Startup Canada has announced the 2022 winners of its Startup Global Pitch Competition Grand Finale. Its flagship program, Startup Global – of which the Startup Global Pitch Competition is a core pillar – connects a pan-Canadian cohort of early stage entrepreneurs who want to grow their operations across borders to new international markets.
Calgary-based startup RetinaLogik was the first place winner, and took home C$30,000. PragmaClin took second place along with C$15,000 and third place went to Arbre, along with C$10,000. Alongside monetary prizes, these ventures will also receive in-kind support from Startup Global’s partnership network.
About the winners:
RetinaLogik
RetinaLogik is a Calgary-based vision screening health-tech startup. The team is on a mission to unlock access to proactive vision screening for everyone with their eye exam technology. RetinaLogik is co-founded by Julia St. Amand and Abdullah Sarhan,
“This win means so much to us. Especially being a startup in Canada, there are so many great resources we can pair this with. We plan on using the prize money to implement a quality management system as well as to get our security compliance as we handle health data,” said St. Amand. “Through the Startup Global program and the 2022 cohort specifically, I feel a little bit less lonely as an entrepreneur. Making these connections has been my favourite part of the program.”
PramaClinis
PragmaClinis, a Newfoundland-based company, is changing the way neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s are managed. Founded by Bronwyn Bridges, the team has developed a flagship software solution – PRIMS – that can monitor, analyze, and rate the severity of a full range of symptoms.
“PragmaClin is so grateful to have been one of the winners of Startup Global’s Pitch Competition! This prize will allow us to leverage more funding to complete validation work and regulatory compliance,” said Bridges. “The community at Startup Canada is incredibly supportive and the opportunities for starting a business here in Canada are endless!”
Arbre
Toronto-based Arbre, co-founded by Stephanie Tien, is reimagining the beauty and wellness space with products such as dry shampoo with SPF for your scalp.
“Startup Global was such a great experience to be able to meet other amazing entrepreneurs, and get access to many resources that will be helpful for our company,” said Stephanie Tien, co-founder of Arbre. “We are so grateful to have won third place and thank you to Startup Canada for organizing the event!”
The other Startup Global 2022 finalists included:
- Nancy Wingham, Nuez Acres – Langley, British Columbia.
- Joey Hébert, MOS – Quebec City, Quebec.
- Jessica Yang, Tochtech Technologies Ltd. – Vancouver, British Columbia.
- Allex Laurin, Cheelcare – Midland, Ontario.
- Sang Le, Peko Produce – Vancouver, British Columbia.
- Edouard Romeus, Buyer Folio Inc. – Montreal, Quebec.
- Annika Mang, Trail Collective – Regina, Saskatchewan.
- Michael W. Palmer, Solve Strips – Calgary, Alberta.
“Today at Startup Canada’s first in-person pitch competition since the onset of the pandemic, we all witnessed the inspiring tenacity, innovation and passion present throughout Canada’s startup community,” said Kayla Isabelle, chief executive officer at Startup Canada. “…These ventures are the epitome of the thoughtful innovation and incredible ingenuity that Canadian businesses are known for on the global stage.”