Applying AI to Optimize Cancer Treatment Workflows

At District 3, we're proud to showcase Gray Oncology Solutions, an innovative pre-seed venture in the Health sector leveraging AI & ML to transform cancer care delivery. Founded by the multidisciplinary team of André Diamant, Marc André Renaud, Jan Seuntjens, Louis-Martin Rousseau, and Nadia Lahrichi, Gray Oncology exemplifies how technology can address critical healthcare challenges.

The Challenge

With cancer rates rising globally, healthcare providers face mounting resource constraints and financial pressures that directly impact quality of care. Cancer centers struggle with scheduling complexities that can lead to inefficiencies, staff burnout, and compromised patient experiences.

The Innovation

Gray Oncology Solutions has developed a sophisticated platform that:

• Optimizes the flow of cancer patient treatment
• Reduces manual administrative work for medical staff
• Significantly improves the overall patient experience

Using advanced operations research and AI algorithms, their software determines precisely where appointments should fit into busy schedules and calculates optimal appointment durations, creating more efficient treatment workflows.

Real-World Impact and Validation

The Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), one of Québec's largest hospitals, partnered with Gray to develop the first iteration of their product. This collaboration has led to:

• Multiple grant awards
• Recognition as "Best Startup" at CHUM's INNOVE-ACTION conference
• A strong foundation for continued growth

"Our relationship with CHUM has been very strong and instrumental in our growth. CHUM stands out in Montreal in the way they collaborate with innovative startups. We landed on a contractual agreement that works for both sides and we've been so fortunate in having access to their data and daily meaningful and actionable feedback from hospital staff."

— André Diamant, Co-founder, Gray Oncology Solutions

Investor Confidence

The company's approach has attracted significant attention from investors who recognize its potential:

"Our investment partners were really impressed by the talent found in Gray's management team and its ability to deliver and stick to its plan. The significant traction that the company was able to generate from experts, renowned angel investors and institutions, including the Center Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), the largest university hospital in Quebec, also weighed in on the investment decision."

— Serge Beauchemin, Managing Partner at AQC Capital

Mission-Driven Innovation

At the heart of Gray Oncology's work is a commitment to translating promising research into real-world healthcare solutions:

"There's no doubt the reason I went into entrepreneurship is because I've seen so many promising research papers and projects just die in academia. That is why I'm here."

— André Diamant, Co-founder, Gray Oncology Solutions

Transforming Healthcare Through Technology

Gray Oncology Solutions demonstrates how District 3's ecosystem supports ventures that bridge academic research and practical healthcare applications. By addressing critical inefficiencies in cancer care delivery, they're helping improve both operational outcomes for healthcare providers and treatment experiences for patients—showing the tremendous potential of purpose-driven innovation in healthcare.

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