The University of Waterloo is well represented in the most recent cohort of companies accepted into the Y Combinator (YC), one of the biggest and most prestigious startup accelerators in the world.
Velocity startup Setori, developed an artificial intelligence companion to improve Gen Z’s focus and guard against procrastination and raised $1 million USD in pre-seed funding.
Setori is co-founded by two University of Waterloo engineering alum Logan Jeya (BASc ’14) and Marc Simard (BASc ’14) and solely staffed with Waterloo co-ops and graduates.
Following a successful first test of 200 users across five countries in North America, Europe and Asia, the startup is launching a beta test of its browser extension, Tori.
Simon Chan (BA ’98) spent years as a financial executive helping people plan and save enough to retire comfortably. But his exploration of the non-financial aspects of retirement revealed a gap in industry conversations and services, especially when addressing how people are living much longer lives.
“Across sectors, whether you work in government, industry or academia, we need to rethink how we work,” said the University of Waterloo’s Chancellor Dominic Barton in his opening remarks at the Waterloo Innovation Summit on April 25.
The former head of McKinsey & Company elaborated that, “as I get older, I’m convinced that the changes we are seeing in the world today are truly historic.” Barton pointed to the economic power shifts playing out globally, as well as technological transformations and climate change that are fundamentally shaping the way we will live and work.
On April 18, Transformative Quantum Technologies (TQT) awarded six research teams and their design ideas for the Quantum for Environment (Q4Environment) Design Challenge, whose green-tech solutions address global environmental issues. Ideas included using quantum computing to improve medical devices, and sensors that can detect microplastics and toxic nanomaterials in our oceans.
From transforming peacebuilding with technology to developing AI-powered tools for mental well-being and championing inclusivity in STEM, these innovators illuminate new paths to joy.
Velocity, the University of Waterloo's largest entrepreneurship program, has released its first edition of Momentum. The publication showcases strong engagement from entrepreneurially minded students and the achievements of those students and other startup founders.
Laura Zizzo
Co-Founder and CEO, Manifest Climate
Laura Zizzo (BES ’04) is co-founder and CEO of Manifest Climate, which offers a software solution that utilizes artificial intelligence to assist organizations in understanding and preparing for climate-related risks by analyzing their climate strategies and comparing them with publicly available global standards and the practices of their peers.
Melanie Campbell
Professor, Faculty of Science
> Cross-appointed to the School of Optometry and to the Department of System Design Engineering
Tony LaMantia (BA ’87) is the president and CEO of Waterloo EDC (Economic Development Corporation). His impressive 30-year career spans the public sector, IT, mining and investment industries and he attributes his professional trajectory to a transformative experience offered by the University of Waterloo's unique experiential and co-operative education.