Waterloo alumni named among Forbes 30 Under 30

See the remarkable achievements of individuals with roots at University of Waterloo recognized on Forbes' 30 Under 30 list.

The annual list highlights young entrepreneurs who are making a difference in their fields. Waterloo-linked founders were named in health care, consumer technology, science, social impact and enterprise technology categories.

Category: Health care

Rui Su (BSc, PharmD ’18) and Nicholas Hui, co-founders, MedMe Health

Founded by Rui Su and Nick Hui out of Velocity, MedMe Health transforms pharmacies into community health hubs through its software, facilitating the management of clinical services such as vaccinations and chronic disease care. The company has served over more than 25 million patients in 4,000 pharmacies in Canada.

Vasu Nadella, CEO and co-founder, Vital Bio

Vasu Nadella, co-founder of Vital Bio, has secured $65 million in funding to develop a compact machine for doctor's offices capable of processing 50 different blood tests quickly. Vital Bio is just one of the more than 400 companies launched at Velocity, Canada’s most successful incubator.

Christine Simone, CEO and co-founder, Caribou

Caribou, a company launched at Velocity, was co-founded by current CEO Christine Simone. Caribou offers specialized software enabling financial advisors to strategically anticipate current and future health care expenses for their clients, utilizing tailored health plans and tax strategies. The startup has secured $3.75 million in funding, and its software is now assisting more than 40,000 clients through financial advisors.

Category: Consumer technology

Peter Gokhshteyn (BASc ’18) and Kevin Michael (BASc ’18), co-founders, Tempo Labs

Toronto-based Tempo Labs, established in May 2023 by co-founders Peter Gokhshteyn and Kevin Michael, simplifies web app development using AI tools for code generation and layout design through text-based prompts. The startup secured $1.2 million in funding from Y Combinator and General Catalyst and was incubated at Velocity.

Category: Science

Tom Storwick (BASc ’19, MASc in progress) and Kelly Zheng (BASc ’19, PhD in progress), co-founders, Coastal Carbon

Coastal Carbon, co-founded by Kelly Zheng and Thomas Storwick out of Velocity, utilizes AI models to assess seaweed growth in specific regions through satellite images, empowering seaweed farmers to claim carbon credits. The company anticipates $2 million in revenue this year.

Category: Social impact

Chee Hau Teoh (MASc ’20), CEO and co-founder, Nfinite Nanotechnology

As a student, Teoh developed nanocoatings that redefine barrier performance, enabling the production of compostable and recyclable packaging at a commercial scale by collaborating with consumer packaged goods companies like PepsiCo. The company was incubated at Velcoity. Teoh envisions broader applications for Nfinite Nanotech's technology, including batteries, solar cells and semiconductors.

Category: Enterprise technology

Simon Suo (BCS ’18), CTO and co-founder, LlamaIndex

Simon Suo co-founded LlamaIndex after stints at Facebook and Uber. An open-source data framework, LlamaIndex streamlines the creation of large language model-based apps. The framework has more than 600,000 monthly downloads, leading to an $8.5 million seed round investment this year.

These accomplished innovators exemplify how the University of Waterloo community is influencing society and bolstering the economy through advancements in technology, sustainability and health — fostering an environment for humanity to flourish.

View the complete Forbes 30 Under 30 list.