2024
This year's pitch competition took place on January 24, 2024 during the John D. Thompson Entrepreneurial Development Seminar.
During the event, 5 TechIdea finalists pitched their ideas to a panel of judges from the business and technical community. The top 3 pitches won cash prizes of $500, $250 and $100. The audience also got the chance to select their favourite pitch and that winning team received $50.
The competition encourages 91社区 students, working in teams, to propose new technologically-based ideas/solutions in the form of new products, services and/or ventures to solve real-world problems.
Winning Teams
1st Place
Fulcra
Maria Calderbank, Emilie Davignon, Louis Tan, and Roseline Theroux (all Mechanical Engineering)
Lower back pain is the leading musculoskeletal issue affecting around 4 out of 5 individuals at least once in their lifetime. Fulcra uniquely targets chronic lower back pain. Our orthotic device is the first of its kind with its innovative ability to stabilize the spine, supporting the wearer during movement without developing dependencies. Heavy lifting and strenuous activities are common
risk factors that increase the development of lower back pain. Therefore, Fulcra鈥檚 orthosis is designed for labor-intensive jobs. It strikes the perfect balance between an ineffective, restrictive corset orthosis and a bulky, expensive exoskeleton.
2nd Place & Audience Favourite
MADAM
Catherine Xu, Karina Carlson, Liv Toft, and Palmyra Mendoza Cabrer (all Bioengineering)
Chlamydia is the most common STI worldwide, affecting 130M new people every year. While easily treated, it is often asymptomatic and spreads easily. MADAM aims to overcome barriers to frequent chlamydia screening through menstrual blood-based chlamydia tests, called MAD pads (Menstrual Analyte Detection pads). These tests would be antibody-based single-use rapid tests that can be done within the privacy of a user鈥檚 home, on their own time. The innovation would not only increase the accessibility of diagnosis for such a personal and widespread issue, but also act as a proof-of-concept for diagnostics using menstrual blood, an under-researched and noninvasive source of blood.
3rd Place
Endocare
Tanjin Sultana and Maria Delgopiatof (both Bioengineering)
Picture this: 176 million women worldwide silently battling endometriosis, a chronic disease often dismissed as menstrual pain. By providing women with an at-home, semi-invasive, and rapid testing process, Endocare is a game-changer in the early detection of this disease. . Endocare aims to facilitate the early detection of endometriosis to push women to get diagnosed and treated during the early stages of the disease. At Endocare, we strive to fill the gap in women鈥檚 healthcare and empower women one signal at a time!
Remaining TechIdea Finalists
AQDrain
Mark Tchinov, Adi Orlov, David Bettan, and Christopher Coluni (all Bioengineering)
AQDrain is a technologically-based product which serves to improve the lives of people suffering from glaucoma. This disease, currently affecting 80 million people worldwide and only expected to increase, is caused by fluid buildup within the eye. This increased fluid pressure, labeled intraocular pressure (IOP), is correlated with optic nerve damage, which ultimately leads to vision loss. Pressure reduction through eye drops, laser surgery and implants are common treatments. These methods of treating glaucoma lack in their effective regulation of this fluid pressure. Our product is designed to maintain an IOP within an optimal, healthy range. The regulation of IOP plays a vital role in preserving the shape of the eye, and therefore allowing for the proper functioning of the optic nerve and optimal visual acuity.
Clarity
James Darby and Alexander Mackenzie (Software Engineering and Math + Computer Science)
Clarity is a natural language input, user guided, content recommendation system; for more mindful, healthy & productive social media usage. Clarity will leverage semantic content classification and LLM鈥檚 to allow users to specify their conscious social media content experience preferences in natural language. This will redefine recommendation systems from algorithms that maximize user engagement and retention, stealing time and attention, to providing the most valuable content to the user while guarding against addiction and protecting their time.
