Announcing the 2021 RBC Prize for Innovation & Entrepreneurship winners
Ten cutting-edge University of Toronto student startup teams competed in the RBC Prize for Innovation & Entrepreneurship – our largest pitch competition of the year as part of U of T Entrepreneurship Week. The annual RBC Prize offers $50,000+ in prizes to recognize, reward, and accelerate U of T’s most innovative startups.
The U of T startup teams had only three minutes to speed-pitch their business ideas to a panel of judges including Steph Morgan (RBC), Jeannette Wiltse (Relay Ventures), Nuha Siddiqui (erthos) and Jason Baibokas (KASCorp). Thanks to our judges for joining us to celebrate entrepreneurial excellence at U of T.
We’re excited to announce the winners!
1st Prize Early Stage Competition – $10,000
NerveX Neurotechnologies is developing ANIMO, the Adaptive Neural Implant for Modulation and Observation of the nervous system’s communication superhighway: the vagus nerve (or cranial nerve X). ANIMO will first be deployed in the veterinary market to treat canine epilepsy which affects ~7.5M pet dogs in North America alone. Learn more.
2nd Prize Early Stage Competition – $5,000
Elaya is a medical device-based solution that delivers neuromuscular electrical stimulation in the hospital ICU. Elaya will solve the challenges of stimulation pad application and will scale therapist resources to deliver therapy to multiple patients to combat ICU-Acquired Weakness.
Dongjun Wang Family True Blue Prize (People’s Choice) Early Stage Competition – $4,000
Fyyne is a mobile-first platform that allows hair artists to run their businesses more effectively and efficiently using their proprietary technology to connect relevant artists with customers and simplify the entire booking process from discovery to payment. Learn more.
1st Prize Later Stage Competition – $25,000
ALT TEX is a Toronto-based biomaterials startup, creating biodegradable and carbon-neutral textiles re-engineered from food waste. ALT TEX’s highly scalable solution offers polyester-like performance, enabling brands to offer sustainable solutions without sacrificing quality. Learn more.
2nd Prize Later Stage Competition – $10,000
Revolve Surgical is developing a new type of surgical robotics for minimally invasive procedures that is an order of magnitude cheaper and smaller than existing systems. Revolve’s mission is to bring the benefits of surgical robotics to patients globally. Learn more.
Dongjun Wang Family True Blue Prize (People’s Choice) Later Stage Competition – $4,000
ALT TEX was also awarded the Dongjun Wang Family True Blue Prize (People’s Choice).
Learn more about the RBC Prize for Innovation & Entrepreneurship.