U of T Entrepreneurship Week 2024: 10 startups to watch
Preventing nerve damage caused by chemotherapy. Using artificial intelligence to help people who are Deaf communicate with machines through sign language. Accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles in urban communities.
These are some of the innovations being advanced by members of the University of Toronto’s thriving entrepreneurship community.
Ranked among the top five university business incubators in the world, U of T Entrepreneurship is preparing to celebrate these and other startups during the eighth annual Entrepreneurship Week from March 4 to 7. The week-long celebration includes more than 15 events, including pitch competitions, startup showcases, workshops and more.
Here are 10 exciting U of T-affiliated startups to keep an eye on in 2024:
HDAX Therapeutics
Chemotherapy kills cancer cells, but it can also cause irreversible nerve damage that results in pain, loss of sensation and even paralysis. HDAX Therapeutics, co-founded by alumnae Pimyupa Manaswiyoungkul and Nabanita Nawar, is looking to tackle the problem with a preventative drug that has delivered promising results in pre-clinical studies.
Waabi
Waabi is a self-driving technology startup founded by Raquel Urtasun, a professor of computer science in U of T’s Faculty of Arts & Science and co-founder of the Vector Institute who headlined the Desjardins Speaker Series at last year’s Entrepreneurship Week. Her company operates at the intersection of autonomous driving, AI and commercial transportation. In September, it announced a 10-year strategic partnership with Uber Freight to accelerate the adoption of autonomous technologies in the trucking industry.
Kiwi Charge
Kiwi Charge is looking to boost the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) via a charging-as-a-service model that caters to people living in apartments and condos. Founded by Abdel Ali, Kiwi Charge helps building owners offer EV charging amenities while avoiding hefty infrastructure costs, allowing tenants to enjoy a hassle-free charging experience. The startup was part of the 2023 cohort of the Nobellum Innovator Program, which provides support and capital to Black founders. Kiwi Charge will be at the True Blue Expo on March 7.
BlueDot
BlueDot is using AI to detect infectious disease outbreaks, carry out risk assessment and provide actionable insights to clients in public health, the pharmaceuticals and life sciences industries and global companies more generally. The company was founded by Kamran Khan, a scientist at Unity Health Toronto and professor in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and the Dalla Lana School of Public Health. Khan is scheduled to speak at Entrepreneurship Week, where he will take part in a panel discussion about mental health and wellness for startup founders.
Deaf AI
Deaf AI is using AI to train machines in sign language to improve human-machine communication for people who are Deaf or have hearing impairments. The company made an impression at the Desjardins Startup Prize Pitch Competition at Entrepreneurship Week 2023, winning first-place in the late-stage category as well as the Dongjun Wang Family True Blue Prize (People’s Choice Award). It was co-founded by Azadeh Bojmehrani, who earned a master of health science degree in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine’s translational research program (which is hosting a networking lunch event for health-care innovators and entrepreneurs on March 8 to cap off this year’s Entrepreneurship Week action).
Transcrypts
TransCrypts, too, has enjoyed success at U of T Entrepreneurship pitch competitions, taking home the second-place prize in the later-stage category for the UTE Startup Prize during Entrepreneurship Week 2022. Co-founded by Ali Zaheer and Zain Zaidi, the company aims to enhance digital privacy and security by automating document verification – ultimately giving users ownership and access to their own data. The pair have participated in the Y-Combinator accelerator in Silicon Valley and raised more than $3-million in funding from investors that include Mark Cuban, owner of the NBA Dallas Mavericks and a “shark” on Shark Tank.
Genecis
Genecis is a climate-focused biotech startup that converts organic waste into sustainable and biodegradable plastics. Founded by CEO Luna Yu, who earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from U of T in only four years, Genecis aims to provide plastic manufacturers with competitively priced bio-plastics, while helping waste management companies save on their organic material disposal costs. Since competing in U of T pitch competitions back in 2017, Genecis has raised more than $22 million.
Reeddi
Founded by U of T Engineering alumnus Olugbenga Olubanjo, Reeddi is bringing affordable and clean electricity to under-resourced communities by renting out solar-powered energy capsules that can power household devices and appliances. Currently based in Nigeria, Reeddi aims to eventually expand its presence to other countries in Africa and beyond. The company was a finalist in Prince William’s Earthshot Prize, which recognizes efforts to tackle environmental problems.
Erthos
Co-founded by alumnae Nuha Siddiqui and Kritika Tyagi, Erthos is helping tackle the global plastic pollution crisis with its novel plant-based resin, which serves as a sustainable alternative to single-use plastics. After starting with a focus on packing peanuts, Erthos has expanded its offerings to include cutlery, clothes hangers and packaging for consumer products, among others. In September, the company announced $6.5 million in Series A funding.
Ardra Bio
Co-founded by alumnus Pratish Gawand and Radhakrishnan Mahadevan, a professor of chemical engineering and applied chemistry in U of T’s Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, Ardra Bio is developing technologies to produce sustainable biochemicals and novel food products including heme, a plant-based product that matches the flavour, colour and iron nutrients of meat, and leaf-aldehyde, which is used as a flavouring ingredient for foods and beverages and as an ingredient in the fragrance industry.