Our undergraduate; graduate; alumni students and their ventures take centre stage this competition season. Here is a brief summary of some of their outstanding accomplishments this term.
Concept $5K
Cove
Cove is building a platform that provides healthcare providers and their patients with digital suicide intervention tools they can use to improve mental healthcare outcomes related to suicide.
The founder of Cove is Hanna Kyowski, a Waterloo Systems Design Engineering alumna and current full-time Master of Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology (MBET) student.
Cove won the hearts of the virtual audience and was selected as Fall 2020 Concept 5k People's Champ, winning $500 in grant funding.
Miss Mechanic
Miss Mechanic is an on-call automotive service support system provided by women, for women, to make informed decisions in a traditionally male-dominated industry.
Stefanie Bruinsma is the founder of Miss Mechanic and is supported by team member Mike Cassell. She is a Waterloo Mechanical Engineering alumna, current both Stefanie and Mike are part-time MBET students.
Congratulations to Miss Mechanic winning the Concept 5K!
XP Fantasy
XP Fantasy is an esports community platform where users can use their knowledge, experience and passion for various esports to compete in daily fantasy contests to win tangible prizes.
Co-founders of XP Fantasy include Justin Wong current Waterloo Global Business & Digital Arts (GBDA) and Conrad School (E Co-op, BET 300, BET 320) student and Arjun Bhushan Waterloo Engineering (Software) student.
Congratulations to XP Fantasy for winning the Concept 5K!
Citrus Life Science
Citrus Life Science is developing a biosensor discovery platform to rapidly prototype and develop point-of-care diagnostic tests.
Co-founders Kiran Edwardson and Liam Croteau are both Waterloo Engineering (Nanotechnology) as well as Conrad School students (BET 300).
Algobio
AlgoBio is creating a non-toxic bio-based flame retardant that keeps children safe from the fast spread of fire in cars and preserves their long-term health.
Co-founders Elias Trouyet and Anneke van Heuven are senior, Waterloo Engineering (Nanotechnology) undergraduate and Conrad School students (BET 300).
Decomp
Decomp is building an organic plastic waste disposal solution that utilizes bioreactor technology to create and maintain the optimal growing conditions for plastic degrading microbes to facilitate the degradation of plastics.
Gabriel Saunders co-founded Decomp. He is a Waterloo Arts alumnus with a Minor in Entrepreneurship from the Conrad School. Gabriel is also a recent graduate of the full-time MBET program.
Learn more about these ventures in the Meet the Fall 2020 Concept 5K Winners article.
Problem Pitch
EMRE is developing healthcare systems that support refugees and displaced people have not advanced in decades, making it nearly impossible to prevent and control disease outbreaks.
Sportsnet Hockey Hack: Powered by Rogers 5G
We are thrilled to see two Conrad School students on two of the winning teams. Congratulations Tamania Majeed (a BET 320 student) and Karthik Prasana (Part-time MBET student)!
Dragon’s Den
This term, another Conrad School student entered the Dragon’s Den. Enterprise Co-op (E Co-op) alumnus Sam Dugan and current Waterloo Engineering, Mechanical & Mechatronics student recently pitched his venture, SmartPatrol on the popular show.
“I always secretly hoped I would be on the show one day, so it was surreal to be there in person,” he says of the taping in early September. “I mean, don’t we all, or was that just me?” - Sam Dugan (source: Waterloo Stories).
Sam negotiated a preliminary deal for a $250,000 investment by two of the dragons, Lane Merrifield and Michelle Romanow, in exchange for a 30-per-cent stake in his company negotiated a preliminary deal for a $250,000 investment by two of the dragons, Lane Merrifield and Michelle Romanow, in exchange for a 30-per-cent stake in his company. Nice work Sam, congratulations!
Velocity Fund Finals
Les Innovateurs Entrepreneur of the Year
The FCCC-O is a non-profit organization under the aegis of Chambre de Commerce et d'industrie (CCI) France International. FCCC-O has been established with a vision to enhance the ability of its members to make a significant contribution to the economic, cultural and social fabric of France and Canada.
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Business Competition
The NINJA Business Competition, Nigeria a collaborative venture competition supported by several organizations including the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
Janét Aizenstros Entrepreneurial Award
Aileen Agada is a Conrad School, Enterprise Co-op (E Co-op) student and an increasingly familiar face in the Waterloo entrepreneurial ecosystem. For her venture, BeBlended Inc., and her accomplishments as an entrepreneur, Aileen is the first recipient of this new undergraduate award.
The Janét Aizenstros Entrepreneurial Award is designated for female entrepreneurs in the Faculty of Engineering and is awarded during Women Entrepreneurship Week (WEW). The award is generously supported by the illustrious Janét Aizenstros, Waterloo alumni, serial entrepreneur and angel investor.
Congratulations to all our students, current and former, who competed this term. You are all an inspiration and we are #WaterlooProud to have been a part of your journey.