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OCI DiscoveryX 2026

DiscoveryX is where ground-breaking ideas meet the resources, partners, and opportunities to become reality.

Each year, this event brings together entrepreneurs, investors, researchers, government, and industry leaders to showcase the power of Ontario innovation.

As a proud partner of OCI DiscoveryX, hosted by Ontario Centre of Innovation (OCI), the University of Toronto will have a considerable footprint featuring talks from our thought leaders and startup founders.

Visit us at the U of T Defy Gravity booth and meet the many U of T Deep Tech startups who are exhibiting in the Investor Zone.

Date
April 29-30, 2026
Where
Enercare Centre 100 Princes’ Blvd, Exhibition Place, Toronto

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U of T Startups

U of T Speaker Schedule

Hear from alumni, faculty and others who are part of U of T’s innovation ecosystem.

Wednesday, april 29

1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
DiscoveryX Theatre		Remarks, Keynote Presentations and Award Presentation
Christian Weedbrook,
Founder, Xanadu Quantum Technologies

Claudia Krywiak,
President & CEO, Ontario Centre of Innovation
2:30 pm – 3:45 pm
Investor Theatre		Where NeXt Showcase Pitch CompetitionPaul Paolatto,
Interim CEO, Intellectual Property Ontario (IPON)
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Spotlight Theatre		Mobilizing Dual Use Potential: Ontario and Canada’s Auto–Defence AdvantageKanwar Johal,
Co-Founder, CSO, Superwake
4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Spotlight Theatre		Applying AI to Real World Cleantech ChallengesChristine Hill,
Resilience Business Unit Director – Water, Arcadis

Diana Virgovicova,
Founder and CEO, Xatoms

Thursday, april 30

9:30 am – 10:00 am
Spotlight Theatre		Beyond the Fab: Where the Next Generation of Chips Are Designed
Danny Christidis,
Senior Director, SoC Architecture

Claudia Krywiak,
President & CEO, Ontario Centre of Innovation
9:30 am – 10:30 am
Investor Theatre		Investing Locally, Scaling Globally: The Role of Angel Investors in Regional InnovationAngelo Del Duca,
Investor, Board Members, Angel Investors Durham
10:30 am – 11:30 am
Spotlight Theatre		Agentic AI in Pharma Manufacturing ExcellenceFatima Khamitova,
Director, Startups and Scaleups, Vector Institute
10:30 am – 11:30 am
Investor Theatre		Capital, Cycles, and AI: Venture Capital Perspectives on the Next Market PhaseUdit Bhatnagar,
Partner, McRock Capital
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
DiscoveryX Theatre		Remarks, Keynote Presentation and Pitch Competitions Award PresentationGeoffrey Hinton,
Professor Emeritus, University of Toronto
2:30 pm – 3:30 pm
Investor Theatre		Building Teams That Scale with OneElevenAnuj Rastog,
Managing Director, Backstretch
2:30 pm – 3:30 pm
Spotlight Theatre		On-Shore Power: Critical Minerals & Critical TechnologyTheresa Quick,
Chief Revenue Officer (CRO), Novamera Inc.
3:30 pm – 4:00 pm
NeXt Theatre		From Dropout to Disruptor: Building a Company Outside the Expected PathClaudia Krywiak,
President & CEO, Ontario Centre of Innovation
3:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Spotlight Theatre		AI Sovereignty and Scale: Canada’s Next Innovation ChallengeCraig Tavares,
President & COO, Buzz HPC

Daniel Wigdor,
Co-Founder & CEO, AXL