TechIdea Judges
Stephen Hamelin, President and CEO, Vortex International
Stephen Hamelin graduated from 91社区 with a Bachelor鈥檚 degree in Civil Engineering. In 1995, Mr. Hamelin founded Vortex International, a manufacturer of recreation equipment and amusement attractions. It started with the invention of the Splashpad庐, an innovative aquatic play solution that redefined city park development and revitalized municipal swimming pools. Today, Vortex鈥檚 product line extends to include sustainable water management solutions and water-based attractions for the amusement and leisure markets. Vortex is headquartered in Montreal and has satellite operations in the United States and Europe. The Vortex鈥檚 products can be found in city parks, resorts, amusement parks and even cruise ships throughout the globe.
Dr. Christina Katsari, Mitacs Representative at 91社区
Mitacs is a national, not-for-profit organization that has designed and delivered research and training programs in Canada for more than 20 years. Working with over 100 academic institutions, 6,000 companies/ NGOs, hospitals, municipalities and both federal and provincial governments, they build partnerships that support industrial and social innovation in Canada. With her colleagues Noha Gerges (Faculty of Arts, Faculty of Law, Desautels Faculty of Management, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences) and Prisca Bustamante (Faculty of Science, Faculty of Education, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences,Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences), Christina (Faculty of Engineering,Schulich School of Music,Dobson Centre,Engine Centre) represents Mitacs at 91社区. Together, they are the official contacts for 91社区 students and faculty who are interested in Mitacs funding programs. All completed applications are submitted to them, reviewed and then forwarded to the Office of Innovation + Partnerships for final institutional signature and approval. Once the applications are approved, they are officially submitted to Mitacs where they will undergo an external peer review process.
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2023
This year's pitch competition took place on March 23, 2023 during the John D. Thompson Entrepreneurial Development Seminar.
During the event, 6 TechIdea finalists pitched their idea to a panel of judges from the business and technical community. The top 3 pitches won cash prizes of $500, $250 and $100. The audience also got a chance to select their favorite pitch and the winning team received $50!
The competition encourages 91社区 students, working in teams, to propose new technologically-based ideas/solutions in the form of new products, services and/or ventures to solve real world problems.
Winning Teams
1st Place
Flashify
Athavan Thambimuthu (Software Engineering, Undergraduate) and Akash Sasitharan (Pharmacology, Undergraduate)
Flashify aims to increase student productivity and studying habits by automatically generating flashcards for your course content. This state-of-the-art machine learning application utilizes advanced AI algorithms to convert PDF notes into flashcards with unparalleled efficiency and accuracy, leading to better academic performance. The app boasts three main features that set it apart from the competition: bullet point conversion, image generation, and question-answer generation.
2nd Place & Audience Favourite
SOYstainable
Iris Sun (Bioengineering, Undergraduate), Gillian Helliwell (Mechanical Engineering, Undergraduate), Jessica Coulson (Bioengineering, Undergraduate), and Lachlan Holbrook (Mechanical Engineering, Undergraduate)
SOYstainable aims to provide 鈥渟oy-silk鈥�, a high quality and lightweight thermal fabric made from soy whey, a waste by-product of soy and tofu production. Traditional soy proteins are cross-linked using formaldehyde, a carcinogenic, whereas our process uses polycarboxylic acid, a safe and reusable chemical. This solution aims to prevent waste from over-burdening sewer systems while allowing for a circular economy and providing an environmentally sustainable alternative to traditional fashion materials.
3rd Place
AR-X
Toufic Jrab (Bioengineering, Undergraduate) and Serena Elzein (Biology & Computer Science, Undergraduate)
Introducing a new type of visualization technology to medical imaging that can transform an X-Ray scan to a 3D model that can be superimposed on its body part source using augmented reality (AR) technology. The AR-X addresses an unmet need for more evolved technology that can help doctors visualize an injury in real-life on the person鈥檚 original injury in 3D, derived from the X-Ray scan while being user-friendly and integrated into a doctor鈥檚 workflow to improve medical condition diagnoses and treatments
Remaining TechIdea Finalists
Ensemble
Simon Wang (Software Engineering, Undergraduate), Edwin Zhou (Computer Engineering, Undergraduate), and Brandon Wong (Software Engineering, Undergraduate)
Business founders often have great ideas, but many lack the technical expertise to execute them, especially in the early stages of their ideas. While hiring a consultant is a viable solution, the associated cost is often expensive, another possibility is finding a CTO, which will be difficult without traction, and might require a high equity package. Finally, hiring interns, although more affordable, will require technical management to bring value to the idea.
