Nimbus Synergies Bolsters Health Tech Leadership with Strategic Board Appointments

Nimbus Synergies, a venture capital firm investing in companies using technology to improve outcomes, increase efficiencies, and lower costs in healthcare, is pleased to announce the appointment of Wendy Hurlburt and Bree Stanlake to its Board of Directors. These appointments mark a pivotal step in Nimbus’ evolution to become Canada’s leading health technology venture investment platform.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Wendy and Bree to our Board,” said Jason Robertson, Managing Partner at Nimbus Synergies. “Wendy brings deep financial and life sciences expertise, while Bree offers critical operational and entrepreneurial experience. Together, they bring exceptional value as we enter our next phase of growth.”

Proven Leaders Joining at a Pivotal Time

Wendy Hurlburt is a nationally recognized leader in life sciences and an advocate for collaboration across business, academia, and government. As President and CEO of Life Sciences BC, she leads a not-for-profit, non-government, industry association representing British Columbia’s life sciences community. Her prior executive roles at global organizations such as Johnson & Johnson, including as a senior leader at Lifescan, and her experience as CFO for multiple organizations highlight her deep expertise in financial stewardship, regulatory compliance, and strategic planning. In recognition of this, Wendy will also serve as Chair of Nimbus’ Finance Committee. “I am thrilled to join Nimbus Synergies at this exciting time,” said Hurlburt. “Throughout my career, I’ve been committed to advancing life sciences and medtech innovation and I look forward to contributing my experience and network to support Nimbus’ ambitious mission.”

Bree Stanlake is a seasoned and recognized executive leading growth and innovation at top-tier consumer and retail brands, including Reigning Champlululemon athletica, and ARITZIA. She currently serves as Vancouver Site Director for Creative Destruction Lab (CDL), where she supports early-stage ventures through strategic growth and commercialization. Bree’s expertise in navigating fast-paced, competitive markets will be instrumental as Nimbus continues to support ambitious health tech companies through a dynamic healthcare ecosystem. “Nimbus’ commitment to advancing Canada’s health tech sector through critical early-stage investment aligns deeply with my passion for innovation,” said Stanlake. “I’m excited to contribute to its continued success and support the next generation of impactful founders improving the world.”

A Diverse Board for a Transformative Future

The appointments of Wendy and Bree also mark a meaningful milestone in Nimbus’ commitment to board diversity, with women now comprising the majority of its directors. Their complementary skill sets and fresh perspectives will help guide Nimbus’ strategy in an evolving health tech landscape.

At the same time, Nimbus announces the retirement of David Porte from its Board. A champion of Nimbus and a long-standing advocate for innovation through Discovery Parks, David played a foundational role in the firm’s formation, growth, and success. “David’s guidance has been instrumental to our success and I want to recognize, honour, and thank David Porte for his invaluable contributions to Discovery Parks and Nimbus over the many years,” said Robertson. “His legacy lives on in the strength of our platform and the impact we continue to make.”

About Nimbus Synergies
Nimbus Synergies invests in early-stage companies using technology to improve health outcomes, increase system efficiency, and reduce costs in healthcare. Based in Vancouver, Canada, Nimbus partners with entrepreneurs driving innovation throughout the health tech ecosystem. Nimbus is positively impacting healthcare through its leadership as investor, partner, and mentor. For more information, please visit us at https://nimbusinc.vc/ or email us at info@nimbusinc.vc.

 

Nimbus Synergies Invests in EmergConnect to Transform Emergency Department Access in Canada and Beyond

Vancouver, BC – March 19, 2025 – Nimbus Synergies is pleased to announce its investment in EmergConnect, a pioneering digital health platform addressing Canada’s emergency department crisis with a tech-driven, scalable platform designed to modernize operations and improve patient care.

The CAD $1.75M seed round, led by AQC Capital and joined by Nimbus Synergies, Leva Capital, Anges Québec, Maple Leaf Angels, Capital Angel Network, and independent angel investors, will accelerate EmergConnect’s mission, enabling the company to expand its platform across Canadian hospitals and ancillary healthcare providers, as well as prepare for U.S. market entry.

Challenges in Canada’s healthcare system, including severe nursing shortages, long wait times, and hospital overcrowding, strain both healthcare workers and patients. By 2030, the country is projected to face a shortage of 117,600 nurses, increasing reliance on expensive nursing agencies and further draining resources needed for patient care.

"Healthcare inefficiencies remain one of the biggest barriers to quality patient care," said Jason Robertson, Managing Partner of Nimbus Synergies. “Our investment in EmergConnect aligns with our thesis of digital health solutions driving systemic improvements in healthcare delivery.”

EmergConnect’s platform streamlines triage, improves patient navigation, and optimizes paramedic workflows. By reducing bottlenecks and enhancing patient flow, EmergConnect helps alleviate staffing pressures and improve emergency department accessibility. With the new funding, the company will continue enhancing its AI-driven triage capabilities to improve emergency care efficiency and patient outcomes.

Ron Galaev, CEO of EmergConnect, added: “This investment marks an important inflection point for EmergConnect as we work to modernize emergency department operations across Canada and beyond. Our platform directly addresses the urgent need due to a growing lack of nurses, and the need for faster triage, better patient flow, and reduced strain on healthcare workers. With the support of AQC Capital, Nimbus Synergies, Leva Capital, and our angel investors, we’re well-positioned to drive real change in the healthcare system.”

About EmergConnect

EmergConnect is on a mission to change the way that people think about same-day care. ER wait times in Canada are amongst the longest, causing numerous issues such as increased health risks, overcrowded ERs, and patients leaving without treatment. EmergConnect offers a comprehensive solution to help address this critical challenge. EmergConnect is a fully integrated end-to-end patient, nursing and administrator platform for at-home and in-ed patient triage, registration and individualized wait time predictions. Patients input their information in their own words based on provincial and national triage guidelines, complete self-registration and get an individualized prediction of their wait time. Nurses access and approve patient information through the user-friendly EmergConnect portal, and through one click of a button populate their existing EMR system to complete triage. For more information, please visit us as www.emergconnect.ca or email us at info@emergconnect.ca 

About Nimbus Synergies

Nimbus Synergies leads early-stage financings in innovative and complementary health technology companies in Canada. By bringing these companies together to share resources, industry specific knowledge, and relationships, Nimbus is accelerating their growth and increasing their likelihood of success. Nimbus is significantly impacting the health technology sector through its leadership as investor, partner, and mentor. For more information, please visit us at https://nimbusinc.vc/ or email us at info@nimbusinc.vc