Back in November, SpaceQ caught up with Baüne when the Edmonton-based company launched a telemedicine pilot project in Montreal, which was meant to use autonomous medical care technologies as a tool to address doctor shortages.
The project funded by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) allowed Baüne to open a “Telehealth Station” – or an “autonomous health care unit” – to bring technologies to Earth similar to those being used by astronauts. The unit includes wearable technologies, medical devices and connectivity through the Internet of Medical Things for monitoring of vital signs, emotions and other items.
Following on from that CSA support, Baüne recently obtained a Medical Device Establishment Licence (MDEL) from Health Canada. The government states that MDELs are given to Class I manufacturers, or importers/distributors of devices, to allow for importation or distribution of a medical device across the country. These devices receive the certification to attest they meet Canadian safety requirements, and to show that remedies are available if problems are identified.
SpaceQ spoke with Baüne’s chief engineer, Aurelien Balondona, to learn more about the progress of C2M2 (Connected Care Medical Module), and Baüne’s approach to expanding across Canada with the new licence, This Q&A was edited for length and clarity.
SpaceQ: Can you give a sense of how instrumental the CSA C2M2 program has been to help you evolve as a company?
Balondona: C2M2 has played a pivotal role in Baüne’s growth and innovation. We were selected in both the initial and second rounds of funding, receiving over $2 million in 2022 and $771,000 in 2024. It has empowered us to prototype and advance our “Human Digital Twin” solution. This includes the integration of a sophisticated health knowledge graph, autonomous AI systems, wearable sensors, and medical devices – all leveraging a multiplex of health data.
This support has significantly accelerated our R&D efforts, and positioned Baüne as a leader in personalized, preventive, and intelligent healthcare delivery accessible to anyone, anywhere. The next phase of the C2M2 contract focuses on deep integration of medical software and hardware, preparing our systems for deployment in both terrestrial and space environments.
Beyond CSA, we are proud to collaborate with CIUSSS-ODIM (Integrated University Health and Social Services Sentres de l’Ouest-de-l’Île-de-Montréal) on a “Preventive Care Station” pilot. This initiative serves as a real-world anchor project, demonstrating the scalability and impact of our autonomous-care-unit platform.
SpaceQ: Can you talk more about the significance of the MDEL?
Balondona: Baüne’s MDEL from Health Canada represents a major regulatory milestone. As a software and telecommunications company that outsources hardware manufacturing, the MDEL validates our compliance with national safety and quality standards for importing and distributing medical devices.
This licence significantly enhances our credibility with health care institutions and partners, facilitating customer onboarding and enabling expansion across provinces. It also allows us to scale nationally, deploying our platforms in clinics, hospitals, and remote care settings throughout Canada.
From a regulatory standpoint, this achievement is foundational. We are currently pursuing Class II medical device certification, and working toward obtaining Health Canada’s Medical Device Single Audit Program certification, to demonstrate full compliance with Canadian quality management system requirements.
SpaceQ: How much is Baüne growing?
Balondona: Baüne has experienced steady and organic growth. Over the past year, our team has expanded from nine to 15 employees, reflecting increased operational capacity and project momentum. While revenue figures remain confidential, we can confirm that our financial growth has kept pace with our expanding team and portfolio, driven by both public contracts and strategic private-sector partnerships.
SpaceQ: What are your plans in the next six to 12 months?
Balondona: In the coming months, Baüne will focus on a few items:
- Expanding our Preventive Care Station initiative across multiple sites in Quebec and Canada.
- Deploying and enhancing next-generation technologies in collaboration with CIUSSS-ODIM, CSA, the National Research Council and its industrial research assistance program (IRAP), Campus Montréal’s Institute for Data Valorization (IVADO), the TransMedTech Institute, Polytechnique Montréal, Concordia University, and other health care partners.
- Advancing our “Human Digital Twin” by enriching our health knowledge graph and AI autonomy with genomic data, enabling real-time health insights and predictive risk forecasting.
- Entering new markets, including Indigenous and remote communities, where autonomous care solutions are critically needed.
We are also exploring international partnerships in the U.S. and Europe to extend our impact to underserved populations globally.
SpaceQ: Is there anything else you would like to add?
Balondona: Baüne is committed to transforming health care through human-aware technologies that combine AI, semantic reasoning, and ambient intelligence. Our mission is to make diagnostics and care more accessible, personalized, and scalable – whether on Earth or in space.
We welcome collaboration, and are actively seeking strategic partners who share our vision for the future of healthcare growth initiatives in future quarters.