Kitchener-Waterloo, ON – October 30th, 2024 | Today, Startup Canada announced the 2024 winners of the Startup Global Pitch Competition Grand Finale. Amidst the full house crowd of the final Startup Canada Tour stop in Kitchener-Waterloo, Dr. Mallory Flynn, Co-Founder of Insporos was named the first-place winner, taking home $30,000. Azadeh Dastmalchi, Co-Founder and CEO of VitalTracer Ltd. took home the second-place prize, winning $15,000. Athanasios Kritharis, CEO of FIBR.BIO, the third-place winner, collected $7,500. Last but not least, Helen Yin, Founder and CEO of Inoki Bathhouse Inc. was selected as the 2024 People’s Choice Award winner, securing a $2,500 cash prize. Alongside monetary prizes, these ventures will also receive in-kind support from the Startup Global program’s extensive partnership network!
Founded by Dr. Mallory Flynn, Insporos is an intelligent seed-sorting system on a mission to fix inefficiencies and resource waste in greenhouse growth. The system leverages AI and some novel components to look at seeds and uniquely gather data, providing seed insights to find diseased and defective seeds.
Founded by Azadeh Dastmalchi, VitalTracer is on a mission to reduce the risks of cardiovascular diseases through constant monitoring and tracking of vital signs. Their device uses biomedical sensors through the wrist to continuously detect vital signs, such as blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, blood oxygen saturation, and body temperature. They store the results in a secure cloud-based environment, allowing patients to share the data with their doctor or caregiver.
Founded by Anthanasios Kritharis, FIBR.BIO is committed to transforming the $1.7 trillion textile industry through their eco-friendly alternative to spandex, derived from biowaste. Fibr.Bio’s fibre technology is currently under lab development and ensures a production process that’s net-zero waste, carbon-negative, and free from toxic chemicals.
Founded by Helen Yin, Inoki Bathhouse offers spa-grade tea baths that help lower stress levels. Their products are 100% skin-safe, nourishing, and aromatic, with no synthetic chemicals, fragrances, or essential oils.
“Winning the Startup Global Pitch Competition is incredible for us as an early stage company, said Dr. Mallory Flynn, Co-Founder of Insporos.“This money will allow us to grow our team and get our technology into the world so we can maximize our impact! My advice for other entrepreneurs in pitching their businesses is to just get up on stage and have fun. It’s the easiest way to showcase the passion you have. Speak from the heart and the audience will feel that.”
Startup Global – of which the highly anticipated Startup Global Pitch Competition is a core pillar – is a Startup Canada flagship program now in its seventh year. The Startup Global program connects early stage entrepreneurs with global ambitions to a network of international ecosystem partners dedicated to their success. This free, annual flagship program recognizes the importance that exporting plays on the Canadian economy, celebrates those making waves in the global marketplace, and empowers early stage founders to take their businesses to the international stage.
“Today was a clear demonstration of the talent, passion, and commitment that Canadian entrepreneurs have”, said Isabel Nolan, Director of Programs at Startup Canada. “I cannot wait to see how these businesses grow in the coming years and the impact they will create in Canada and beyond”.
The top 10 finalists were selected through a series of in-person qualifying pitch competitions via the Startup Canada Tour. Startup Canada Tour is a 4-stop national event series connecting the Canadian entrepreneurial ecosystem – enabling early stage founders to build their networks, learn from industry experts, and drive their businesses forward. Kicking off in the Spring, the Startup Canada team touched down in Winnipeg and Langley. Tour continued in the Fall with the Moncton stop, and wrapped up in Kitchener-Waterloo – the only hybrid stop – today.
Each stop – in addition to expansive educational and support programming – featured a “Pop-up Pitch” Competition where registrants faced off for $3,000 cash and a guaranteed spot in the Grand Finale. Four finalists were selected during these in-person competitions, while the six remaining slots were determined through a virtual pitch competition that took place in the summer for entrepreneurs that didn’t have access to an in-person regional pitch competition via the Startup Canada Tour. All of the finalists flew to Kitchener-Waterloo via our flight partners at Air Canada to compete in the Grand Finale Pitch Competition today.
Presented by UPS and Export Development Canada, the 2024 Startup Global program celebrated and supported thousands of Canadian entrepreneurs as they navigated international markets through free webinars, industry advisory circles, resource guides, and pitch competitions.