Velocity Pitch Competition Winter 2024 Finalists

Will Muir Campus news

Eight student founded teams springing from the faculties of Engineering, Math and Health have advanced to the final round of the Velocity Pitch Competition this April 4 at Theatre of the Arts. These eight teams emerge from a pool of 27 semi-finalists and over 100 total applicants.

The Velocity Pitch Competition provides a platform for student-led teams from the University of Waterloo to present their innovative solutions and promising business ideas. Each of these eight teams have three minutes to present their business concept to a panel of seasoned judges, aiming to persuade them of the promise and feasibility of their venture for an opportunity to secure one of four $5,000 grants.

Meet the winter 2024 Velocity Pitch Competition finalists:

Automax is building custom AI assistants for real-estate appraisers. Submitted by Humza Ahmed, undergraduate Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering.

Menstrual products that double as at home self collection kits for HPV and cervical cancer testing. Submitted by CT Murphy, masters student Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering.

Grease Tech is augmenting manual greasing process for bearings in manufacturing. Submitted by Minaal Butt, Master of Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology, Faculty of Engineering and Jesurun Ramesh, Master of Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology, Faculty of Engineering.

A non-invasive pee-on-a-stick test that uses unique biomarkers in urine to detect kidney disease in it’s earliest stages, earlier and 10x cheaper than the gold standard. Submitted by Shiv Naik, Biology, Faculty of Science; and Mazhar Shahen, Kinesiology, Faculty of Health.

OrthoFlexion is a sensor device with an app that supports parents and clinicians caring for children with clubfoot deformities to achieve better outcomes. Submitted by Maryse Bouchard; Finn O’Hara, undergraduate Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering; Hannah Seatle, alumni Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering; and Ella Walsh, undergraduate Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering.

PatientCompanion streamlines the patient triaging system for optimal care coordination. Submitted by Ethan Alvizo, undergraduate Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering; Christy Lee, undergraduate Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering; and Valerie Liu, undergraduate Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering.

SheepIt is a modern end-to-end herd management solution for non-industrial sheep farmers. Submitted by Saahibdeep Dhaliwal, undergraduate Computer Science, Faculty of Math; Noumaan Kaleem, undergraduate Computer Science, Faculty of Math; Nathan Philippon, undergraduate Computer Science, Faculty of Math; and Josiah Plett, undergraduate Computer Science, Faculty of Math.

Building infrastructure to help people form meaningful relationships in the real world. Submitted by Jocelyne Murphy, undergraduate Systems Design Engineering, Faculty of Engineering.

Semi-finals in pictures.

CT Murphy is presenting her business idea, CELLECT, to the audience.

CELLECT. – CT Murphy, masters Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering.

Humza Ahmed stands in front of the audience pitching for his business idea Automax AI.

Automax AI – Humza Ahmed, undergraduate Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering.

Grease Tech – Jesurun Ramesh, Master of Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology, Faculty of Engineering.

NewGen Health – Mazhar Shahen, Kinesiology, Faculty of Health.

OrthoFlexion – Ella Walsh, undergraduate Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering.

PatientCompanion – Christy Lee, undergraduate Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering.

SheepIt – Josiah Plett, undergraduate Computer Science, Faculty of Math.

Wygo – Jocelyne Murphy, undergraduate Systems Design Engineering, Faculty of Engineering.