After six years of R&D and research alongside the Canadian Armed Forces, the UK company bringing clinical-grade brain scanning out of the research lab is building its North American base in Canada’s Capital through Invest Ottawa’s Global Runway program.

Most people receive no objective information about their brain health until symptoms have already appeared. Conventional imaging compounds the problem: it shows what the brain looks like, not how it is working.

MYndspan exists to close that gap, and it has chosen Ottawa as its North American headquarters.

Measuring How the Brain Works, Not Just How It Looks

MYndspan is a brain health technology company working to make clinical-grade functional brain imaging accessible outside specialist hospitals and research institutions.

The company uses magnetoencephalography, or MEG, to measure the tiny magnetic fields produced by neural activity. The scan is silent, non-invasive and radiation-free, and it captures brain activity in real time with exceptional precision.

MYndspan pairs a short MEG recording with cognitive assessments and health and lifestyle information to produce clear insights into functional brain age, brainwave activity and neural networks. Repeating scans over time lets a person establish a personal baseline and objectively monitor change.

“Our goal is to help move brain health from reactive treatment toward proactive monitoring and earlier intervention.”

Caitlin Baltzer, Co-Founder and CEO, MYndspan

MEG has traditionally been available only inside specialist clinics and research institutions. MYndspan is the first company to offer it directly to consumers. Its metrics are built on hundreds of peer-reviewed MEG studies and validated against over 2,000 research-grade MEG datasets. Its research, including work on biomarkers for brain aging and neurodegenerative disease, has been published in Imaging Neuroscience. The company has also received widespread UK media coverage, including from The Guardian, ITV News, and The Telegraph.

Company at a Glance

Company	MYndspan Ltd.
Sector	Brain Health • Neurotech • Functional Brain Imaging • Dual-Use Health Technology
Global HQ	United Kingdom, with flagship consumer scanning site opening in London
New Location	Ottawa, Ontario: North American headquarters
Key Technology	Clinical-grade magnetoencephalography (MEG), which measures the magnetic fields produced by neural activity in real time. Silent, non-invasive and radiation-free.
What They Deliver	Insights into functional brain age, brainwave activity and neural networks, combined with cognitive assessments and health and lifestyle data, repeatable over time to track change against a personal baseline
Background	Six years of R&D and research conducted alongside the Canadian Armed Forces
A World First	The first company to offer MEG scanning directly to consumers
Scientific Base	Metrics built on more than 300 peer-reviewed MEG studies and validated against 2,000-plus research-grade MEG datasets
Leadership	Caitlin Baltzer (Co-Founder and CEO, former VP at MEGIN); Dr. Benjamin Dunkley (Chief Science Officer, 60-plus peer-reviewed studies)
IO Program	Global Runway

Six Years of Research, Much of It With the Canadian Armed Forces

The Ottawa expansion follows six years of R&D and research conducted alongside the Canadian Armed Forces, work that sharpened the company’s understanding of the need for objective, accessible tools to assess and monitor brain health.

In that time MYndspan has moved from a research-led concept to a scalable service capable of translating advanced neuroscience into practical insights for individuals and high-risk populations. Ottawa is the next stage: a Canadian and North American base from which to expand research partnerships, build the team, and bring the technology to defence communities, athletes, people recovering from brain injury and the broader public.

Why Ottawa

When MYndspan evaluated locations for its North American expansion, it was the concentration of capabilities in one city that stood out, along with something less tangible.

“Ottawa brings together a great combination of strengths: world-class research institutions, deep expertise in health technology, AI and data, a significant defence ecosystem and proximity to federal decision-makers. Just as importantly, it is a city where people are genuinely willing to collaborate.”

Caitlin Baltzer, Co-Founder and CEO, MYndspan

For an international company entering a new market, MYndspan says, that combination of technical capability and practical support is “incredibly valuable.” Invest Ottawa and the broader community made clear the company “would not simply be locating in the city” but joining “an ecosystem invested in helping us succeed.” That, the company says, made Ottawa “a natural choice for our North American headquarters.”

The company sees Ottawa and London as complementary rather than competing. London provides a major international healthcare and commercial market in which to demonstrate an accessible consumer brain health service. Ottawa offers a distinctive concentration of research, defence, public-policy, health-tech and AI expertise, putting the company close to the people who will ultimately research, validate, use and help shape adoption of its technology. That proximity shortens the distance between a promising scientific result and a solution that works in the real world, and it gives MYndspan a base for exporting Canadian-developed neurotechnology into wider North American and global markets.