At Ensemble, we bridge the gap between founders and their tech ideas. We translate the business ideas that non-technical founders have into tangible requirements, and connect them to developer teams tailored to their needs through our platform. Instead of the founder going through an entire hiring process, we are their 1-way stop from ideation to realization.
EXPIDER
Longyu Li (Mechanical Engineering, Undergraduate), Oliver Guy (Mechanical Engineering, Undergraduate), Megan Millet (Mathematics, Undergraduate), and William Grant (Mechanical Engineering, Undergraduate)
Expider will be a customizable, multi-terrain, exploration and mapping robot which will use spider-like locomotion to navigate obstacles and climb near-vertical surfaces. Cave and mine shaft exploration can be dangerous involving deadfalls, narrow passages, and collapsing tunnels. Expider鈥檚 objective is to explore these dangerous environments without exposing a human operator to dangerous conditions. By mimicking the motion of the spider, Expider will provide an excellent stability and flexibility.
PowerPledge
Warren Amsellem (Materials Engineering, Undergraduate) and Steven Squire (Materials Engineering, Undergraduate)
Coop EV supercharging network where each charger is a crowdfunded asset
1. Ability to invest on a high return asset (superchargers) and vote on location with your money
2. Ability to use well located and reliable superchargers
TechIdea Judges
Samuel Bruneau, CEO & Co-Founder, Taiga Motors
Shortly after graduating from 91社区鈥檚 Faculty of Engineering in 2015, co-founded with two fellow 91社区 Engineering students, Gabriel Bernatchez and Paul Archard. Combining their passion for electric vehicles developed during their time as leaders of the 91社区 Undergraduate Electric Vehicle Design teams and their love for the great outdoors, Taiga was launched with the mission to electrify powersports with cutting edge technology that delivers performance without compromise. Since then, Taiga has built a team of more than 300 employees and has begun deliveries of the world鈥檚 first production electric snowmobiles and electric personal watercraft.
Felicity Meyer, Analyst, BoxOne Ventures
As a current master鈥檚 student in 91社区's Department of Bioresource Engineering, Felicity quantifies the environmental impact of construction in Montreal to provide actionable support towards sustainable urban development. In addition to her studies, Felicity is part of the investment teams at both Front Row Ventures - Canada's leading student-focused VC firm - and BoxOne Ventures.
Prior to studying at 91社区, Felicity was the first scientific hire at two early-stage startups, as well as Lab Operations Manager at a newly constructed biotech accelerator. Felicity holds a B.S. in Chemistry and B.S. in Physics from Simmons University in beautiful Boston, Massachusetts, US.
Gary Berdowski, Principal, Blue Vision Capital
Gary Berdowski is a Principal at , a Montreal-based VC Climate Tech Seed Stage Fund, with over 4 years of Venture Capital experience. He worked at Cycle Capital, a leading Canadian Cleantech VC firm, for 3 years. Gary also has 7 years of experience in Engineering and Strategic Planning at Velan, an industrial manufacturer. He earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from 91社区 and an MBA from Concordia University's Goodman Institute of Investment Management. He holds a CFA Charter and serves as a member of CFA Montreal's ESG Committee.
2022
This year's pitch competition took place on October 27th, 2022 during the John D. Thompson Entrepreneurial Development Seminar and it had a Cleantech theme.
During the event, 5 Cleantech Idea finalists pitched their idea to a panel of judges from the business and technical community. The top 3 pitches won cash prizes of $500, $250 and $100. The audience also got a chance to select their favorite pitch and the winning team received $50!
The competition encourages 91社区 students, working in teams, to propose new technologically-based ideas/solutions in the form of new products, services and/or ventures to solve real world problems.
