Startup Canada Announces Top 6 Finalists in National Virtual Pitch Competition
Image Courtesy: startupcan.ca
The Six Winners
Startup Canada announced the top 6 winners of the Startup Global Virtual Pitch Competition, the national qualifier for the 2024 Startup Global Pitch Competition Grand Finale. Pitching to a virtual audience on Tuesday, June 25, the six winners included:
- Eunice Wu, Co-founder & CEO, Asepha
- Daniel Lirette, CEO, GrowDoc App Inc.
- Amir Soleimani, Founder & CEO, Tree Track Intelligence Inc.
- Helen Yin, Founder & CEO, Inoki Bathhouse Inc.
- Athanasios (Thanos) Kritharis, CEO, FIBR.BIO
- Azadeh Dastmalchi, Co-founder & CEO, VitalTracer Ltd.
“The annual Startup Global Pitch Competition is a great opportunity for early stage entrepreneurs looking to export their products and/or services outside of Canada,” says Isabel Nolan, Program Manager, Startup Canada. “Over the last few years of hosting this event, we have seen entrepreneurs from tech to food and everything in between pitch their businesses for the first time through the Startup Global program. It has been exciting to see these entrepreneurs build their confidence and understanding of exporting and go on to grow their businesses internationally!”
How the Competition Worked
On Monday, June 24, 240 Canadian entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds and industries participated in a virtual closed-door competition. Entrepreneurs pitched their businesses to judges from differing backgrounds in the global market, highlighting the strength of Canadian small businesses. Twelve entrepreneurs, each with a unique story and vision, were selected as the finalists and went on to pitch their businesses in a virtual livestream on Tuesday, June 25. Later in the day, our top six finalists were selected.
“I was absolutely blown away by the level of talent and the brilliant ideas showcased by the 12 ambitious Canadian entrepreneurs that pitched. It’s not just inspiring but also a fantastic learning experience for me as a judge to see the future of business innovation up close,” shared Daniel Lewis, Co-Founder of Daniel’s Chai Bar & PEKOE. “This competition is a game-changer for early stage entrepreneurs, offering invaluable exposure, constructive feedback, and a chance to connect with fellow visionaries. Keep pushing boundaries, and remember, your ideas have the power to change the world!”
Thanks to the Judges
The Startup Global Virtual Pitch Competition would not have been possible without the support of our incredible panel of judges. A special thank you to our first-round judges, Claudia Worms Sciama, Google Canada; Daniela Tixi, Keiretsu Forum Toronto; Dominic Fielden, Rocky Mountain Flatbread; Enrique Sobalvarro, Enrique Sobalvarro, Advisory Services; Joshe Page, Scotiabank; Jeff Hohn, Trade Commissioner Service; Lora Rigutto, Forum for International Trade Training (FITT); Lucas Alencar, Google Canada; Manish Puri, Google Canada; Reena Khulla, Agilis Executive Consulting; and Zahra Qureshi, Social Venture Circuit for their participation! Our round 2 judges were Molly Middleton, Showrunner and Senior Producer of Dragons’ Den and Daniel Lewis, Co-Founder of Daniel’s Chai Bar & PEKOE. The Startup Global Pitch Competition is presented in partnership with UPS and Export Development Canada.
On October 30th, in Kitchener-Waterloo, the top six will compete live among ten finalists from across Canada for a $70,000 cash prize pool. The Grand Finale of the 2024 Startup Global Pitch Competition is a must-watch event, and it will be available to watch live virtually and in person through Startup Canada Tour registration.