The Invest Ottawa Advantage

MYndspan is establishing its Canadian operations through Invest Ottawa’s Global Runway program, which the company credits with substantially reducing the time, cost and uncertainty of entering a new market.

The program provides a physical base, but its value extends well beyond office space, into guidance and connections across hiring, real estate, market entry, partnerships and the local business environment.

“Those are all areas an international company would otherwise need to navigate independently, often through months of trial and error. Global Runway gives us a much stronger starting point and allows our team to focus its resources on building partnerships, advancing the technology and delivering impact.”

Caitlin Baltzer, Co-Founder and CEO, MYndspan

For Invest Ottawa, MYndspan’s arrival connects two priorities at once: advancing defence innovation in Canada’s Capital Region, and improving the health of the people who serve.

“Defence innovation isn’t just about protecting our country. It’s about protecting the brave people who serve it. Brain health is a national imperative, and MYndspan is pioneering technology with the potential to transform how we understand, monitor, and protect it. Having first connected during our UK investment mission this spring, we are honoured to welcome MYndspan as they establish their North American headquarters here in Ottawa, a global technology and defence innovation hub. Their expansion directly advances our associated Global Defence Innovation Hub strategy for Canada’s Capital Region by strengthening the health and resilience of our Forces, accelerating dual-use innovation, and attracting global investment that creates high-value jobs and grows our defence and life sciences sectors. My sincere thanks to the MYndspan team for choosing Ottawa, and to our Global Expansion team for helping make it possible. Together, we’re building an economy that delivers prosperity for Canadians and meaningful impact for the courageous people who serve our country.”

Sonya Shorey, President and CEO, Invest Ottawa, Area X.O and Bayview Yards

 

What’s Next: A Dual-Use Brain Health Platform

MYndspan is building toward a dual-use brain health platform serving both defence and civilian populations. The aim is to move beyond a single snapshot toward a longitudinal understanding of brain health, combining clinical-grade MEG data with cognitive assessments and, over time, complementary data from wearable technologies.

A major focus will be traumatic brain injury and concussion: establishing healthy baselines, detecting meaningful changes, and providing more objective information to support recovery. The applications extend to service personnel, athletes and others at elevated risk of brain injury.

An Opportunity for the Ecosystem

=At this stage of the expansion, MYndspan’s immediate benefit is access: to researchers, hospitals, universities, defence stakeholders, technology companies and experienced advisors. The next step is converting those introductions into research, validation and delivery partnerships.

The company’s read on Ottawa is that the core ingredients of a strong cluster are already present, and that the opportunity lies in making the ecosystem easier to navigate, particularly for international companies. Clearer pathways connecting companies with the right research partners, pilot opportunities, data resources and procurement channels would help good ideas move more quickly from research into real-world use.

Looking five years out, MYndspan sees Ottawa’s opening at the intersection of brain health, data and AI. Realizing it will take secure and trusted ways to use health data, clear standards for validating AI-enabled neurotechnology, and policies that support responsible adoption rather than leaving innovation confined to research. Connect research excellence with progressive data governance, adoption pathways and investment, the company argues, and Ottawa can become a globally recognized destination for brain health and neurotechnology.

Why This Matters for Us

• A North American headquarters win, not just a Canadian office. MYndspan chose Ottawa for its North American base, which is the strongest version of this story for FDI use.
• A defence and health crossover story. Six years of research alongside the Canadian Armed Forces, plus a dual-use platform targeting TBI and concussion, connects our defence and life sciences narratives in one company.
• A clean Global Runway proof point. The company attributes reduced time, cost and uncertainty in market entry directly to the program, with specifics on hiring, real estate and partnerships.
• Actionable ecosystem feedback. MYndspan’s asks are navigability for international companies, clearer pilot and procurement pathways, and data governance and AI validation standards. Worth carrying into sector and policy planning.
• Warm-intro opportunities. The team is actively converting introductions into research, validation and delivery partnerships. Colleagues with research hospital, university or defence contacts have something concrete to offer.

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Learn More

Learn more about MYndspan and its MEG brain health platform at About Us | MYndspan.

Know a global company that could grow in Canada’s Capital? Learn how Invest Ottawa’s Global Expansion team supports foreign direct investment, talent growth and long-term success at Global Expansion Program | Invest Ottawa.

Want the full picture? Read the Global Runway Brochure to see how Invest Ottawa helps international companies enter and grow in Canada’s Capital: Invest Ottawa Global Runway Brochure.