Meet the 10 ventures joining HATCH Venture Builder Winter 2024
We are excited to welcome ten new ventures into HATCH Venture Builder (HATCH), a collaboration between entrepreneurship@UBC and the Institute for Computing, Information and Cognitive Systems (ICICS), supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs and innovators.
HATCH helps to propel early-stage venture growth, working with entrepreneurs to further develop their companies through rigorous finance, sales & marketing training, deep mentorship from our bench of Entrepreneurs and Executives in Residence, access to funding opportunities, as well as access to over 10,000 sq.ft. of state-of-the-art office and Makerspace. In this stage, ventures are de-risking their innovations and business models in an environment that encourages creativity, collaboration and grit. The newest ventures to join HATCH are addressing problems across climate, human health, aerospace, mining and more, addressing unmet global challenges through UBC research and innovation.
Our early-stage venture community is a part of the next generation of companies and leaders bringing new technology and approaches to solve critical global challenges. Meet the teams that will be joining this movement.
Meet the teams
CNANO
CNANO is a pioneering company specializing in advanced drug delivery technologies. Their focus revolves around sustained-release lipid nano dermal technology, redefining how medications are administered and absorbed through the skin and mucosal membranes. What sets them apart is their scalable, sustainable approach that allows for significantly higher drug concentrations, offering precise and sustained targeted delivery of the active drug ingredient to specific layers of the “skin” (eg. epidermis, dermis and I, sub-dermal tissue). This innovation not only ensures better treatment effectiveness but also reduces waste, healthcare costs, and fosters a more efficient supply chain. Their cold integration process further allows them to craft personalized medicines, including peptides, proteins, and nucleotides, tailored to individual needs. CNANO is dedicated to revolutionizing drug delivery, making treatments more effective, personalized, and accessible for all.
Website: https://www.cnano.ca/
Founding Team: Mehran Khosravinejad, Dr. Ellie Rahmani
UBC Affiliation: Dr. Ellie Rahmani is a Clinical Faculty Instructor in the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences at UBC.
DI Self Composite Alloys
DI Self Composite Alloys (DI-SCA) specializes in aerospace innovation, revolutionizing rocket manufacturing with advanced additive multimetal technology. They address the industry’s challenge of high costs and long development times by reducing production expenses and duration by 40%. Their focus is on supplying rocket companies and buyers with high-precision, cost-effective parts, enhancing space mission capabilities. With their approach, they’re set to significantly accelerate the pace of space exploration and contribute to the multiplanetary ambitions of humanity.
Website:https://www.diselfcompositealloys.com/
Founding Team: Stefano Fregonese, Connor Bosenberg, David Funes Rojas, Qing Hua Liu,
UBC Affiliation: Stefano Fregonese and David Funes Rojas hold a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the Faculty of Applied Science at UBC. George Liu is studying in the Integrated Engineering Program at UBC’s Faculty of Applied Science. Connor Bossemberg is in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at UBC’s Faculty of Applied Science.
Minpraxis Solutions
Minpraxis Solutions provides specialized consulting services to the mining industry including energy studies and technology evaluations. The company is transitioning to become a provider of rock strength measurement technologies including the Minpraxis Test Device. The key target market is the international mining industry, specifically focusing on commercial laboratories and site operations of global mining companies.
Website: http://www.minpraxis.com/
Founding Team: Stefan Nadolski, Max Hesse, Gonzalo Pizarro, Connor Belvis, Aaron Reiter
UBC affiliation: Stefan Ndaolski is an Adjunct Professor in the Norman B. Keevil Institute of Mining Engineering in the Faculty of Applied Science at UBC. Connor Belvis is a graduate of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at UBC. Max Hesse is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Norman B. Keevil Institute of Mining Engineering as part of the Faculty of Applied Science at UBC. AJ Reiter is an undergraduate student in the Department Electrical and Computer Engineering as part of the Faculty of Applied Science at UBC.
Mitra Biotechnologies
Mitra Biotechnologies focuses on developing advanced diagnostic tools for medical applications, particularly for rapid and cost-effective detection of triage cases such as heart attacks. To accomplish this, they are building the transistor for diagnostic biology by leveraging nanomaterials and microfluids.
