Summer 2024 showcases strong startups: July recap

Collage of companies featured in highlight article.

Naomi Grosman

Community

August 2, 2024

Healthcare startups captured the opportunity to showcase their tech solutions to Ontario Premier Doug Ford and other provincial leaders. The showcase followed the announcement that the University of Waterloo has been selected as the site of Grand River Hospital and St. Mary's General Hospital’s new joint hospital.

Female founder Atefeh Zarabadi with Ontario Premier Doug Ford — *AiimSense co-founder, Atefeh Zarabadi, shows the company's point-of-care imaging device to Ontario Premier Doug Ford*

The early-stage venture ideas presented at the Spring 2024 Velocity Pitch Competition show promise and potential to impact multiple sectors aiming to save professionals time and money and safeguard the health of end users.

Theatre of people watching a presentation — *VPC finalists had three minutes to pitch their business idea to a packed house of University of Waterloo and innovation ecosystem attendees.*

A medical milestone for Ontario: The Ottawa Hospital adopts Vena Medical's Balloon Distal Access Catheter, the first device the company ever brought to market and developed here in the province.

Vena Medical co-founders Michael Phillips and Phillip Cooper. — *Vena Medical co-founders Michael Phillips (L) and Phillip Cooper*

Ceragen's US$2 million seed funding will help the startup grow its portfolio of products that aid in greenhouse fruit and vegetable production and expand into new markets.

Co-founders in a greenhouse lab setting. — *Ceragen co-founders Danielle Rose CEO (L) and Matthew Rose CTO (R) at the company's headquarters in Kitchener, Ont.*

Roga announced $1.7 million pre-seed funding and co-founder and Chief Science Office Alison Smith shared her expertise on how to break the cycle of burnout.

Roga co-founders posing. — *Roga co-founders Ami Lebendiker, CEO, and Chief Science Officer Alison Smith (R).*

Evercloak Inc. secured additional funding to accelerate the development of its membrane-based system for low carbon HVAC technology. The $1.1 million comes from Natural Resources Canada (NRCan)'s Energy Innovation Program (EIP).

2 co-founders posing in office setting — *(L-R) Evercloak co-founders Michael Pope, scientific advisor and University of Waterloo professor, and Evelyn Allen, CEO.*

Startups are helping Canada prepare for population growth and aging. Canada’s population could double in the next 50 years, and the population of people aged 85 and older could triple, according to the Statistics Canada data released earlier this summer. Numerous health tech companies at Velocity were already fixing issues related to overwhelmed hospitals and long-term care before the recent population projections were published.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and delegation discussing a robotic device. — *Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (centre) sees Cobionix's medical imaging robot Codi.*

Palitronica’s CEO and University of Waterloo professor Sebastian Fischmeister was featured in Canada’s National Observer’s article on increasing cyber security risks facing the country.