WE‑SPARK Health Institute

What WE‑SPARK Health Institute does

WE-SPARK Health Institute is a non-profit health research organization founded in 2019 and based in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. It operates as a regional research ecosystem hub connecting academic researchers, healthcare professionals, students, and community members in the Windsor-Essex area. The institute is hosted on the University of Windsor campus and works in close partnership with St. Clair College, Windsor Regional Hospital, Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare, and Erie Shores Healthcare, with additional alliances spanning school boards, public health units, and international universities.

Its core offerings form a coordinated platform rather than a single product: the Research Registry (a REDCap-backed participant database), the Grants Program (Igniting Discovery, Incentive, and Idea Grants), CITI Training and CANTRAIN for researcher education, Core Facilities and Data Management services, Research Navigation and Regulatory Assistance, Think Tanks, the LEARN Program and Cheers to Hope for community engagement, the annual Health Research Conference, and the APEX inclusive exercise program. Underlying technology is primarily conventional research tooling (REDCap for surveys, Teachable for e-learning) integrated through a Researcher Portal.

WE-SPARK is funded through a mix of grants and external research funding (the institute reports $33 million in Year 6 external funding associated with 46 Core Principal Members), donations, a membership program with 1,400+ members since 2019, and event registration. Revenue is not directly disclosed and the institute operates with 1-10 employees, reflecting a facilitator model that aggregates research activity across partner institutions rather than capturing the underlying research funding as its own revenue.

Name

WE‑SPARK Health Institute

Legal name

We Spark Health Institute

Website

https://wesparkhealth.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

WE-SPARK Health Institute is a non-profit regional health research hub that connects academic researchers, healthcare professionals, students, and community members in the Windsor-Essex region through registries, grants, training, and collaborative programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Health Research Services

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Global Health Research, Evidence & Technical Assistance Organizations (HLAJAKAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Health Workforce, Training & Capacity Building (HLAJAMAF), Public Health Communications, Risk Communication & Community Engagement (HLAJAMAH), Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL)

Keywords

• Health research facilitation
• Community health research
• Clinical research support
• Research grant funding
• Health ecosystem platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Windsor

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Grants and External Funding: WE-SPARK Health Institute receives significant external funding through grants and institutional partnerships. The institute reports $33 million in Total Year 6 External Funding supporting 46 Core Principal Members and their research activities.
2. Donations: The institute accepts donations from community members to support local health research initiatives. Donate call-to-action is prominently featured on the website homepage.
3. Membership Program: WE-SPARK offers membership to the health research ecosystem with over 1,400 members since 2019. Members include students, researchers, experts, and clinicians.
4. Event Registration: The institute hosts events including the annual Health Research Conference, WE-SPARK After Dark networking events, and Think Tanks. The WE-SPARK After Dark event is free to attend.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

WE-SPARK Health Institute is a community-engaged health research ecosystem hub that connects academic researchers, healthcare professionals, students, hospital partners, and community members in the Windsor-Essex region. It delivers its offering through grant funding programs, research ethics and clinical trials training (CITI Training and CANTRAIN), shared core research facilities, data management support, research navigation and regulatory assistance, a Research Registry for participant recruitment, networking events (Think Tanks, WE-SPARK After Dark, Health Research Conference), and community engagement initiatives (LEARN Program, Cheers to Hope, APEX Adapted Physical Exercise).

Product overview

WE-SPARK Health Institute is a health research ecosystem that serves as a central coordination hub connecting students, researchers, healthcare professionals, and community members. The institute operates as a platform of integrated programs and services rather than a single unified product. Its core offerings include: the Research Registry (a database matching participants with studies); the Grants Program (offering Igniting Discovery, Incentive, and Idea grants); CITI Training and Professional Development for researcher education; Core Facilities and Data Management services; Research Navigation and Regulatory Assistance; the LEARN Program and Cheers to Hope for community engagement; the Health Research Conference and Think Tanks for collaboration; and APEX for inclusive exercise programs. The institute also maintains a Strategic Alliance Network with regional partners (University of Windsor, St. Clair College, Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare, Windsor Regional Hospital, Erie Shores Healthcare) and maintains Focused Research Areas in Cancer, Behavioural & Brain Health, and Community Health & Well-Being.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Research Registry

