Entrepreneurship news

Over the past two decades, U of T Engineering has spun out more than 100 new companies. Programs such as our Entrepreneurship Hatchery, our Engineering Business minor and our Troost Institute for Leadership Education in Engineering (Troost ILEAD) provide rich opportunities to commercialize research and grow startups into thriving businesses.

Helander

Two Engineering startups at U of T’s Creative Destruction Lab

With the latest LED technology, tomorrow’s televisions and smartphones are set to be thinner and more flexible than ever. And now, thanks to a startup from U of T Engineering alumni, they could be more affordable as well. OTI Lumionics is one of 11 startups – two of which hail from Engineering – that recently […]

nano

The world’s most energy efficient light bulb now dims without a dimmer

What if you could dim the lights across your entire house without having to buy dimming switches – and save the environment too? Thanks to the latest invention from Nanoleaf, a startup from U of T Engineering alumni, you soon can. Nanoleaf, creators of the world’s most efficient light bulb, has released a new dimmable […]

Jonathan Yam

FIXO app brings tenants and property managers together

Plugged drains, cold showers and other joys of urban dwelling are a constant frustration for rental tenants who rely on property managers to resolve their home issues. And the broken telephone goes both ways: superintendents and property managers, too, face a tall task when they need to communicate a message to dozens—or hundreds—of apartment-dwellers. An […]

Jonathan Rose

Entrepreneurs are no accident: Perspectives from two U of T Engineering professors

Whether it’s turning canola oil into diesel fuel or a wristband that unlocks your smartphone with your heartbeat, the source of a truly transformational idea can often seem mysterious or coincidental. Do they come from mentorship and training? Timely investment? A specially designed space? Or, the right mix of diverse people working together? To engineering […]

Joseph Orozco with Hatchery students

Entrepreneurship Hatchery kicks off with record-breaking year

When U of T Engineering first opened the Entrepreneurship Hatchery two years ago, executive director Joseph Orozco had an ambitious goal: 20 student teams annually by the program’s fourth year. Now, a year ahead of schedule, the early-stage ideas factory has sailed past expectations – unveiling 37 groups at a recent Hatchery Kick Start event […]

pregnant woman

U of T engineers use “Sperm Olympics” to help couples get pregnant faster

In vitro fertility treatments can be intensely emotional and medically invasive, not to mention expensive. But technical developments from a research group at the University of Toronto may soon be able to shorten the journey to pregnancy – and that potential has piqued interest from international investors. The research group, QSperm, is looking to turn […]

Rendering of the CEIE building next to Convocation Hall

A glimpse into collaborative learning at the CEIE

In an early morning tutorial, students are racing to complete a daily challenge. But instead of working alone in a computer lab or in extended rows of lecture seating, they’re collaborating at six small tables, surrounded by the latest learning technology. Welcome to a Technology-Enhanced Active Learning (TEAL) room – one of several new hands-on […]

Amin Heidari

Ten innovative apps compete for Top App title and $1,000 grand prize

Today it’s mostly our smartphones and tablets that are touch sensitive, but soon it could be our desks, car dashes or even our kitchen counters. That’s the technology behind XTouch, a new app from U of T Engineering students. “XTouch extends the tactile environment beyond the surface of that mobile device,” said app developer Amin […]

Nanoleaf

“Asia’s richest philanthropist,” major Silicon Valley firm invest in engineering alumni’s Nanoleaf light bulb

Just a year after launching a Kickstarter campaign resulting in more than $200,000 in investments, alumni startup Nanoleaf has banked support from Hong Kong business mogul and philanthropist Li Ka Shing (dubbed “Asia’s richest man” by Bloomberg News) and Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins. Nanoleaf was profiled by U of T News last […]