Website: https://mitrabiotechnologies.com/#/
Founding Team: Mark Smithyes, Neil Mitra, Steven Pimento, Sushanta Mitra
UBC Affiliation: Neil Mitra is a student in the Faculty of Applied Science at UBC.
Mosa
Mosa is a Vancouver-based startup that leads in sustainable glass upcycling. Since founding in 2021, they have transformed 10,000+ used glass bottles into elegant, eco-friendly home decor using microfactory technology. This method reduces the carbon emissions produced during manufacturing. Their current products range from upcycled glass candles to platters to glassware. Mosa also provides additional service to organizations to educate people about circular economy by hosting glass upcycling and candle making workshops. Their upcycled products are sold in 12 retail stores across North America and are used in events by companies such as SAP, UBC and AMS.
Website: https://wearemosa.com/
Founding Team: Prishita Agarwal, Abhiudai Mishra
UBC Affiliation: Prishita Agarwal and Abhiudai Mishra are both UBC alumni from the Sauder School of Business and graduated in the last 5 years.
Offshore Designs
Even light marine growth can increase a ship’s fuel costs by up to 25%. This same growth contributes to millions of excess tons to the 3% of global GHG emissions caused by the shipping industry, and exposes local ecosystems to harmful invasive species. Offshore Design’s hull cleaning robots remove early stage growth from ships to reduce vessel fuel costs and maximize the environmental benefits of operating a clean hull - all without the need for divers.
Website: https://offshoredesigns.ca/
Founding Team: Xiangji (Snow) Zhu, Voytek Klaptocz, Vitali Tikhomolov, Ryan Murch, Cary Dicerni, Bill Rawlings
UBC Affiliation: Bill Rawlings is a Faculty Member in the Department of Mechanical Engineering as part of the Faculty of Applied Science at UBC. Ryan Mulch is a graduate of the Faculty of Applied Science at UBC.
Orca Water Solutions
Orca is a water solutions company focused on providing tools that help the world measure water. This includes water monitoring hardware and sensors, leak detection systems and associated software, and apps and thought leadership related to conservation.
Website: https://www.orcawater.life/
Founding team: Dimitar Apostolov, Glen Chu, Jennifer Hiew, Jiaying Zhao, Joanna Yuen, Kerry Chin, Kitty Cho, Michelle Leung, Morgan Gilbert, Shawn Stevenson, Yu Luo
UBC Affiliation: Dr. Jiaying Zhao, is a Professor and Advisor in the Behavioural Sustainability Lab at UBC. Joanna Yen is a student at UBC’s Sauder School of Business. Kitty Cho is studying at UBC's Sauder School of Business and Yu Luo is a recent alumnus.
SmartParent
SmartParent is Canada’s first and only digital health education program for expectant and new parents delivered by text messaging. The program has been successfully piloted in British Columbia since 2017, with over 16,000 users enrolled in the program to date.
Website: https://smartparentcanada.ca/
Founding Team: Sara Leckie, Dr. Patricia Janssen, Dita Puspitarani
UBC Affiliation: Dr. Patricia Janssen is a professor in UBC’s School of Population and Public Health. Sara Leckie and Dita Puspitarani are staff members at UBC's Faculty of Medicine.
Viridis
Viridis is a passionate team of technologists on a mission to empower people and communities to protect water sources, everywhere. Their technology leverages a cutting-edge water treatment technique called electro-oxidation to isolate and eliminate organic pollutants like microplastics, PFAs, dyes, and pharmaceutical waste from water.
Website: https://www.viridisresearch.com/
Founding Team: Ahmad Erfan and Macarena Cataldo
UBC Affiliation: Macarena Cataldo holds a PhD in Chemical Engineering from the Faculty of Applied Science at UBC, and Ahmad Erfan is an alumni of the UBC Faculty of Arts at UBC.
Wicked Rose
Wicked Rose creates innovative activewear for women in martial arts. All of their clothing is made in a woman-owned manufacturing company in Vancouver. Everything is shipped using recycled and compostable materials, you can plant their clothing tags to grow wildflowers, and their more technical garments are made with recycled polyester. They know the importance of creating a brand that represents all martial artists, which is why each person is able to see themselves represented through our models and XS-5XL sizing.
Website: https://www.wickedrose.com/
Founding Team: Christina Morrow
UBC Affiliation: Christina Morrow is the founder of Wicked Rose and holds a Bachelor of Arts from UBC.
Welcome to the teams!