After a rigorous application process, ventureLAB is pleased to announce the members of the incoming Tech Undivided Cohort. Launched in 2019 with support of a $1.7-million investment through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), Tech Undivided bridges gender and diversity gaps by better supporting women founders and leaders, who are underrepresented within the tech sector. Tech Undivided goes beyond technology and business support by curating a supportive community focused on equality, open dialogue, and overcoming obstacles. Many of the companies in this exceptional cohort are focused on sustainability and social impact. They offer a variety of tools and services crucial to building a more sustainable future, including:
- Game-based financial literacy training
- AI-powered, sector-focused curated business insights
- An online platform that allows the public to access tailored health services
- An alternative path to home ownership for aspiring home buyers who are not mortgage-ready
- The next generation of solar cells
- A tech-enabled platform that disrupts the traditional takeout industry
- A virtual gifting platform that cuts down on packaging, shipping, and logistics
These five companies will work with industry experts, our Strategic Mentorship network, and investors to refine their product-market-fit, amplify their sales, navigate relevant sources of funding, and hone their pitch to better prepare for customer and investor meetings.
Forward Vision Games
Forward Vision Games provides game-based financial literacy training, empowering learners by exposing them to real-world financial decisions. Their flight simulator for financial skills teaches people the financial skills for the Future of Work. They reimagine financial literacy training for Indigenous learners and address barriers to education Indigenous students face.
Meaghan Daly, President and Founder Meaghan Daly brings a financial lens to the gaming space having been a Senior Equity Trader for major banks and financial institutions on Bay Street. She has also worked extensively in the Indigenous Finance space and is an advisor to the Economic Club of Canada.
Learn more about Forward Vision Games. ________________________________________
Kaitongo Inc.
Kaitongo is an AI-powered SaaS startup providing sector-focused curated business insights. Their unique differentiator is extracted “so-what” insights and actionable suggestions to support professionals in enhancing the quality and quantity of their conversations with clients and prospects. Kaitongo’s unique hybrid intelligence (AI+Analyst) business model supports the generation of curated insights along with actionable suggestions.
Sumathi Pundit, CEO and Founder
Sumathi is a serial entrepreneur, engineer, and sales professional. She has a demonstrated history of working in the professional services industry and is skilled in strategy, sales, and business transformation.
Learn more about Kaitongo. ________________________________________
My Well Self Inc.
My Well Self is an online platform that allows the public to find and book in person or virtual appointments with health wellness and mental wellness providers. The public can use the My Well Self directory to tailor searches based on location, health concern, insurance company and/or provider type.
Brenda Ahenkorah, CEO and Founder
Brenda Ahenkorah worked in R&D for over 17 years of her career, founding a successful clinical trial patient referral firm. She received a nomination for KPMG Entrepreneur of the Year in 2016 and was awarded the Professional Excellence Award by the Ghanaian-Canadian Achievement Awards Committee in 2015.
Learn more about My Well Self. ________________________________________
Requity Homes Inc.
Requity Homes offers an alternative path to home ownership for aspiring home buyers who are not mortgage-ready in Canada. Through their fair and flexible rent-to-own program, aspiring home buyers can rent their dream home with the option to purchase later. Their goal is to make rent-to-own a home as easy as lease-to-own a car.
Amy Ding, Founder
Amy is a former finance professional with a deep-rooted passion and expertise in real estate and product. Her entire career has been related to real estate in different ways ranging from proptech founder to capital markets experience covering the real estate sector.
Learn more about Requity Homes. ________________________________________
Solaires Enterprises Inc.
Solaires Entreprises Inc. is a cleantech company focused on developing the next generation of solar cells by replacing silicon with perovskite through an innovative and sustainable manufacturing process resulting in affordable solar photovoltaics with higher energy conversion efficiency.
Sahar Sam, Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer
Dr. Sahar Sam is a CSO with 15+ years of R&D experience and over 5 years of experience as an intrapreneur and entrepreneur focusing on fabricating and commercializing new technologies related to information and communication devices. She is the named inventor in 3 patents.
Learn more about Solaires Enterprises. ________________________________________
Suppli
Suppli is building circularity into the traditional takeout industry through a tech-enabled platform. Suppli offers food merchants and consumers a reusable takeout container option that eliminates the guilt and massive amounts of waste associated with single-use containers.
Megan Takeda-Tully, CEO and Founder
Megan has spent 4+ years working with innovators all over the world to tackle social challenges using innovative business models. She flipped the coin and shifted from investor to entrepreneur. She launched Suppli in 2020 to provide restaurants with affordable, reusable container options.
Learn more about Suppli. ________________________________________
Unwrapit
Unwrapit is on a mission to help companies break free from the conventional thinking that surrounds corporate gift gifting. Our digital gifting platform offers a way for companies to give gifts to their clients, event attendees or employees through a fully brandable and personalized gift experience, at any scale. The gifts are low/no waste and sustainably-minded, and recipients are able to choose a gift that resonates most with them. Reveal a new way to gift with Unwrapit.
Linsay Moran, Co-Founder
Linsay has centered her career in socially-responsible organizations. She has worked with and led collaborative teams, focusing on strong communication to build relationships with both internal and external stakeholders.
Learn more about Unwrapit. ________________________________________
About ventureLAB
ventureLAB is a leading global founder community for hardware technology and enterprise software companies in Canada. Located at the heart of Ontario’s innovation corridor in York Region, ventureLAB is part of one of the biggest and most diverse tech communities in Canada. Our initiatives focused on raising capital, talent retention, commercializing technology and IP, and customer acquisition have enabled thousands of companies to create over 4,000 jobs and raise more than $200 million in investment capital. At ventureLAB, we grow globally competitive tech titans that build-to-scale in Canada, for global markets. Join us.
