MaRS Client Newtopia announces seed investment from BDC Venture Capital

Toronto, ON, May 10, 2011 – Personalized health coaching company and MaRS Client Newtopia Inc. announced last week that the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) has invested seed funding for its next stage of commercialization. BDC made the investment through its Venture Capital division (BDC VC), in partnership with a seasoned group of Canadian angel investors, including Newtopia Chairman and Co-founder Dennis Bennie.

Newtopia is a revolutionary approach to weight loss and healthy living, created by a team of leading experts. Founded in 2008, Newtopia offers tailored online health plans, products and coaching support that combine nutrition, exercise and behaviour management.

Newtopia’s solution incorporates proprietary data management with knowledge gained from genetics research and behavioural psychology to match clients with coaches and deliver individualized health plans and weight management programs.

Genetic information is used by Newtopia to profile a client’s predisposition for specific health issues. The FTO gene, for example, also known as the ‘fat gene’, is one of the most widely reviewed genetic markers.  If these markers are identified by the simple genetic home test, Newtopia incorporates the information into a customized online coaching program and natural health diet.

“With our presence growing throughout Canada, I am excited to have BDC as an investment partner,” says Newtopia CEO and Co-founder Jeffrey Ruby. “Newtopia is making affordable personalized health solutions accessible to a broad market. Our partnership with BDC will help us attract committed entrepreneurs to join our direct sales team and movement toward sustainable, healthy living.”

Brenda Irwin, a Partner with BDC VC, adds, “Sustainable solutions are a challenge in the field of health care, but Newtopia is well positioned to profit from the growing trend toward virtual personal wellness coaching and customized health care program management. Their innovative and integrated solutions tap into the wealth of scientific research around genetic variants … to deliver long term results.”

“We expect to make a real difference in people’s lives,” says Newtopia Chairman and Co-founder Dennis Bennie. “Our approach to addressing health problems is limitless. We are positioned to change the quick fix paradigm that dominates the weight loss industry and have plans to expand our service offering by supporting chronic disease management, such as diabetes. Having BDC as a partner should help us meet our growth targets.”

Newtopia became a MaRS client in 2009 and has worked closely with the Information technology, Communications and Entertainment (ICE) and Life Sciences and Health Care advisory teams to identify funding opportunities and strategies for growth.

About Newtopia
Newtopia (www.newtopia.com) is a personalized health coaching company dedicated to sustainable weight loss and healthy living solutions. The company offers personalized plans, genetically tailored products and personal coaching support that incorporate innovative technology to deliver healthy living and weight reduction solutions through a direct sales channel. Newtopia’s programs and products are guideline and evidence based and available online to individuals across Canada.

About BDC
As Canada’s business development bank, BDC (www.bdc.ca) puts entrepreneurs first. BDC’s Venture Capital division (BDC VC) is one of the country’s most active venture capital investors and is involved at every stage of its investee companies’ development cycles, from seed through expansion. BDC VC focuses on technology-based businesses with high growth potential that are positioned to become dominant players in their respective markets.

About MaRS Discovery District
MaRS Discovery District (www.marsdd.com) is a large scale, mission driven innovation centre located in Toronto and networked across Ontario, focused on building Canada’s next generation of technology companies. MaRS works closely with entrepreneurs in life sciences and health care, information, communications and entertainment technologies, clean tech, advanced materials and engineering, as well as innovative social purpose businesses.

For more information, contact:

Vanessa Caldwell
MaRS Discovery District
416.63.8200 x2240
vcaldwell@marsdd.com

Jeffrey Ruby
Newtopia
905-856-8958
jruby@newtopia.com

Geoffrey King
Director, Public Relations
Business Development Bank of Canada
514-496-4351
geoffrey.king@bdc.ca