McMaster entrepreneurs are turning groundbreaking research into impactful health and climate solutions – and it all starts with a powerful pitch.
Mann Parikh is founder of NerView Surgical, launched in 2023. The company’s non-invasive imaging device is designed to help surgeons better visualize nerves during procedures, reducing accidental nerve damage.
NerView recently won the Ernsting Entrepreneurship Award at FACIT’s Falcons’ Fortunes Pitch Competition, the most prestigious oncology pitch competition in Canada.
Parikh had ten minutes to make his pitch for the $100,000 prize.
“I think for a lot of health companies, the key is to deliver a compelling story that makes sense not only from a business perspective, but from a patient perspective as well,” he says.
“80 per cent of cancer patients require surgery as part of their treatment plan. We’re creating a device that helps patients keep the function and quality of life that they fight so hard to preserve during these treatments.”
The funding will be used to refine NerView’s prototype and support in-human imaging pilots at a surgery clinic in Ontario this year, says Parikh.
NerView was also named a TiE50 Top Startup, one of the most competitive global startup recognitions, adding to a string of recent wins for the company.
Parikh says he’s grateful to McMaster for the support and mentorship he’s received over the years through programs like The Forge’s Startup Survivor, The Clinic’s Health Innovation Bootcamp, and the McMaster Student Seed Fund, which he won earlier this year.
“McMaster has created a space where entrepreneurs can put themselves out there and fail comfortably, knowing there is support to help them improve and build on their ideas,” he says.
Parikh also won the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards (GSEA) North American Regionals and will represent Canada at the GSEA Global Finals in South Africa later this year, competing against top student founders from over 55 countries.
Revolutionizing the future of cancer care
Home to world-class health labs and leading experts, it’s no wonder McMaster is a hub for so many biotech startups – including Block Biosciences.
Launched by McMaster professors Jakob Magolan and Sheila Singh, Block Biosciences’ targeted therapy intercepts cancer cells early before they metastasize and spread to the brain.
The company took home the Audience Choice Award at FACIT’s Falcons’ Fortunes Pitch Competition, adding a second win for McMaster startups at the event.
Postdoctoral fellow Agata Kieliszek is co-founder and Head of Biology and Operations at Block Biosciences. She delivered the winning pitch at FACIT.
“Competing in pitch competitions has been invaluable in sharpening both our narrative and our strategy. It forces you to distill complex ideas into something clear, compelling, and grounded in impact. For us, it’s always driven back to our mission to transform the treatment paradigm for brain metastasis from a universally fatal condition into a preventable one,” says Kieliszek.
The company also recently won the $100,000 WiHi Seed Investment at OBIO’s International Women’s Day Celebration.
Kieliszek’s advice to founders: “Be authentic and focus less on perfection and more on clarity. Know your ‘why’, anticipate tough questions, and treat every pitch as a chance to learn from it.”
Block Biosciences, which received $245,000 in the latest round of the McMaster Seed Fund, anticipates they could have a new medicine available to cancer patients by as early as 2033.
Harnessing AI and data analytics to mitigate climate impacts
Health of communities and the environment is also top of mind for McMaster entrepreneurs.
Co-founded by Moustafa Naiem and based on IP developed at McMaster, Resiliocs Intelligence is improving climate risk management through their advanced, data-driven analytics software.
Using ‘digital twins’, the company helps stakeholders around the world better predict and mitigate impacts of climate change and extreme weather events.
Resiliocs Intelligence recently won the Where NeXt Showcase at the Ontario Centre of Innovation’s DiscoveryX event.
“Last year, we were here to learn, only a couple of months into the entrepreneurship journey. A year later, we’re coming back as winners,” wrote Naiem in a LinkedIn post about the event.
It’s been a busy spring for Resiliocs. Naiem has competed in pitch competitions around the world, including the CommEO Awards, hosted by Creative Destructive Lab-Milan and the European Space Agency. Resiliocs took home the first-place prize as well as the People’s Choice award. They were the only non-European company selected among the final five startups in the competition.
What makes an impactful pitch? Naiem says it’s all about storytelling.
“We went through multiple pitches and gathered lots of great feedback before we found the right balance. Now we’re telling a story that audiences can really connect with and that conveys the impact of our climate tech solution,” he says.
There’s ample support available for McMaster entrepreneurs looking to perfect their pitch. Learn more at entrepreneurship.mcmaster.ca
Want to connect with McMaster startups and investors in our innovation ecosystem? Register to attend Investor Showcase on June 23.
McMaster News ➚
Entrepreneurship