Quantifiable outcome

• $33 million in external funding secured for health research
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• Windsor-Essex County Health UnitmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 June 2026Public health partner collaborating on sexually transmitted blood-borne infections awareness research. Presenters Roselyn Kyeame and Razane Diab leading community-informed sexual health committee development.
• University of WindsorcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary institutional partner hosting WE-SPARK on its campus. Provides research infrastructure, faculty members as Core Principal Members, and administrative support. Research ecosystem includes Faculty of Nursing, Department of Psychology, Department of Kinesiology, Faculty of Human Kinetics, and Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research (GLIER).
• St. Clair CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational institution partner contributing to the health research ecosystem and collaboration opportunities for applied health research.
• Windsor Regional HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary clinical partner for cancer research and healthcare provider studies. Hosts researchers and serves as site for oncology care and pediatric cancer care studies.
• Hôtel-Dieu Grace HealthcarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity healthcare partner in the WE-SPARK research ecosystem providing clinical settings for research studies.
• Erie Shores HealthcarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional hospital partner contributing to community health research and clinical collaboration opportunities.
• Greater Essex County District School BoardmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner for APEX (Adapted Physical Exercise) program expansion into high schools. Students with intellectual/developmental disabilities participate through STEPS program alongside peer leaders.
• Windsor-Essex Catholic District School BoardmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner for APEX program expansion into additional high schools, enabling inclusive exercise programming for students with disabilities.
• Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research (GLIER)coreTechnology or IntegrationResearch institute at University of Windsor focused on Great Lakes environmental research. Partner in blue-green algae bloom research involving 23 scientists from 12 countries.
• Kunming UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational partner in China co-leading global blue-green algae research workshop. Dr. Xuexiu Chang serves as professor at Kunming University and adjunct professor with GLIER.
• Yunnan UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational partner in China collaborating on cyanobacterial bloom research action plan involving scientists from 12 countries.
• Griffith UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational research partner contributing expertise to global cyanobacterial bloom research collaboration.
• School of the Environment (University of Windsor)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic department where Dr. Opeyemi Lawal serves as professor, conducting antimicrobial resistance and environmental pathogen research.
• Welcome Centre Shelter for Women and FamiliesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity shelter partner for intimate partner violence research study. Peer support workers at the shelter helped recruit participants for the arts-based study on help-seeking journeys.
• John Howard Society of OntariomajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial services organization running EMPower employment program for justice-involved Canadians. Partner in SSHRC-funded research on employment outcomes with UWindsor professor as co-investigator.
• Saint Mary's UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner led by Steven Smith as principal investigator on SSHRC Partnership Engage Grant studying employment outcomes for justice-involved adults.
• St. Francis Xavier UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner with Katelynn Carter Rogers as co-investigator on employment research for justice-involved Canadians.
• Integrative Vascular Physiology LabcoreTechnology or IntegrationResearch laboratory in University of Windsor's Department of Kinesiology studying cerebrovascular function and photobiomodulation therapy for Parkinson's disease.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR): Canada's federal health research funding agency. Comparable as the upstream national funder that supports researchers and institutions like WE-SPARK's Principal Members, providing grants, training awards, and research infrastructure programs.
• Alberta Health Services (Research): Provincial health authority operating one of the largest integrated health research programs in Canada. Comparable as a system-wide research facilitator that links universities, hospitals, and community practitioners across multiple sites.
• Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation (SHRF): Saskatchewan-based provincial agency that funds and facilitates health research through grants, partnerships, and capacity-building. Comparable as a regional health research funding and engagement organization serving a defined provincial catchment.
• Michael Smith Health Research BC: Provincial funding agency that supports health research across British Columbia through grants, training awards, and research infrastructure. Comparable as a larger, established funder and capacity-builder for health research with a broader geographic mandate than WE-SPARK.

Regional players

• Research Manitoba: Manitoba's health research funding and support agency. Functions as a regional peer in coordinating health research funding, training, and stakeholder engagement across a defined Canadian province.
• New Brunswick Health Research Foundation: Provincial health research funding agency serving New Brunswick. Comparable as a regional health research facilitator in a smaller Canadian province with a similar mandate of connecting researchers, clinicians, and community.

Direct peers

• Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI): Major Canadian health research institute affiliated with The Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa. Comparable as a hospital-affiliated research institute that facilitates clinical and translational research across multiple disease areas with research support services and training programs.
• Lawson Health Research Institute: London, Ontario-based health research institute affiliated with London Health Sciences Centre and St. Joseph's Health Care London. Operates a similar model connecting academic researchers, clinicians, and patients in Southwestern Ontario, with comparable programs in clinical trials, research funding, and knowledge translation.
• Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute (VCHRI): British Columbia's largest health research institute affiliated with Vancouver Coastal Health and the University of British Columbia. Operates a comparable model providing research infrastructure, funding administration, and training across multiple research pillars with a strong community hospital network.

Emerging players

• Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH): Canada's largest mental health and addiction teaching hospital and research facility. Comparable as a health research organization that integrates clinical care, research, and community engagement, with overlapping focus on Behavioural & Brain Health.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/wesparkhealth
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wesparkhealth

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about WE‑SPARK Health Institute