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At ventureLAB, we are proud to support visionary founders tackling some of the world’s most pressing health challenges. Medtech is one of our fastest-growing pillars, and we’re actively building a robust medtech ecosystem with the launch of our dedicated medtech lab in Vaughan, as well as expanding access through our Sterling facility. By supporting innovative ventures like Flutter Care, we’re helping lay the foundation for a strong medtech community in Vaughan and across Canada. Flutter Care, led by founder and CEO Dolma Tsundu, is a powerful example of what happens when purpose meets innovation, addressing maternal health with transformative hardware solutions that can save lives.
Flutter Care’s journey began from Dolma’s deeply personal connection to the lasting impacts of pregnancy and birth complications. From a young age, Dolma witnessed firsthand the profound effects such an experience had on her mother, and developed an understanding of how the well-being of parents impacts children, families, and communities. She explains, “My passion is women’s health, but also the health of children and families. Pregnancy outcomes have a ripple effect on everyone, and that drives everything we do.” This empathetic understanding shaped Flutter Care’s mission: to make pregnancies safer and more informed through technology that empowers both parents and healthcare providers.
The company started with an accessible mobile app designed to help expectant parents manually track fetal movements. Fetal movement is a crucial early signal of the baby’s health, but many families and even some healthcare providers lack tools to monitor it effectively. Flutter Care’s app was created with input from parents who had experienced loss and advocacy groups, ensuring it addressed the real needs of those most affected. Now, Flutter Care is pushing the boundaries further by developing wearable technology that continuously monitors fetal well-being remotely. This wearable device bridges the gap between clinical visits, offering real-time, actionable data that can prevent complications before they become critical.
Stillbirth is a largely overlooked tragedy that affects thousands of families in Canada every year. Many of these deaths are preventable, yet awareness and monitoring tools are lacking in prenatal care. Flutter Care’s innovation addresses this urgent need by combining hardware, software, and community support to create a comprehensive maternal health solution. Dolma highlights a critical challenge in the field: “There’s a real lack of understanding about stillbirth and how to prevent it. Often, preventable outcomes happen because proper guidance and timely information weren’t available.” By equipping families and care providers with better data, Flutter Care helps close this gap and offers a pathway to healthier pregnancies.
The decision to build hardware rather than a purely software solution was deliberate and thoughtful. Dolma admits that shifting focus back to hardware felt daunting due to longer timelines and higher complexity, but she knew that a physical, wearable device was necessary to truly address the problem. “I had to think about what would truly tackle this problem, and I knew it had to be a hardware technology,” she says. Her multidisciplinary background in integrated engineering and passion for designing tangible, physical products gave her confidence. Discovering ventureLAB’s Hardware Catalyst Initiative was a turning point. “From the very first interview, I felt like ventureLAB really understood the unique challenges of building hard tech. It wasn’t just mentorship, it was a community that just ‘gets it.’”
Being part of ventureLAB’s initiative has been transformational for Flutter Care. With support from expert advisors like Colin Hung, access to cutting-edge hardware labs in Markham and the medtech facility in Vaughan, and crucial resources such as software subscriptions for technical development, the company has been able to accelerate R&D initiatives while managing costs. “For much of our time in the Hardware Catalyst Initiative, we were based in British Columbia and relied on virtual support from HCI, but ventureLAB’s mentorship and ecosystem have been essential,” Dolma reflects. Their team’s recent expansion to Toronto further leverages these facilities, setting them up for the next stage of growth.
Beyond technology, Flutter Care prioritizes building community and advocacy alongside product innovation. The company developed a support group to help individuals navigating the complex grief of late pregnancy loss, including stillbirth and termination for medical reasons. Dolma shares, “Creating that support group was one of the most powerful experiences for me. It goes beyond technology, it’s about human connection during the darkest moments.”
Dolma’s vision is deeply shaped by her experience as a birth doula, where she witnessed the diverse realities of pregnancy and childbirth, from joyous to difficult. She speaks to the importance of preserving the positive, life-affirming aspects of birth: “Every flutter is a reminder of a miracle,” she explains is one of the company’s messages. This philosophy is reflected in Flutter Care’s butterfly logo and company name, symbolizing the earliest, gentle fetal movements that signify life, transformation, and hope. “I want people to be able to have positive, beautiful memories of pregnancy, even if their journey is complicated,” Dolma explains. This desire to both protect and celebrate humanity underpins everything Flutter Care creates.
