YSpace, York University

A big congratulations to three of our portfolio companies for their milestone achievements this week! 🎉 🌟 Kiwi Charge (Abdel Ali, MBA, CFA) for taking home $30,000 as the runner-up of the Supernova Challenge at the GITEX ASIA - Asia’s Largest & Most Global Tech, Startup & Digital Investments Event. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/gQZFpExg 🌟 Aruna Revolution (Rashmi Prakash) for winning the Startups to Watch at #Circularity (Trellis Group) and for winning the CHFA Launch Pad 2025 People’s Choice Award at Canadian Health Food Association West. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/gJUVsGBE & https://lnkd.in/g6t3UhpW 🌟 Moon Trades Technologies (Wintta K. Ghebreiyesus, PhD) for being selected as a The Indus Entrepreneurs(TiE), Toronto50 Award Winner. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gtgdtuKV #YSpace #YorkU #SuccessStories #innovation #startups #YRTECH #YRFOOD

We’re thrilled to officially kick off the 2025 cohort of the YSpace Technology Accelerator—a program built to empower market-ready tech startups as they scale, acquire customers, and prepare for fundraising.  Over the next few months, founders will dive deep into growth foundations and capital strategy through curated workshops, 1:1 mentorship, and focused sprints. With access to experienced advisors, industry experts, and Mastermind sessions, participants will sharpen their go-to-market plans while developing the leadership skills needed to grow resilient, fundable ventures.  This cohort will also receive access to over $60K in startup support and up to $30K in cash awards—giving them the runway to push their innovation forward. Let’s build, scale, and thrive together. 🚀 Learn more about the cohort here: https://lnkd.in/gyHYiy9y #YSpace #YorkU #YRtech #Entrepreneurship #TechStartup #StartupSupport #TechLife #Accelerator #GTAbusiness #EntrepreneurLife City of Toronto, Abloomify, Aiskyra, baüne, Bidblox, CoLab Education, Kare Chemical Technologies, Numr CXM, swiirl, Tinybox Systems, Amir Tavafi, Kenny Chan, Olexiy Pukhov, Andrea Galindo, Lisa Mohapatra, Katrina Sitkovits, Ariella Racco, Cynthia Ene, Kareem A.,  Amitayu Basu Kay Boamah Pooya Saberi, Oliver X. Zhang

ELLA Ascend, powered by Desjardins, is coming back—same mission, just a little bolder. We have made a few updates we think you will like. Canadian women entrepreneurs, stay tuned. 👀 #YSpace #YorkUniversity #ELLAAscend #WomenEntrepreneur #SmallBusiness #CanadianSmallBusiness #WomenFounders #Startup 

Last week, YSpace—alongside Vaughan Economic Development and powered by York Link | York Region Economic Development—brought the HealthTech community together for a powerful evening of insights, connections, and innovation at the Reverse Pitch: HealthTech Edition.  This wasn’t your typical pitch event. Instead of founders presenting to investors, we flipped the script: investors took center stage to pitch their portfolios, spotlight their focus areas in digital health, biotech, medtech, and healthcare innovation, and share what they’re really looking for in the next wave of groundbreaking startups.  From key investment trends to must-know founder qualities, attendees gained direct access to the minds of HealthTech-focused VCs and angels, offering rare insight into how to position themselves for funding and growth. A huge thank you to each investor who took the time to highlight their funds.  Thank you to our investors: Alexandre Nossovskoi (Esplanade Ventures), Jude Sacramenthas (Graphite Ventures), Jillian Malcolm (MaRS Investment Accelerator Fund), Colin Hung (Mariner Endosurgery), Caitlin Siu, PhD (Ontario Brain Institute),  Raagula Sivayoganathan (Mackenzie Health), Igor Cunha, PhD (Ontario Centre of Innovation) The networking session that followed was buzzing with energy—founders, investors, and ecosystem leaders connected over shared goals, exchanged ideas, and explored new partnership opportunities.  #YSpace #ReversePitch #HealthTech #DigitalHealth #StartupFunding #YorkURegion #TechInnovation #YRTech