Winning Teams
1st Place
Ikei
Gabriele Capilli (Mining and Materials Engineering, Postdoctoral Fellow) and Minh Tran (Electrical and Computer Engineering, PhD candidate)
Ikei aims to provide a low-cost, high-precision nutrient monitoring system for more efficient use of water and nutrients in hydroponic agriculture, and reduction of waste-water release. Typically, after multiple growth cycles, the nutrients in a hydroponic system become imbalanced, forcing growers to flush their system to prepare a new water culture. By monitoring the system鈥檚 nutrient content, nutrient water can be recycled through rebalancing, reducing costs and reducing waste.
2nd Place
Quantus
Kirk H. Bevan (Department of Mining and Materials Engineering), Yee Wei Foong (Department of Mining and Materials Engineering, PhD candidate) and Prof. Philippe Ouzilleau (Department of Mining and Materials Engineering, Postdoctoral Fellow)
The research project is to design an energy storage device via new mechanism that can store as much energy as batteries but charge 2-10 times faster. Supercapacitors store more energy than double layer capacitors through redox reactions. Ideally, these redox reactions should allow multiple Faradaic electron transfers that overlap to form a near rectangular voltammetry profile to mimic double layer capacitance 鈥� hence the name 鈥減seudocapacitance鈥�.
3rd Place & Audience Favourite
GreenTrack
Benjamin P茅rez (Bioengineering, undergrad), Cleo Chuying Cao (Bioengineering, undergrad) and Michael Asseraf (Bioengineering, undergrad)
Quantifying the environmental effects of a company is extremely hard and remains largely an untapped opportunity. Our idea is a non-profit data platform that tracks the environmental impact of products throughout their value chain. The algorithm will track several metrics such as water consumption, carbon emission, land use, plastic usage, electricity, use of non-renewable resources, etc. to output a specific sustainability score range.
Remaining Cleantech Idea Finalists
Bio-HydroReactor
Andres Gonzalez Reina (Bioengineering, undergrad) and Toufic Jrab (Bioengineering, undergrad)
Proposed solution: Mimicking and improving on the current prototype of a double-chamber microbial electrolysis cell system of biohydrogen production. Specifically, this idea of microbial electrolysis cell system will be incorporated into the proposed design project of a bioreactor; the bioreactor takes farm waste as an input toward dark fermentation, a process that yields acetic acid and few molecular hydrogen gas which will be transported to be stored in a compressed gas chamber.
Maneico
Charlotte Volk (Bioengineering, undergrad) and Emma Wong (Bioengineering, undergrad)
Natural, eco-friendly mosquito repellent using mangrove leaf extract that targets disease-carrying mosquitoes in Ghana. Red mangrove extract is repellent and larvicidal against the main disease-carrying mosquitoes present in Ghana, including those that carry yellow fever, malaria, and filarial disease. Research has shown that red mangrove leaf extract is as effective as DEET against mosquitoes and sandflies while being nontoxic and derived from natural ingredients.
Cleantech Idea Judges
Chris Stern, CEO and Co Founder at CarbiCrete
is the CEO and Co-Founder of , a Montreal-based carbon removal technology company that has created a cement-free, carbon negative process for making pre-cast concrete using industrial waste by-products from the steel-making industry. The patented technology stems from 91社区 Civil Engineering Professor Yixin Shao and his post-doc researcher at the time Dr. Mehrdad Mahoutian, CTO and co-founder of CarbiCrete.
The R&D team received early-stage funding via the William and Rhea Seath Award in Engineering Innovation from the 91社区 Engine Centre. In addition to CarbiCrete, Chris serves as an Advisor and Director to several Cleantech companies in the US and Canada, including EnergyPal, a North American residential solar provider.
, Vice President of Business Development at
Theodora is a Chemical Engineer who has led the development and commercialization of a number of waste treatment technologies for over 25 years. She has worked with Terragon for 16 years, initially leading the development of MAGS, a waste to energy appliance and, more recently leading the commercialization of all of Terragon鈥檚 technologies in various markets. Theodora has multiple degrees from 91社区 including a B.Eng, M.Eng and PhD in Chemical Engineering.
