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.

Themis team uses AI to create a Microsoft Office add-in that saves hours of time drafting legal papers. The students’ startup pitch took home the grand prize at this year’s Demo Day. (Photo courtesy Themis)

Four emerging startups to watch from Hatchery’s virtual Demo Day 2020

Top student-founded companies took home a total $42,500 in seed funding at this year’s pitch competition

Dubbed the Buddy Badge, the wearable device acts as a transponder, using a system of sensors connected to hand-washing stations, doorways, and critical routes to patient rooms. (Photo by Christine Sandu on Unsplash)

U of T startup’s wearable tech encourages hand hygiene to prevent the spread of COVID-19

As COVID-19 cases increases the workload for health-care professionals, an IBBME researcher has developed Buddy Badge to remind frontline workers throughout the day of opportunities to wash their hands

Honeybee Hub co-founders Weiwei Li (left) and Catherine Chan (right).

New web portal by U of T alumni connects study participants to COVID-19 research

Honeybee Hub, created by graduates from U of T Engineering and U of T Medicine, has more than 770 COVID-19 studies posted on their portal so far

Nanoleaf co-founder and CEO Gimmy Chu (ElecE 0T6) announced last week that the company is shifting its operations to providing masks, goggles and gloves to address shortages in Canadian and U.S. hospitals. (Photo courtesy of Nanoleaf)

Engineering alumni startup Nanoleaf to source more than one million masks amid COVID-19 shortages

Company will retool its operations to source equipment for hospitals in Canada and the U.S.

Isi Caulder (EngSci 8T9, ElecE MASc 9T1, LLB 9T5) addresses the crowd at Hatchery Demo Day 2019. Caulder is a partner at Bereskin & Parr, LLP which this year donated $50,000 to support the Hatchery.

Support from Bereskin & Parr enhances Entrepreneurship Hatchery programs

Donation by IP firm doubled through matching by U of T’s True Blue Fund

MapinHood is a new navigation app designed to take account of issues that affect pedestrians — from sidewalk construction to low-hanging branches — especially those that affect people with low vision. (Image courtesy iMerciv)

This U of T startup aims to make the world more navigable for pedestrians

iMerciv, co-founded by a U of T Engineering alumnus, is building a navigation app that focuses on the needs of people who travel on foot, especially those with low vision

Olugbenga Olubanjo (back row, second from left) poses for a photo with members of the Reeddi team, local community members and his startup's power-providing capsules during an August pilot project in Ayegun, Nigeria (photo courtesy of Olugbenga Olubanjo)

U of T Engineering entrepreneur creates his own job post-graduation: Delivering clean, affordable energy to Nigeria

Olubanjo is set to graduate with a job that he created: CEO of Reeddi, the startup he founded and incubated at the Entrepreneurship Hatchery to bring clean and affordable electricity to energy-starved communities in Nigeria and beyond

Co-founders Weiwei Li (left) and Catherine Chan (right) poses in front of a mural in Toronto depicting participation and volunteerism. Honeybee Hub provides the general public the opportunity to participate and volunteer in research studies to advance knowledge. (Photo: Honeybee Hub, Inc.)

Honeybee Hub has researchers buzzing

Two U of T alumni — one from Engineering, one from Arts & Science — have developed an app to help researchers find study participants faster

demo day header option 3 900x600 Credit Ben Ouyang

Four startups to watch from Hatchery Demo Day 2019

Student teams presented their business models at the Entrepreneurship Hatchery’s annual Demo Day