Imagine your discovery on shelves, not just in journals.  Researchers; it’s time to take your work beyond the lab—and into the real world. Lab2Market Validate is your chance to stress test your innovation without the stress. This 4-month program is designed to help researchers explore the business potential of their research through hands-on workshops, expert mentorship, and $10,000 in funding to support your validation journey.  Whether you're curious about commercialization or ready to take the leap, L2M Validate equips you with the skills, mindset, and connections to navigate the entrepreneurial landscape with confidence. Learn more about how you can take advantage of this program with our upcoming VIRTUAL information sessions. From exploring who this program is for to getting access to exclusive tips on how to submit a successful application, the session will cover everything you need to know to secure $10,000 to validate your idea.    Session details: 📅 May 01, 2025 | 12:00 – 1:00 pm 🔗 Register here: https://lu.ma/qbtilazk  📅 May 08, 2025 | 12:00 – 1:00 pm 🔗 Register here: https://lu.ma/qnvr0gpt #Lab2Market #Innovation #ResearchToMarket #Entrepreneurship #Commercialization #YorkU #YSpace #DeepTech #FutureOfResearch #AcademicInnovation #ResearchFunding #L2MValidate University of Toronto, McMaster University, Western University, University of Ottawa, Queen's University, University of Waterloo, Carleton University, Toronto Metropolitan University, York University, University of Guelph, University of Windsor, Lakehead University, Laurentian University/Université Laurentienne, Ontario Tech University, Trent University, Wilfrid Laurier University, Brock University, Nipissing University, Algoma University 

We’re excited to welcome a new group of ambitious founders to the YSpace Technology Accelerator! Over the next few months, these startups will refine their go-to-market strategies, gain traction, and prepare for fundraising with the support of expert mentors and programming. Please welcome our cohort: Amir Tavafi (Abloomify), Kenny Chan (Aiskyra), Andrea Galindo (baüne), Lisa Mohapatra (Bidblox), Ariella Racco (CoLab Education), Cynthia Ene (Corol), Amitayu Basu (Numr CXM), Pooya Saberi (Tinybox Systems), Kay Boamah (swiirl), Kareem A. (Kare Chemical Technologies) We can’t wait to see what this cohort accomplishes. Let’s scale together. Learn more about their ventures - https://lnkd.in/gyHYiy9y #YSpace #YorkU #YRtech #Entrepreneurship #TechStartup #TechLife #StartupSupport #Accelerator #EntrepreneurLife 

A huge congratulations to Kiwi Charge (Abdel Ali, MBA, CFA) for being named a Supernova Challenge Finalist at GITEX ASIA - Asia’s Largest & Most Global Tech, Startup & Digital Investments Event! Learn more about their win here: https://lnkd.in/eBmJriNf Canada Startup Association #YSpace #SuccessStories #YorkUniversity #YRTech #TechFounders #TechStartups #EV

We are excited to announce that YSpace has joined the BetaKit Innovation Leaders program! As York University’s innovation hub, we support entrepreneurs from ideation to investment—and we are proud to be part of this national network of accelerators, VCs, and ecosystem builders. Looking forward to collaborating and driving impact alongside the BetaKit community. #YSpace #BetaKit #InnovationLeaders #StartupEcosystem #YorkU #Entrepreneurship #YRTech 

Last week, we hosted a session with Dr Jackson Lai, Partner at BDO Canada, on How to Navigate Tariff Risks. Dr. Lai shared strategic insights on how businesses can mitigate tariff risks and build resilient innovation strategies in global markets. If you missed the session, swipe through for 4 key takeaways from the session.    Watch the full workshop on YouTube: https://lnkd.in/e4kFRs8f 

The Food Investment Program Showcase was an inspiring celebration of York University's most promising food and beverage entrepreneurs. Our cohort took the stage to present their refined business pitches to potential investors, funders, and industry partners, marking the culmination of their journey in this transformative program. This event highlighted the power of community in driving entrepreneurial success. From seasoned mentors sharing their expertise to partners offering funding opportunities, the showcase demonstrated how collaboration fuels innovation in Canada's food and beverage sector.  This event proved just how far collaboration can take us—thank you to everyone who made it unforgettable! Want to relive the magic? Watch the full recap on our YouTube channel! 👉 https://lnkd.in/ekge6xsZ A big thank you to our founder and sponsor National Research Council Canada / Conseil national de recherches Canada & BDC for making this event possible. #YSpace #StartupSuccess #LocalBusiness #StartupSuccess #entrepreneurs #Foodfounders