12 Days of Startups
A virtual holiday marketplace like no other! Discover the most giftable items made by U of T startups to add to your holiday wish list.
Whether you’re celebrating Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Christmas or Winter Solstice, we’ve rounded up the most giftable products and services by U of T startups. Follow along on social from December 1-12 for our daily spotlight featuring a U of T startup or browse from our curated list of companies below.
For beauty lovers
Arbre
Arbre is a sustainable sun care brand, on a mission to create innovative and inclusive sun protection products. (In addition to their scalp sunscreen powder, Spruce, they also sell other merch like tote bags and ball caps.)
Co-founded by Kristina Knox & Stephanie Tien
Accelerator affiliation: ICUBE and The Hub @ UTSC
Blair & Jack
Blair + Jack provides clean, cruelty-free, physician-formulated skincare products that help men treat common skincare problems and unlock the power of putting their best faces forward. They simplify the process of getting physician-formulated skincare delivered to your home without a prescription.
Co-founded by Dr. Bimpe Ayeni & Ade Ajayi
Accelerator affiliation: BFN Accelerate
Fyyne
Fyyne is a mobile first platform that allows beauty professionals commercialize their skills, by simplifying the entire booking process from discovery to payment. Their one stop app for beauty services enable artists to provide services and receive payments from existing and new customers.
Co-founded by U of T alum Jeffrey Fasegha
Accelerator affiliation: BFN Accelerate
Natural Organic Matters (NORM)
Made in Canada with nothing but natural ingredients. NORM’s almond balm is handcrafted with natural ingredients making it the perfect go-to product for locking moisture. Their products work great for those with dry or sensitive skin.
Founded by Chevon Riley
Accelerator affiliation: BFN Accelerate and The Hub
Phycus Biotechnologies
Phycus Biotechnologies is bringing natural ingredients to the cosmetic industry.
Most of the ingredients found in cosmetics and personal care products are derived from crude oil. These products often contain residual chemical contaminants like formaldehyde that are harmful for our skin and for the billions of beneficial bacteria that grow on our skin and protect us. Phycus has created the world’s ONLY 100% bio-based Glycolic Acid, which is used exclusively in LASPA’s Glycolic Peel Treatment Kit Glycolic Peel 10% Overnight Treatment Kit – LASPA Naturals Co. Treat your skin to this Canadian-made beauty line.
Founded by Vikram Pandit, Christian Euler & Susan Mey
Accelerator affiliation: UTEST and The Hatchery
For the self-care enthusiast
AstaDaily by Iconthin Biotech Corp
If you spend long hours in front of a computer monitor, then AstaDaily is the perfect supplement for you. Their daily supplement contains astaxanthin, one of the strongest antioxidants found in nature. This powerful ingredient has been shown to support healthy vision and cognitive function, making it an ideal choice for professionals who need to maintain focus and concentration throughout the day. AstaDaily is formulated by algae scientists from the University of Toronto and is the only NAXA-verified made-in-Canada astaxanthin product. It’s also a great gift for parents looking to boost immunity and support overall health. Try AstaDaily today and experience the benefits of this powerful antioxidant for yourself!
Discount for the U of T community as part of our 12 Days of startups campaign: 25% off for all AstaDaily and AstaDermal products by using promo code: UT2022
Founded by Alvin (Xiang) Cheng
Accelerator affiliations: The Hub and The Hatchery
Quintescent
Take your senses across the Indian Ocean region and enhance your mood by purifying your space with Quintescent’s premium essential oil blends.
Co-founded by sisters Noorène and Elya Djaffar
Accelerator affiliation: The BRIDGE
Ruh
Ruh, is an Islamic mindfulness & contemplation app that integrates psychology and Islam, designed to help make mental health support accessible to the 1.8 billion people in the global Muslim community and beyond who are experiencing mental health challenges to live happier & more meaningful lives. Ruh is available to download for free on the Apple Appstore and Google Play Store. In addition, Ruh Care is a global therapist directory of Muslim therapists, aiming to help clients find therapists aligned with their values. Ruh’s vision is to help improve the mental and spiritual well-being of the world.
Founded by Humeyra Nur Celebi & Omar Khan
Accelerator affiliation: Health Innovation Hub (H2i)
Sitti Soap
Sitti is a conscious lifestyle brand committed to the self-reliance of refugee and displaced communities through long-term employment opportunities and skill development training, empowered by an inclusive global economy. They sell an assortment of products and also collaborate with other companies to support women, people with disabilities, and individuals from marginalized backgrounds. They have amazing gift basket bundles!
Founded by Noora Sharrab & Jacqueline Sofia
Accelerator affiliation: ICUBE
For the fitness fanatic
IBUCHI
Looking for the perfect gift for the athlete in your life? Check out IBUCHI. IBUCHI creates activewear inspired by African prints and embodies the African spirit of resilience, strength and beauty.
