district 3 ecosystem news

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.

Trick or treat? At D3, you might find a co-founder at your door, a workshop to sharpen your conversational wizardry, or startups conjuring breakthroughs in foodtech, biotech, AI, and beyond. Whatever you pick, it’s all treats this fall.

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.

Soralink, a D3 startup, just signed a major agreement with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to launch a new predictive maintenance solution using Amazon Monitron technology. This partnership will help businesses reduce downtime and improve efficiency with scalable, smart IoT solutions.

We’re proud to share that MentorConnect team Triple Hair has signed an exclusive licensing agreement with Aché Laboratórios Farmacêuticos S.A. for the sale of their flagship product, Therapy-07, in Brazil—a strategic move into one of the largest hair care markets in the world.

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.

Last week, 10 startups from District 3's Sustainability Accelerator Program took the stage to pitch their business model and sustainability roadmap — each delivering a 5-minute presentation followed by live Q&A with a panel of ESG experts.

Co-founded by Claire Phan (CEO) and Julie Bertucceli (CSO), MiniGyn is rethinking gynecological care from the ground up — starting with the tools.

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.

Major gift to the Campaign for Concordia will advance initiatives at District 3 and the John Molson School of Business

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 is scaling up! Their first dedicated mushroom leather production facility is now launching in Montreal. Powered by fungi and circular design, this marks a major step toward sustainable, scalable alternatives to traditional leather.

Spring’s in full swing — and so is the momentum at D3. With a landmark contribution from Desjardins supporting both District 3 and JMSB, along with fresh startup wins and programs in full bloom, there’s a lot to celebrate. Check out our founder wellness study or join an upcoming pitch night.

Leaders of health science ventures are struggling with anxiety, depression and burnout, according to research from MaRS and District 3

One of our D3 startups, Rocket Doctor, is helping close healthcare gaps across the province while empowering independent physicians with a tech-first model that works.

Happy Spring! In this edition, explore insights from our recent workshops, the latest updates from D3 startups, and our upcoming program offerings and events!

Jennifer Côté, CEO & Co-Founder of Opalia, was featured in Research Money, sharing her journey as a startup founder and Opalia’s progress in developing sustainable, cell-based dairy products.

Begin your startup journey in 2025! Discover opportunities this winter at D3

We’re proud to celebrate Anmol Nagpal, Co-Founder of Nospharma and D3 Validation Coach, for winning the Audience Award at NeuroSphere Demo Day

As our fall cohort wraps up with their final pitches, we look forward to welcoming the next season of founders to D3

Congrats to all D3 staff and founders who were nominated this year—your impact resonates far and wide

Concordia’s District 3 celebrates a decade of fostering entrepreneurship and innovation, impacting over 1,200 startups across various sectors.

District 3 emphasizes the importance of creating a supportive environment for neurodivergent founders, fostering innovation and diversity in the startup world.

Explore upcoming workshops, events, and the latest from our startups

Clinia is positioning itself as a key player in digital health, aiming to centralize access to online medical services and simplify the patient care journey.

As we shift into autumn, District 3 is celebrating 10 Years of empowering founders and creating impact

At District 3, we see failure as a launchpad to success – every turning point offers us an opportunity to grow and learn something new

Our latest whitepaper explores how an inclusive workplace not only empowers individuals but drives innovation

Check out startup news, join our programs, attend D3 events, or drop by our co-working space

Final-year Concordia students and recent grads across all faculties can apply to the 12-week program by April 14

We look back on a successful and impactful year 2023.