November Velocity Recap
University of Waterloo’s Innovation Arena opens its doors
The University of Waterloo has opened the Innovation Arena in Kitchener’s innovation district, providing a hub for researchers, entrepreneurs and community partners to tackle health challenges. As the new home of Velocity, it offers enhanced business supports, cutting-edge labs, manufacturing equipment, and collaborative spaces. (Waterloo News)
Detecting concussions with a simple spit test
HeadFirst has developed a rapid saliva-based test to detect concussions by measuring specific biomarkers, providing an objective alternative to traditional, subjective methods. This non-invasive approach aims to assist athletic departments, sports organizations and healthcare facilities in accurately diagnosing and treating mild traumatic brain injuries.(Read More)
Velocity and FemTech Canada support Waterloo students to design transformative tech solutions for improving women’s health and well-being
University of Waterloo alum and founder of Hyivy Health, Rachel Bartholomew (MBET ’14), returned to campus as a collaborator of Velocity and FemTech Canada’s Innovation Challenge, where more than 100 students formed teams to address three critical areas of women’s health: menopause, gynecological health and breast health. (Read More)
Founder spotlight: Jade Choy on navigating Silicon Valley and how to be a CEO
Epoch’s rise to redefine employee engagement for clients like Reddit and Asana is rooted in their own company’s culture and values. When Jade Choy (BAFM ’17) co-founded Epoch alongside her brother Keith Choy (BAFM ’16, MAcc ’16) and close friend Michael Miller, she hadn’t envisioned herself as an entrepreneur. Like many of her Accounting and Finance peers at the University of Waterloo, Choy was on a more traditional career path — aiming for a future in management consulting. However, a side project related to non-profit work sparked a much larger idea, one that would eventually evolve into Epoch. (Read More)
How an AI-Powered Solution is Transforming Chaos into Clarity in Healthcare Operations
Migranium platform is a game-changer. In today’s fast-paced healthcare environment, many healthcare centres are overwhelmed with legacy systems, often relying on as many as 15 to 20 different software platforms to keep operations running smoothly. This level of complexity not only frustrates staff but also creates anxiety for patients, highlighting an urgent need for a more integrated, streamlined approach. Migranium is addressing these challenges by simplifying processes, automating workflows and reducing manual tasks—all to enhance the experience for frontline healthcare workers and patients alike.(Read more)
Advancing femtech and women’s health
Femtech startup Hyivy aims to transform women's health by developing therapeutic devices and software solutions for remote monitoring and personalized treatment
Rachel Bartholomew (MBET ’14) is founder and CEO of Hyivy, a femtech startup focused on creating therapeutic and remote monitoring devices for gynecological conditions with the mission to transform women's health care with modern innovations. She is also founder and a lead advisor for Femtech Canada, an advocacy organization for women working in the innovation space. (Read More)
Environment student Kwaku Owusu Twum is making a global impact through Mapmate
Motivated by the impact of climate variability on food production in Ghana, Kwaku Owusu Twum pursued studies in planning and geo-information science to develop technological solutions for food systems. Collaborating with co-founder Daniel Buston Yankey, he created Mapmate, a digital platform that bridges communication gaps between small-scale farmers and food manufacturers, enhancing agricultural efficiency and sustainability. (Read More)
Evercloak announces testing of their dehumidification technology
Evercloak has been selected for the 14th cohort of the Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator (IN²), securing US$250,000 to test its energy-efficient dehumidification technology at the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Founder and CEO Evelyn Allen aims to demonstrate how their membrane-based system can significantly reduce the energy required for cooling and dehumidifying buildings. (Canadian Manufacturing)
Using RNA to get bespoke skincare product tips
Agenek, a pioneering biotech company at Velocity, University of Waterloo’s startup incubator, unveiled a new RNA-based test that provides an unprecedented level of precision in recommending skincare products to consumers.The skincare test offered by Agenek will provide people with a real-time biological snapshot of the needs of their skin and help them make educated choices, save time and money, and achieve better skin health. (Read More)
