Victoria, BC — May 11, 2026 — StarFish Medical has received a repayable contribution of $620,000 from Pacific Economic Development Canada (PacifiCan) under the Regional Artificial Intelligence Initiative to accelerate the integration of artificial intelligence into its medical device design and development programs.

The Regional Artificial Intelligence Initiative supports businesses across Western Canada in adopting and commercializing AI technologies. PacifiCan administers the program as part of a broader federal commitment to building AI capacity in regional economies and strengthening the competitiveness of Canadian businesses in global markets.

The funding will support equipment acquisition and the hiring of AI scientists and technical staff. The work will be carried out in Victoria, BC, with a project completion target of March 2028. StarFish Medical will integrate AI capabilities into its core engineering processes, develop an internal generative AI model, and complete case studies with current clients demonstrating applied AI in medical device development. The commercialized platform will be made available to clients in Canada and the United States.

“Medical device development is a discipline where decisions made early in a program determine whether a product reaches patients on time, within budget, and without regulatory surprises. We see AI as a tool that helps our teams identify risk earlier, move faster on complex problems, and deliver better outcomes for the companies we work with. This investment lets us build that capability properly and make it available to our clients.” — Scott Phillips, CEO, StarFish Medical

The project is expected to create five new highly qualified positions and assist up to five small and medium-sized enterprises through the development cycle.

About StarFish Medical

StarFish Medical is a full-service medical device design, development, and specialty manufacturing company headquartered in Victoria, British Columbia, with additional offices in Toronto and Irvine, California.

StarFish Medical works with founder-led start-ups and global enterprises across North America that need to navigate the complexity of building and launching regulated medical technologies. The company combines product design and development with quality and regulatory expertise and manufacturing readiness to help teams move from early concept through commercialization and scaled production. Its experience includes diagnostics, drug delivery, surgical, therapy, and remote devices.

Founded in 1999, StarFish Medical has grown into Canada’s largest full-service medical device design, development, and commercialization partner. It operates as part of StarFish Holdings, which also includes ViVitro Labs, a global cardiovascular device testing company with facilities in Victoria and Marseille, France. In 2020, StarFish Medical led a multi-company Canadian team that updated the Winnipeg Ventilator to address COVID-19 supply chain and operational challenges.

Empowering MedTech Innovation®. www.starfishmedical.com

Contact Patrick Dean, Director of Marketing, for media inquiries.