatives.
• Bachly ConstructioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBachly Construction, led by co-founder Scott Bachly, provides construction and renovation expertise for Smilezone installations. Recognized as a Gold sponsor at the Celebrity Golf Tournament.
• Sudbury WolvesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Sudbury Wolves Hockey Club and its owners donated jerseys for display in the Northeast Cancer Centre Smilezone and attended opening ceremonies, contributing $10,000 on behalf of the Burgess and Edwards Families.
• Barrie ColtsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOHL's Barrie Colts owner Howie Campbell partnered with Smilezone Foundation to support young patients at OSMH (Orillia Soldiers' Memorial Hospital) with safe smiles donations.
• Children's Hospital Foundation of ManitobacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to unveil and support the new Smilezone at HSC Children's Hospital, working together to enhance pediatric care experiences for Manitoba families.
• H2 Systems Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerH2 Systems Inc. has been a long-standing partner since the third installation at Grand River Hospital, contributing equipment and expertise to Smilezone builds at multiple locations including the Northeast Cancer Centre in Sudbury.
• MLSE FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMLSE Foundation partnered with Smilezone for the 50/50 ticket draw program at Toronto Rock home games, helping raise funds for Smilezone installations.
• Raptors 905minorGTM or Marketing PartnerRaptors 905 partnered with Smilezone Foundation for grand opening events, bringing NBA presence to healthcare facility celebrations.
• The Tragically HipcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Tragically Hip (Rob Baker, Gord Sinclair, and Paul Langlois) attended the Hotel Dieu Hospital Smilezone grand opening, lending their name and inspiration to the 'Hip' Smilezone project featuring hockey-themed murals.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Right To Play: International charity using sport and play to protect and educate children; thematically related through play-based child development, with comparable celebrity/athlete ambassador and corporate-sponsorship fundraising model.
• SickKids Foundation: Large, established Canadian children's hospital foundation with a much broader mandate (research, capital, clinical care); comparable in serving the pediatric healthcare space but at substantially greater scale and scope than Smilezone.
• Kids Help Phone: Large national Canadian charity supporting youth mental health and wellbeing; comparable as a youth-wellbeing nonprofit with national reach and corporate fundraising, though operating in a different delivery channel (digital/phone-based).

Direct peers

• Starlight Children's Foundation Canada: Charity dedicated to brightening the lives of seriously ill children in hospitals, including hospital-based programs, distraction technology, and play spaces — directly comparable mission and delivery model to Smilezone.
• Ronald McDonald House Charities Canada: National Canadian charity supporting children and families receiving medical care; closely comparable nonprofit model focused on improving pediatric healthcare experiences through facility-based programs and corporate/fundraising partnerships.
• Make-A-Wish Canada: National Canadian charity granting wishes to children with critical illnesses; comparable nonprofit structure, donor/sponsor ecosystem, and brand-building around pediatric joy during medical treatment.
• Children's Miracle Network (Canada): Funds children's hospitals across Canada through corporate partnerships and events; comparable nonprofit revenue model anchored in hospital partnerships, sponsorships, and large-scale fundraising events.
• Childcan: Ontario-based charity supporting children and families facing childhood cancer; comparable in donor-funded programs that ease the pediatric medical-treatment experience.
• Camp Quality Canada: Charity supporting children with cancer and their families through camp and hospital programs; directly comparable in serving pediatric patients with cancer and family-facing programming.

Regional players

• Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital Foundation: Foundation supporting a single specialty pediatric rehabilitation hospital in Ontario; comparable in transforming clinical spaces for children with disabilities, but anchored to one institution in one region.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/smilezone4kids
• Facebookfacebook.com/smilezonefoundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/smilezonefoundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

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 Smilezone