The Forge Startup Survivor Pitch Competition

McMaster's top five student startups compete head-to-head for the top spot in The Forge's annual pitch competition!

About this Event

The Forge Business Incubator and McMaster University are proud to present our Annual $85K Pitch Competition: Startup Survivor.

Join the action on November 19 from 5-8pm at McMaster University and watch as our top student entrepreneurs compete for cash in front of a panel of expert judges.

Participate in a fun evening of startup pitches, meet exciting entrepreneurs from McMaster, network with the local innovation community and win audience prizes!

STARTUP SURVIVOR: THE PITCH COMPETITION

Startup Survivor is a 4-month Accelerator and Pitch Competition awarding $85,000 to McMaster University students and alumni with the best business ideas. The program runs annually throughout the Summer Term. We began in May with 10 startups and 27 competitors - Students and Alumni from all levels: Undergraduate, Masters, PhD.

To support the growth of these startups, McMaster and The Forge awarded $55,000 to the 10 teams while mentoring them through intense business and technical challenges. Finalists will deliver a 5-minute pitch to the audience and esteemed judging panel. After deliberations, we’ll crown our winners and award the remaining $30,000 in our prize pool!

LOCATION

The Concert Hall is located on the first floor of L.R. Wilson Hall. When entering campus from the Sterling Street entrance, L.R. Wilson Hall is directly to your left at this intersection. For parking, enter campus through the Sterling Street entrance and turn right at the first opportunity. Keeping in the left lane, follow this road into Parking Lot B. Proceed on foot along the pathway back towards L.R. Wilson Hall. The Concert Hall is located by the south entrance (sliding doors) of the Waller Lobby, L.R.Wilson Hall.

ABOUT THE FORGE:

Welcome to The Forge, McMaster University’s premier startup incubator and entrepreneurship hub. At The Forge, we believe in empowering innovators, entrepreneurs, and dreamers to transform their ideas into successful ventures.

The Forge is an entrepreneurial hub backed by McMaster University, catering to startups in the Hamilton, Greater Toronto, and Niagara Regions. Established in 2015, we actively engage with entrepreneurs, providing them comprehensive support in transforming their business concepts into thriving ventures. Regardless of industry, The Forge offers cohort-based programs to facilitate idea development, validation, and ultimately, sustainable growth.

FOUNDER PROFILES & COMPANY OVERVIEWS:

DOT

Pitching: Aaron Roodhart (DeGroote School of Business)

In an increasingly digital world the way we capture ideas is changing, yet the tactile experience of writing on paper remains unmatched. DOT bridges the gap between the physical and digital, empowering thinkers to seamlessly integrate the potential of digital experiences with timeless feel of handwritten notes.

Innovo Surgica

Pitching: Manvir Bhangu

Co-Founders: Yazdaan Ahmad (Faculty of Engineering) and Dr. Aleksa Cenic

10% of spinal laminectomies, North America’s most common spinal procedure, result in dural tears leading to lifelong complications for patients and $400 million lost annually by US healthcare. The market needs LaminaLip, Innovo Surgica’s Kerrison Rongeur variant that prevents the dura from entering the cutting space, reducing the chance of dural tears by 50%. With a surgeon-driven design and seamless integration into existing workflows, LaminaLip is not only a critical advancement in spinal surgery meeting the needs of North America’s aging population, but also a disruptive surgical tool that can replace many other tools used in different surgeries.

NeuroSpritz

Pitching: Lucas Monter (Faculty of Science)

NeuroSpritz revolutionizes EEG with wireless, disposable spray-on scalp electrodes, and an AI-powered interface that cuts setup times by up to 80%, enabling faster, more flexible, patient-friendly diagnostics and research across neurology and psychiatry.

O2Link

Pitching: Selay Momand (Faculty of Health Sciences)

Co-Founder: Sajroop Mann (Faculty of Health Sciences)

O₂Link is the first semi-automated oxygen therapy platform that replaces outdated flowmeters with data-driven clinician control, personalizing care through multiple breathing metrics to ensure patients get the right oxygen dosage while streamlining clinical workflows.

Wonder Guard

Pitching: Manak Bajaj (Faculty of Engineering)

Wonder Guard is an AI-powered catheter adaptor system that uses electrochemical DNA biosensors for an integrated monitoring of urinary biomarkers, enabling proactive detection and prediction of infections before symptoms appear.

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