NOUVELLES DE L'ECOSYSTEME DISTRICT 3

Congratulations to D3 founder, Ali Mehdi, for being named Quebec Young Leader. Heritage Lab is redefining how technology can serve culture — developing AI-powered tools that help preserve and revitalize Indigenous languages while ensuring cultural authenticity and data sovereignty.

Jennifer is redefining the future of dairy with Opalia, a D3 startup developing dairy milk made without cows through cellular agriculture — a breakthrough for both sustainability and food innovation. Her recognition as one of Canada’s top young cleantech entrepreneurs is a testament to her vision, persistence, and leadership in building a more sustainable food system.

Three active MentorConnect startups — Biolift, Gray Oncology Solutions and Gamotech — are heading global as part of Québec Tech’s Stage Vo program, which help Quebec’s most promising tech companies scale internationally.

Congratulations to Yellowbird Diagnostics, a D3 startup, for winning the 2025 ECHO PITCH Competition and securing $250,000 in funding to advance their groundbreaking work in cardiovascular health.

The days are shorter, the nights stretch longer, and somewhere in the dark, new ideas start to glow. Winter’s coming, but things are far from slowing down. In this issue, you’ll find upcoming program deadlines, big startup wins, and a look at what’s been brewing across the D3 community.

The program, which addresses equity barriers, facilitated a fast-paced, hands-on hiring event for students in collaboration with the university’s startup incubator, District 3

Big congrats to our MentorConnect team, Haply Robotics, for being selected to join Stage V by Québec Tech! Stage V helps high-potential Quebec startups scale internationally through tailored support and resources. This recognition highlights Haply’s innovation, impact, and global vision.

Food waste is a global crisis. It costs $2.6 trillion every year and produces 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions. In Japan alone, 4.64 million tons of food loss are generated annually. That’s why we’re so excited to celebrate Freshr Technologies, a MentorConnect alumni startup, as they announce a Joint Development Agreement with Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation (MCC) to scale FreshrPack™ globally.

At D3, we know every founder hits roadblocks, and that’s where the real building begins. This fall, our programs help you validate ideas, sharpen your model, and turn detours into momentum. Application deadlines are approaching, our startups are making headlines, and our annual report highlights a community tackling big challenges with bold solutions.

We’re proud to celebrate Aifred Health, a D3 startup and MentorConnect alum, on the publication of their North American clinical trial results in The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. The team’s AI-driven platform has shown powerful results in improving remission rates and accelerating recovery for patients with major depression.

Congratulations to Pathway, a MentorConnect alum, on their $63M acquisition by Doximity. Founded by Louis Mullie, MD and Christophe Marois, Pathway was built on a mission to put the latest medical knowledge directly into the hands of physicians. Their AI-powered platform supports evidence-based decisions at the point of care, helping doctors improve outcomes for patients.

Featured in BetaKit’s Most Ambitious issue in the World Savers category, recognizing innovators solving the world’s toughest challenges. CEO & Co-founder Stephanie Lipp spoke at the BetaKit Most Ambitious Town Hall during Toronto Tech Week, sharing the stage with Canadian changemakers.

Congrats to Yellowbird Diagnostics, a District 3 startup, on publishing groundbreaking research in npj Precision Medicine toward creating the first objective diagnostic tool for concussion. The team identified aldehydes as an early biomarker of brain injury, detectable with their MRI contrast agent ProxyNA3, enabling injury location and severity to be seen before traditional signs appear.

VoxCell has announced a strategic collaboration with Altasciences to advance vascularized 3D tissue models as a powerful platform for drug development.

District 3 food tech startup Opalia has secured what it claims is the world’s first commercial supply agreement for cell-based dairy, weeks ahead of an expected $4M fundraise.

Genuine Taste, a cell agriculture company, is leading the way in producing sustainable, delicious, and cruelty-free fat for alternative meat products. This $1.2M investment from CFIN will help take their revolutionary technology to the next level, creating a more sustainable food future.

2024 was a year of transformation, but one thing remained constant: the determination of founders to solve big problems. From health and bio to high tech and social innovation, the ventures we supported didn’t just grow—they built the future. This report isn’t just a recap. It’s a window into the ideas, people, and systems that turn ambition into action, and a glimpse at how District 3 is continuing to evolve to meet today’s challenges.

D3 startup swyvl has won the Thriving Cities Challenge at Cooperathon 2025, earning $9,000 from Desjardins! Their XR and AI-powered platform helps foster empathy and inclusion by educating communities on neurodivergent perspectives. Big congrats to the swyvl team for driving meaningful impact through innovation.

We’re proud of our D3 startups—Soralink, Qalam Health Solutions, and swyvl—who hit the stage with standout pitches in AI, healthtech, and XR innovation. Special shoutout to swyvl for winning $9K at Cooperathon’s Thriving Cities Challenge. Big thanks to Québec Tech for hosting us in the Quebec Tech zone!

We're incredibly excited to share some groundbreaking news from Gray Oncology Solutions, an active MentorConnect startup and D3 alumni! Gray Oncology has officially partnered with Elekta to optimize oncology appointment scheduling for cancer centers in North America.

Montreal’s heating up, and so is the momentum at District 3. This month, we’re celebrating startup wins, fungi with a mission, and the kind of mentorship that doesn’t disappear after demo day. Whether you’re here for the breakthroughs or the AC-powered co-working, there’s plenty to plug into.

