ALTO

In the course of developing Alto, a promising health tech startup, founders Hadi Taherian and Dr. Rob Basi conducted meticulous research, engaging in conversations with nearly 150 people — care providers, hospital staff, physicians, patients and their family members. The consensus from these interactions was affirmation that Alto was on the right track. Each person shared firsthand experiences and challenges in securing affordable and dependable home-care services.

Having witnessed the struggles faced by their own family members while navigating the maze of quality care providers, Taherian and Basi intimately understood the ordeal. “Rob and I conceived the idea of directly connecting well-qualified care providers to patients, circumventing the need for intermediaries,” says Taherian. “Alto’s concept fell seamlessly into place.” They developed a robust platform featuring a roster of certified home-care providers, with more than 650 individuals having passed rigorous background checks. This innovative platform empowers users to evaluate certifications, monitor provider availability, schedule and make payments for home-care services.

“Alto offers both the essential tools and the peace of mind,” says Taherian. “We ensure that you never pay for someone who doesn’t meet our stringent qualification standards. You can easily secure the services of a vetted care provider in just 20 minutes.” While Alto is relatively recent entrant to the healthcare landscape — fully operational since January 2023 — it has already garnered substantial attention and demand. Headquartered in Alberta and Saskatchewan, the company is poised for expansion across Canada.

The unique strength of Alto’s approach is clear. “We proudly stand as the sole company capable of reducing the cost of home care for patients by nearly 40 per cent, while maintaining higher salaries or hourly rates for care providers on our platform,” says Taherian. “In essence, we are revolutionizing home care without compromising safety and quality.”

With robust demand for their services, the co-founders attribute a portion of their success to the pivotal investment from UCeed, a move that has validated their mission. “UCeed has served as the ultimate seal of approval for our endeavours,” says Taherian. “Their impact has been nothing short of transformative, opening a multitude of doors for our next phase of growth.”

Visit Alto’s website for more information.

Alto has received investment from UCeed, a venture philanthropy fund accelerating UCalgaryand community-based startup companies to advance problem-solving research, create jobs and fuel the economy. A key program in the UCalgary innovation ecosystem, UCeed bridges the gap between innovation, demonstration and commercialization, and is managed by UCalgary’sknowledge-transfer and business incubator, Innovate Calgary.

The UCeed Social Impact Fund is powered by the generosity of the United Way of Calgary and Area and its mission to mobilize communities for lasting social change and the Government of Alberta’s Creative Partnerships initiative to support arts and non-profit sectors.