Ready Freddie? Alberta Health Innovation Goes Global

Digital health platforms have become a gateway to providing accessible, evidence-based, affirming care, and Alberta's innovation ecosystem is proving that locally developed solutions can make an impact on a global scale.

Founded in 2019, PurposeMed is a Calgary-born startup that has grown to support patients across Canada and the United States through its telehealth platforms, one of which is called Freddie.

Freddie is a telehealth platform that provides HIV prevention and care for members of the LGBTQ2S+ community; and it wasn’t long before it caught the eye of an international company.

In September 2026, Grindr acquired PurposeMed and its telehealth platforms, an acquisition valued at US$250million with the potential for an additional US$70million, in 2027.

Built in Alberta, scaled across North America 

Every company's journey is different. Different obstacles. Different opportunities. But the companies that scale with success rarely do it alone.

PurposeMed first engaged with Alberta Innovates in 2022, successfully securing two grants totaling approximately $225,000. But like many high-growth companies, PurposeMed needed more than funding.

As the company expanded, Alberta Innovates helped connect the team with opportunities, networks and partners that supported its next stage of growth, including participation at SXSW in Austin, where PurposeMed built relationships with U.S. investors, as well as connections to federal partners and programs that helped advance its expansion efforts.

Within a year of receiving support from Alberta Innovates, PurposeMed went from earning $12 million in annual revenue to run rates exceeding $50 million with ambitions to scale even further. 

"Alberta Innovates has been such a huge part of our journey," says John Gardiner, Chief Growth Officer, PurposeMed. "You advocated for us, showed up to our events, supported our community and so much more. We're eternally grateful."

PurposeMed continued building on that momentum and in 2024, the company ranked second on Deloitte Canada's list of Canada's fastest-growing technology companies. Today, Freddie has served more than 55,000 patients across Canada and the United States, helping improve access to HIV prevention and sexual healthcare services. Freddie now prevents one case of HIV per day. This saves the Canadian and U.S. healthcare systems more than $250M per year in future costs.  

PurposeMed's platform has helped expand access to healthcare for thousands of patients while creating high-value jobs and attracting investment to Alberta. Today, its services reach communities across North America, demonstrating how Alberta-made innovation can create an impact far beyond the province's borders. 

“What makes this milestone so meaningful isn't just its impact on Alberta's economy,” says Pej Ghanipour, Technology Development Advisor at Alberta Innovates. “It's the tangible difference PurposeMed has made for underserved communities across North America, saving healthcare systems millions of dollars while building a successful, sustainable business. That is the kind of entrepreneurship that makes our work at Alberta Innovates so rewarding.”

  Behind every breakthrough is a network of people, partners, and organizations helping turn ambition into action. For PurposeMed, that journey took them from a Calgary startup to a company serving patients across North America.

Because whether a company is taking its first steps, entering new markets or scaling for global impact, our role remains the same: opening doors for Alberta innovators to walk through, turning bold ideas into lasting impact.