Founded by Ifeoma Amaechi
Accelerator affiliation: The Hub
Scoops Supplements
Stay fit and healthy for the new year with Scoops Supplements. Scoops allows you to purchase high-quality sports supplements in customizable quantities, so you’ll be able to introduce diversity into your assortment of supplements.
Founded by Josh Bodenstein
Accelerator affiliation: The Hub and The BRIDGE
For expecting parents
PrenaBelt by Shiphrah Biomedical Inc.
Looking for a gift for the pregnant person in your life? Help them sleep safe and sound with the PrenaBelt! The PrenaBelt is a 3-in-1 maternity belt, pregnancy pillow, and thermal pack brought to you by sleep health in pregnancy startup, Shiphrah Biomedical Inc.
Founded by Allan Kember
Accelerator affiliation: Health Innovation Hub (H2i) and UTEST
Koble
Koble is a digital health startup based in Toronto, Canada, dedicated to improving the health and well-being of expectant and new parents.
Founded by Dr. Yolanda Kirkham
Accelerator affiliation: UTEST
Sleepout
For the new parent in your life, or friend who just LOVES sleeping. This is it. Sleepout creates a patented portable blackout curtain that installs anywhere and completely darkens a room for better sleep in seconds. It is also Greenguard® and OEKO-TEX® certified free from harmful chemicals and substances, so families can rest easy.
Co-founded by U of T alumna Hannah Brennan
For the happy home
Just Vertical
Start growing this holiday season with Just Vertical. Their beautifully designed vertical gardens will fit seamlessly into any home. With its indoor vertical garden, Just Vertical empowers you to grow leafy greens, herbs, flowers, and vegetables, year-round in your home.
Founded by Conner Tidd and Kevin Jakiela
Accelerator affiliation: ICUBE and Centre for Entrepreneurship
Nanoleaf
Looking to add a new dimension to your interior decor? Nanoleaf is a technology and IoT company changing the world with the most innovative smart home solutions, taking ordinary experiences and making them extraordinary. By infusing thoughtful design and technological intelligence in their products, Nanoleaf is ushering in a new era of the smart home that centres around complete personalization.
Founded by U of T alumnus Gimmy Chu
For making new memories
Woo Your Boo
An app that bridges the communication gap between couples through love languages that are linked with novel dates and experiences. It makes “working” on your relationship fun, and was established to combat society’s deteriorating level with meaningful and healthy relationships.
Founded by La Vance & Colleen Dotson
Accelerator affiliation: BFN Accelerate
For the online shopper
Divebox
Would you rather shop second-hand and partake in the circular economy? Divebox is a local resale marketplace that offers the convenience of local delivery and in-app payments making it the easiest and safest way to buy & sell secondhand goods.
Founded by Yassine Bensaada
Accelerator affiliation: ICUBE
HeyGenius
HeyGenius is a startup marketplace that creates a non-competitive and unique environment for small and startup businesses to be able to grow and sell their products on a very low commission rate. It provides incubators a platform to not only advertise about themselves, but also help promote their startups by providing Incubator wide giftcards that can be spent on all of their startups.
Founded by Mohammad Tahvili
Accelerator affiliation: ICUBE
Inwit
Inwit allows you to take climate action while enjoying local bites! Inwit is Toronto’s first Zero Waste Food App. It is an innovative solution to single-use waste. A marketplace that encompasses a reusable container borrowing system, rewards system and a food ordering platform, all tracked by NFC technology.
Founded by Erica Reyes
Accelerator affiliation: ICUBE
Sumer
Say hello to your new best friend during the busy holiday season! Sumer provides 15-minute grocery delivery in Toronto. The delivery service app aims for customers to receive fresh groceries at their doorstep within only 15 minutes of them placing an order. This might just be as close as you can get to groceries on-demand!
Founded by U of T Scarborough Management 4th year students Frank Chen and Mohammed Wasif
For Four-Legged Friends
HOPE Pet Food
No holiday shopping list is complete without a treat for your furry friend! HOPE Pet Food is on a mission to use science and kindness to make radically better and sustainable pet food. Their all-women team of scientists and nutrition experts looked high and low for the most nutrient-dense, responsible novel ingredients, and are excited to introduce you to HOPE!
Founded by Sofia Bonilla and Kasey Dunn
Accelerator affiliation: ICUBE
For the Kids
BSGames
Looking for something to do at home in the holidays? Try board games and card games by BSGames! BSGames design games that help develop mental skills as well as social skills.
Founded by Scott Kelly
Accelerator affiliation: ICUBE
Happy holidays from U of T Entrepreneurship!