Dr. Sylvain Coulombe, registered Engineering Physicist and Professor of Chemical Engineering at 91社区
From 1997 to 2001 he was a Senior Research Scientist with GE Research (USA). From 2018 to 2021 he was Associate Vice-Principal, Innovation and Partnerships with 91社区. He is an expert in plasma source and process development with applications in nanomaterial and nanostructure synthesis, electrical power-to-X, circular fuels and materials, and powder re-processing. He has co-authored more than 300 peer-reviewed publications and conference contributions. He is Director of the 91社区 Centre for Innovation in Storage and Conversion of Energy. He teaches courses in plasma engineering, resource recovery and circular use, transport phenomena, and process instrumentation and control.
2021
The TechIdea pitch competition is part of !
During the event you will get the chance to watch 5 TechIdea finalists pitch their TechIdea to a panel of judges from the business and technical community. The top 3 pitches win cash prizes of $500, $250 and $100. The audience will also get a chance to select their favorite pitch and the winning team receives $50!
Support 91社区 student teams and register for the event!
The competition encourages 91社区 students, working in teams, to propose new technologically-based ideas/solutions in the form of new products, services and/or ventures to solve real world problems.
Winning Teams
1st Place & Audience Favorite
TrustCare
Lulan Shen (Electrical and Computer Eng, PhD candidate) and Ruofeng Li (Electrical and Computer Eng, Master's candidate)
Innovative solution to facilitate the communication between family members and health care facilities.
2nd Place
AvaChat
Mohamed Benkirane (Software Eng, Undergrad) and Yasmine Benkirane (Speech Pathology, Master's candidate)
A new video-chat platform optimized for the needs of low-bandwidth users.
3rd Place
笔猫迟颈别苍肠别
Shirley Huang (Mech.Eng, Undergrad) and Kayla Li (Chem.Eng, Undergrad)
Platform which serves as a smart pet assistant for any pet owner.
Remaining TechIdea Finalists
Innato
Joey Koay (Software Eng, Undergrad) and Maggie Xiong (Biology and Computer Science, Undergrad)
Product aimed at drastically improving the mental health of paralyzed patients by allowing them to interact with others and engage in various activities without moving their body physically using electroencephalography (EEG) and brain-computer interface (BCI).
Smart-Eyeglass
Arun Butte (Electrical and Computer Eng, Master's candidate) and Seyedfakhreddin Nabavi (Electrical and Computer Eng, PhD candidate)
Automatic food intake monitoring.
TechIdea Judges
Mitchell Wasserman, COO of Sportlogiq
Mitchell is an experienced entrepreneurial leader with multiple successes building sustainable technology-based businesses, driving high recurring revenue streams and strong customer retention rates. He focuses on developing a corporate culture of excellence, teamwork, transparency, continuous improvement and commitment to driving high-margin growth. He obtained his bachelor鈥檚 in software engineering and his graduate diploma in public accountancy from 91社区.
Ruchy Khurana, Business Coach at YES
At , Ruchy works with entrepreneurs at all stages of the business life cycle, helping them tackle issues such as cash flow management, marketing, expansion pains and so on. As an entrepreneur herself, Ruchy recognizes that launching a venture can be both rewarding and challenging at the same time, and she aims to find ways to create a community of support for individuals looking to start or scale a business.
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Bruce Tracy, Physics Teacher at John Abbott College
Bruce is a graduate of 91社区 Engineering (B. Eng, Mech, 1991; M. Eng, Aerospace 1993) and was president of the EUS in 1990 - 1991. During his time at 91社区, he was very active in EUS activities, including founding REACH, the summer science and engineering camp as well as founding The Pipeline. (An early picture of Bruce is posted on the walls of the EUS office.) After graduating, he spent a few months at Paramax working on the doomed EH101 helicopter contract that was canceled by the federal government. Bruce continued his career with a small software company, Maya, doing computational fluid dynamics and heat transfer analysis for companies all over the world. Bruce shifted his career into teaching, first in England and now at John Abbott College in the Physics Department. Bruce is also the program coordinator for the STEAM-based Arts & Sciences Program.
2020
5 TechIdea finalists will pitch their ideas during the seminar. Each team will have 5 minutes to present their idea or solution in an "elevator pitch" format to a panel of judges from the business and technical community. This will challenge students to present themselves, and their idea, in a concise and convincing way. Judges will have 2 minutes to ask questions and give feedback. The top 3 pitches will win cash prizes of $500, $250 and $100.
