Wednesday, July 22, 2026

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• From research discovery to real-world impact
• Freshwater virus challenges biology’s rules
• Float raises $85-million Series C to build Canada's intelligent financial operating system

From research discovery to real-world impact

By Tori Coles. A message from Conrad School of Entrepreneurship and Business.

The Conrad School of Entrepreneurship and Business recently celebrated the inaugural Pitch Day for its new Academy of Research Commercialization (ARC), where University of Waterloo PhD researchers showcased innovative ventures with the potential to create real-world impact. 

Pitch Day marked the culmination of the inaugural ARC program, with participants presenting commercialization-ready solutions spanning advanced materials, artificial intelligence, robotics, healthcare, sustainable technologies and advanced manufacturing.  

Congratulations to this year's winning ventures from the faculties of Engineering and Mathematics, whose ideas demonstrated the breadth and strength of Waterloo's innovation ecosystem! 

Generously funded by the Norman Esch Foundation, ARC provides PhD researchers with commercialization education, mentorship, intellectual property guidance and venture support to help translate deep-tech research into successful ventures.  

As Dean Mary Wells notes: "Programs like ARC reflect what makes Waterloo Engineering special. We work hard to create the conditions that allow students to do exceptional things: conduct world-class research, collaborate across disciplines, engage with industry, own their own IP, and develop the entrepreneurial skills needed to bring ideas from the laboratory into the marketplace." 

Read more about the ARC program, the inaugural Pitch Day and this year's winning ventures on the Conrad School website. 

Freshwater virus challenges biology’s rules

This is an excerpt of an article that was originally published on the Water Institute's website.

A virus that infects harmful freshwater cyanobacteria is challenging one of biology’s most fundamental assumptions about the difference between viruses and living cells.

Published in The ISME Journal, new research reveals that the jumbo cyanophage PhiMa05 carries the largest set of ribosomal protein genes ever found in a virus. The discovery is prompting scientists to rethink how viruses evolve and where the line between viral and cellular life truly lies.

For decades, scientists believed viruses and cells were completely different, with ribosomal genes serving as one of the clearest dividing lines. Ribosomes are the cell’s protein-making machinery, responsible for translating genetic instructions into the proteins needed for life.

Until recently, no viruses were known to carry genes for ribosomal proteins. That assumption began to erode as a small number of viruses were found with one to three such genes. PhiMa05 now pushes that boundary even further.

The study, co-authored by Isaac Meza-Padilla and Water Institute members Dr. Jozef Nissimov and Dr. Kirsten Müller, shows that PhiMa05 carries six ribosomal protein genes and two additional genes involved in ribosome formation. It is the first cyanophage known to encode ribosomal proteins and the most complete set identified in any virus to date.

"Our study re-emphasizes the fact that viruses are so much more than just mediators of disease," says Nissimov.

"In our field of research, for years the giant viruses that infect eukaryotes like amoeba and algae were the ones catching most of the spotlight. Today we see that viruses of bacteria, and specifically those that infect toxic species, are as fascinating. Given that cyanobacteria were crucial for oxygenising Earth, viruses, such as the ones we report here, and we study in our lab, likely played very important roles in shaping life, the result of which is what we see today."

While analysing genomes of viruses that infect cyanobacteria, also known as cyanophages, the researchers also found evidence that PhiMa05 may have transferred some of its ribosomal genes into a group of non-photosynthetic cyanobacteria.

In some cases, these viral-origin genes appear to be the only remaining copies in host genomes, suggesting that certain organisms may now rely on genetic material first acquired from a virus to produce proteins and sustain essential biological functions.

These findings indicate that viruses may play a far greater role in shaping cellular evolution than previously understood, not only carrying genes once thought exclusive to cells, but potentially embedding them into the long-term biology of their hosts.

Read the full story on the Water Institute's website.

Float raises $85-million Series C to build Canada's intelligent financial operating system

Float co-founders Griffin Keglevich, Ruslan Nikolaev, and Rob Khazzam.

This article was originally published on Velocity's website.

Canadian businesses have long had to make do with financial tools built for other markets, fragmented, misaligned, and slow to adapt to how Canadian companies actually operate.

Float Financial is building the alternative: a single platform for corporate cards, business accounts, bill pay, expense management, and cross-border payments, all purpose-built for Canada's regulatory and bilingual requirements.

Since its Series B, Float has doubled its active customer base to more than 7,500 Canadian businesses, grown revenue over 120%, and was named the fastest-growing fintech in Canada on the Globe and Mail's Top Growing Companies list.

Float has closed a CAD $85M all-equity Series C led by Inovia Capital, with continued participation from Goldman Sachs Alternatives and Garage Capital, and new investment from BDC Capital and Northleaf. The round raises Float's valuation by 70%. Capital will go toward advancing Float Intelligence, the company's proprietary AI layer, and expanding across Western Canada and Quebec.

‍Read the full press release from Float.