Canada's Largest Engineering School

A company launched in 2024 by three Waterloo Engineering graduates has secured US $50 million in backing to help drive a move away from residential gas furnaces to its all-electric, smart heat pumps.

Vancouver-based Jetson, which was started by experienced technology entrepreneurs Stephen Lake, Matthew Bailey and Aaron Grant (all BASc ’12, mechatronics engineering), announced the funding infusion this week as it sets its sights on transforming the home heating and cooling industry in North America.

Robotics company 3E8 Robotics designs and builds autonomous indoor delivery robots for condos, hotels and hospitals with deployment slated for early this year.

Co-founded in 2025 by Waterloo Engineering alumni David Feldt (BASc ’24, mechatronics engineering) and Ari Wasch (BASc ’25, computer engineering) with Sajeel Purewal, 3E8 Robotics has developed technology that enables their robots to interact with elevators in the same way humans do — by activating a button.

Researchers at Waterloo Engineering have created a green alternative to absorbent materials now used in personal hygiene products such as diapers, menstrual pads and tampons.

The new, natural hydrogel breaks down harmlessly in soil within three months, unlike existing synthetic materials that are expected to take centuries to degrade and greatly contribute to the waste in landfill sites.