Pitch winners were selected by a team of three judges based on:
- Degree of innovation, feasibility, competitive advantage of solution
- Degree of economic and/or social impact
- Effectiveness and enthusiasm of pitch
- Answers to questions from the panelists and the audience
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Winning Teams
1st Place - $500 Prize
STAMP
Natasha Jacobson (Mech.Eng, PhD candidate), Trevor Cotter (Mech.Eng., PhD Candidate)
Soft Tissue Active Mechanical Properties device.
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2nd Place - $250 Prize
Artizanko
Aissam Souidi (Chem.Eng., undergrad), Maria Sarah (Economics), Ivana Wang (South American Studies)
Zero waste packaging solutions for artisans & producers.
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3rd Place - $100 Prize
PrimeAID
Alexander Gruenwald (Software Eng., undergrad), Rahul Atmanathan (Mech.Eng., undergrad), Rahul Behal (Chem.Eng., undegrad), Kaustav Das Sharma (Computer Eng., undergrad)
SaaS for emergency rooms
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Audience Favorite - $50 Prize
Artizanko
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Remaining TechIdea Finalists
AngleSmart
Shlesha Van (Mech.Eng, undergrad), Dian Basit (Elec. Eng., undergrad), Ben Mwaniki (Chem. Eng., undergrad)
New electric toothbrush
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Piriko
Leander Zemke, Dylan Sandfelder (Comp.Sci., undergrad), Yunxi Chen (Comp.Sci., undergrad),Shiqiao Zhu (Comp.Sci., undergrad), Jonatiel Chirwa (Comp.Sci., undergrad), Siqi Wu (Civil Eng., undergrad)
Enabling students to better interact with their university campus
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2019
5 TechIdea finalists will pitch their ideas during the seminar. Each team will have 5 minutes to present their idea or solution in an "elevator pitch" format to a panel of judges from the business and technical community. This will challenge students to present themselves, and their idea, in a concise and convincing way. Judges will have 2 minutes to ask questions and give feedback. The top 3 pitches will win cash prizes of $500, $250 and $100.
Pitch winners were selected by a team of three judges based on:
- Degree of innovation, feasibility, competitive advantage of solution
- Degree of economic and/or social impact
- Effectiveness and enthusiasm of pitch
- Answers to questions from the panelists and the audience
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Congratulations to the Winners!
1st Place - $500 Prize
Dyslexia Reader app
Emily Chen (Computer Science), Monami Waki (Geography), Matthias Arabian (ECSE), Diana Nigmatullina (Architecture), all undergrads
Dyslexia Reader aims to develop a phone app that will help dyslexia sufferers to read by using a specially adapted font set to help them overcome their difficulties at identifying written text.
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2nd Place - $250 Prize
Telesphorus -brain age prediction system
Alba Xifra-Porxas (Bioengineering, PhD), Arna Ghosh (Neuroscience, Master's)
By combining non-invasive brain scan technology such as MRI with Deep Learning technology, Telesphorus will measure brain age and compare this against biological age, to provide an early marker for potential neurological issues, before any cognitive symptoms have been detected.
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3rd Place (Tied) $100 Prize
Sherpa-Personalized travel itinerary builder
Afreen Aliya (Electrical, Computer and Software Eng.-ECSE undergrad)
Sherpa offers travelers a customized vacation itinerary developed using AI techniques. 鈥淭ravel your way, now.
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3rd Place (Tied) $100 Prize
HaloGuard: medical headband device designed for athletes
David Peinturier (Management), Nathan Lafrance-Berger (ECSE), Raphaella Moock (Management), Joseph Kinning (Management), all undergrads
HaloGuard is targeting the collegiate sports market with a headband that would help prevent through early detection the three main causes of death and disability that occur during the practice of amateur and professional sports: heat illness, concussion and sudden cardiac arrest. The lightweight system would be paired with an app that would give coaches the real-time ability to monitor athletes and pull them out of dangerous situations before they arise.
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Audience Favorite - $50 Prize