Our Social Innovation Lead and Head Coach, Julie Hamel, had the privilege of attending the KTH Innovation Readiness Level (KTH IRL) Summit in Stockholm, a global gathering of innovation leaders from 18 countries. This two-day summit brought together experts to explore how the KTH IRL framework is guiding startups from early-stage ideas to market-ready innovations.

Congrats to Simmunome Inc. and Nanofacile for being selected to join the first-ever Canadian cohort of the Merck Digital Sciences Studio (MDSS)—a major global accelerator for AI-driven health innovation.

At District 3, we’ve been taking part in a neurodiversity training series led by the The Sinneave Family Foundation, and we want to share why this matters — not just to us, but to any organization that wants to build equitable, high-performing teams. We're learning. We're adjusting. And we believe this kind of training should be the norm — not the exception.

Our first Founders & Funders pitch night is in the books—and it couldn’t have gone better. Eight early-stage founders took the mic for 2.5-minute pitches, followed by live, unfiltered feedback from 10+ VCs and 30+ experienced founders and operators.

Un don majeur à la campagne de Concordia permettra de faire progresser les initiatives de District 3 et de l'école de gestion John Molson

Big milestone for Freshr, a D3-backed startup and MentorConnect alum (2018–2023). Diamond Edge Ventures, the venture arm of Mitsubishi Chemical Group, has joined Freshr’s oversubscribed Seed round as a strategic investor—a powerful endorsement of the company’s breakthrough FreshrPack™ technology.

MycoFutures passe à la vitesse supérieure ! Leur première usine dédiée à la production de cuir de champignon ouvre ses portes à Montréal. Propulsée par les champignons et le design circulaire, c’est un grand pas vers une alternative durable et évolutive au cuir traditionnel.

Selon une étude de MaRS et du District 3, les leaders des entreprises en sciences de la santé sont confrontés à l'anxiété, la dépression et l'épuisement professionnel. Comment pallier à ça?

Rocket Doctor connaît une expansion rapide en Alberta, offrant des soins de santé virtuels accessibles à plus de 71 000 Albertains, dont 35 % vivent dans des communautés de moins de 25 000 habitants. La plateforme a enregistré une augmentation de 112 % des visites de patients entre 2023 et 2024 et une croissance de 218 % du nombre de médecins rejoignant la plateforme.

Joyeux printemps! Dans cette édition : un retour sur nos derniers ateliers, des nouvelles fraîches de nos startups, et tout ce qu’il faut savoir sur nos programmes et événements à venir.

Jennifer Côté, PDG et cofondatrice d'Opalia, a été mise en avant dans Research Money, où elle a partagé son parcours en tant que fondatrice de startup et les progrès d'Opalia dans le développement de produits laitiers durables à base de cellules souches.

Bonne année! 2025 sera-t-elle l'année où votre grande idée prend vie? Rejoignez notre cohorte d'hiver et transformez vos rêves en réalité.

Félicitations à Anmol Nagpal, co-fondateur de Nospharma et coach à District 3, pour sa victoire au NeuroSphere Demo Day et son impact chez D3!

Découvrez nos prochains workshops, événements et dernières nouvelles de nos startups. Rejoignez-nous lors de notre prochaine Séance d’information à propos de District 3 social innovation et à notre Meet & Greet pour le programme de validation de l’hiver 2025.

Félivations à tous les membres du personnel de D3 et aux fondateurs qui ont été nommés cette année — votre impact résonne largement.

District 3 célèbre une décennie d'impact en soutenant plus de 1 200 startups dans des secteurs clés tels que la technologie, la santé et la durabilité.

District 3 de Concordia crée un environnement propice à l'épanouissement des fondateurs neurodivergents, favorisant une culture d'inclusion et de soutien pour tous les entrepreneurs.

Nous sommes ravis d'annoncer que notre communauté a été honorée par plusieurs nominations aux Startup Community Awards 2024! Une reconnaissance incroyable et un témoignage de notre impact collectif. Merci, et bravo!

Clinia se positionne comme un acteur clé de la santé numérique, visant à centraliser l'accès aux services médicaux en ligne pour simplifier le parcours de soins des patients.

Alors que l'automne approche, District 3 célèbre 10 ans d'impact et d'accompagnement des fondateurs de startup. Merci d’être avec nous. Restez à l’écoute pour les événements du 10ᵉ anniversaire, des panels et d’autres surprises signées D3.

En ce beau mois d’été, Mercure est en rétrograde, et nous aussi. Au travers des pannes wi-fi et de la chaleur étouffante, on prend quand même un moment pour vous donner des nouvelles et vous dire qu’on pense à vous.

Notre dernier livre blanc explore comment un milieu de travail inclusif permet non seulement de responsabiliser les individus, mais aussi de stimuler l'innovation.

Ça faisait longtemps qu’on ne s’était pas donné de nouvelles. Comment ça va? Bienvenu dans Le Hub, la nouvelle newsletter de District 3.

Dans le domaine des beaux-arts, le concept de résidence est bien connu : véritable expérience immersive, elle offre aux artistes un espace de création propice à l’exploration, à l’expérimentation et au tissage de liens. Et si une telle expérience pouvait transcender les disciplines?

Revenons sur une année 2023 brillante et marquante.