Eleven professors from the faculties of Engineering, Science and Health Sciences pitched their innovative startup companies for a chance to earn McMaster’s Professor Entrepreneur Fellowship.
The first program of its kind at McMaster, the Professor Entrepreneur Fellowship releases full-time faculty from teaching one course for one year, giving them more time to focus on their entrepreneurial ventures.
Applicants competed in a pitch-style competition at the Forge, where they shared their groundbreaking inventions, including ultra-fast chargers for electric vehicles; cell-based drug delivery methods; medical support technologies for astronauts; and affordable net-zero housing systems.
The competition was an impressive display of McMaster’s entrepreneurial talent, says Leyla Soleymani, associate vice-president, Research (Commercialization & Entrepreneurship).
“McMaster professors are not only incredible researchers, they’re also innovators and entrepreneurial leaders in their fields – generating new technologies and services that tackle our most pressing health, environmental and social challenges,” Soleymani says.
“We thank everyone who applied for the fellowship and look forward to rewarding the successful candidates with the time and resources they need to advance their innovations and grow their companies.”
Catherine Demers, professor of Medicine and founder and CEO of CorLibra, shares the company’s health monitoring technology which enables seniors to manage their heart failure conditions safely from their homes.
The Professor Entrepreneur Fellowship is one of several programs offered through the McMaster Entrepreneurship Academy. It enables faculty entrepreneurs to dedicate more time to fundraising, team building and prototype development for their ventures.
It also gives fellows access to entrepreneurship programming, mentorship and business development support to help them take their discoveries from the lab to the market.
Suleiman Igdoura, professor of Biology, pitches his startup Lysogenix Therapeutics Inc., which is advancing therapeutic drug development to combat Lysosomal Storage Diseases (LSDs).
Professor of civil engineering, Wael El-Dakhakhni, showcases his venture, which focuses on developing affordable rapid-construction net zero housing systems.
A selection committee evaluated each pitch and will decide the three winners based on their inventions’ potential for commercialization and the impact the fellowship will have on the success of their venture.
The fellows will be announced at the Made at Mac: Celebrating Entrepreneurship Event on March 27, where staff, faculty and students will have the chance to connect with McMaster founders and learn more about the university’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.