Founder Spotlight: Cassidy eCare is advancing clinically driven diabetes support through AI 

15/07/2026

For Mpho Begin, founder of Cassidy eCare, building a health innovation company was shaped by both personal experience and a deep understanding of health care system challenges. Today, her work is focused on improving how patients manage chronic conditions, particularly diabetes, through clinically informed, AI-powered support. 

From lived experience to system insight 

Mpho’s interest in improving patient care was sparked by a personal experience navigating the health care system , which highlighted the challenges people often face when transitioning from hospital to home. 

While clinical care within hospital settings is strong, the period between visits, after an unexpected diagnosis, often requires patients to manage complex conditions with limited guidance. Through broader engagement with patients and health care professionals, Mpho recognized that this gap is especially significant for individuals living a chronic disease – like diabetes. 

With most of the diabetes management occurring outside clinical settings, she saw a need for better tools to support people with diabetes in their everyday lives. 

Building clinical understanding through Core Innovation  

To move from insight to impact, Mpho joined the CHEO Research Institute’s Core Innovation Invention program. What began as an early-stage concept evolved significantly through the program’s structured support and access to a health care innovation ecosystem. 

Through Core Innovation, Mpho worked closely with CHEO clinicians, advisors, and other stakeholders to better understand the clinical problem, refine the solution, and validate its real-world applicability. 

“Core Innovation is different,” said Mpho. “They don’t just provide advice, they help you understand what you actually need to build a viable solution in health care.” 

This experience played a pivotal role in shaping the direction of Cassidy eCare’s flagship platform, eCareSmart. 

Evolving into a clinic-prescribed solution 

Since entering the Core Innovation invention program, the concept has evolved from an initial direct-to-consumer (B2C) tool into a Business-to-Business-to-Consumer (B2B2C) model, designed to be prescribed and integrated through clinical settings. 

eCareSmart is now positioned as an AI-powered diabetes education and support platform that complements clinical care by extending support into patients’ daily lives. The platform focuses on helping individuals better understand and manage their condition between appointments, while aligning with health care providers’ guidance. 

Key features include: 

  • Daily tracking of blood glucose, activity, and health habits 
  • AI-driven insights to identify patterns and flag potential concerns 
  • Personalized, accessible educational content 
  • Support mechanisms that encourage ongoing engagement and reduce isolation 

By transforming patient-generated data into actionable insights, the platform aims to improve both patient understanding and provider visibility into day-to-day disease management. 

Advancing through validation and product development 

Over the course of the Core Innovation Invention program, Cassidy eCare has: 

  • Developed and refined the minimum viable product (MVP) for eCareSmart 
  • Completed clinician-guided customer discovery to validate the solution 
  • Strengthened its B2B2C clinical strategy and overall product direction 
  • Prepared a structured four-week pilot program, with three clinics in active discussions for participation 

These milestones signal a shift toward clinical validation and real-world implementation. The current focus is on pilot execution, which will evaluate the eCareSmart platform within clinical workflows and generate insights to further refine both the solution and its integration into care delivery. 

Looking ahead

Cassidy eCare is tackling persistent challenges in chronic disease management, such as fragmented communication, limited access to reliable education, and the complexity of individual  self-management by integrating its solution into clinical workflows while extending support into the home. 

Guided throughout by the Core Innovation team, this work continues to evolve with strong clinical alignment and a focus on scalable impact. The ongoing collaboration provided by Core Innovation helps refine the approach and accelerates progress toward a more seamless, connected model of care. Together, this enables a more patient-centred experience, bridging the gap between the clinic and home, and ensuring individuals feel informed, supported, and empowered in managing their health.

Learn more about the CHEO Research Institute’s Core Innovation Services.