Bia Health Secures $2.15 Million to Scale AI Diagnostic Assistant
AI-generated image · Bay Street Wire
The Québec-based startup aims to reduce low-value medical interventions through evidence-based clinical recommendations.
Québec City-based Bia Health has raised $2.15 million CAD to expand the reach of its AI assistant, which is designed to help clinicians determine diagnostic plans and avoid unnecessary medical imaging or interventions. According to reporting from BetaKit, the funding includes $1.4 million in debt from Montréal-based Finalta Capital, with equity led by Anges Québec and participation from Desjardins via its Startup en résidence program.
Bia Health CEO and co-founder Anne-Sophie Paquet, a physiotherapist, told BetaKit that the company seeks to target low-value care, which is estimated to represent 30 percent of Canadian healthcare. The AI tool is intended to provide evidence-based recommendations rather than replace clinical judgment, helping providers avoid investigations or referrals that do not align with guidelines or are unlikely to improve patient outcomes. Paquet noted that the business is not a new venture, as it currently generates $500,000 in annual recurring revenue.
Bia Health has partnered with Santé Québec to test its technology in the Capitale-Nationale – Universitaire region. This six-month pilot will involve 100 clinicians specializing in musculoskeletal care, including bone fractures and osteoarthritis. The company claims that widespread adoption of its tech in primary care could save Québec as much as $100 million annually. While currently focused on its home province, the startup intends to enter the U.S. market, where a study cited by BetaKit in the Journal of the American College of Radiology estimates that unnecessary medical imaging costs the healthcare system approximately $12 billion USD per year.