Eight start-ups founded by Western Entrepreneurs will take the stage at the 9th edition of Western Angels’ Demo Day, seeking to raise capital from investors and experienced founders from the Western alumni community.
Held in Toronto on December 5, 2024, the eight ventures will present asks ranging from $250,000 to $1 million.
Launched in 2020, Western Angels’ Demo Day is an initiative designed to bring together entrepreneurs and investors from Western to partner and collaborate on creating Canada’s next generation of great companies.
The upcoming event will include a fireside chat with former presenters who have successfully raised capital and a showcase of early-stage start-ups from the Western Accelerator.
Aaqaraty
Aaqaraty is a broker-to-broker real-estate platform that allows brokers to securely and efficiently collaborate on real-estate deals in the MENA region. The platform is designed with privacy and security concerns in mind, as well as the WhatsApp culture of the region. Brokers use the platform to generate and submit qualified inquiries on behalf of clients.
Aaqaraty is led by Aziz Sardar, BMOS’19, MOS’22, and Omar Moharrem.
Project Alchemy
Project Alchemy is an addictive and fun 15-minute party game created by Electric Sheep Studios that leverages Generative AI that is seeking investment capital to be the first to market in a greenfield space. The venture currently has a functional proof-of-concept demo and plans to launch its Minimum Viable Game by Q1 2025.
Electric Sheep Studios was founded by Jonathan Lau, MBA ’16, Meghana Bhange, and James Emmrich.
Materia Bioworks
Materia Bioworks leverages machine learning to create sustainable polymer formulations from biomaterials, offering eco-friendly alternatives to traditional plastics. The venture's MAPS platform accelerates material discovery, connects innovators through a marketplace, and significantly reduces R&D costs and time. Materia Bioworks empowers industries to adopt high-performance, sustainable solutions, driving a more efficient and environmentally responsible future.
Materia Bioworks is led by Western BBA graduate Rajan Manocha, Kevin Eriksen, MMA ’24, and Hasitha de Alwis.
Xatoms
Xatoms is an award-winning water purification company, founded on 7 years of R&D, utilizing patented quantum chemistry and AI technology for material discovery to eliminate dangerous contaminants using any light source. These materials are applied as coatings on filters and only need to be reapplied annually. Currently, Xatoms has three ongoing pilots in Kenya, South Africa, and the US.
Xatoms is led by Diana Virgovicova, Kerem Topal Ismail Oglou, and Shirley Zhong.
Gigbanc
Gigbanc is Africa's best neobank for global freelancers and businesses. This fintech venture empowers African youth with all the financial tools they need to thrive in the digital economy including multi-currency wallets, debit cards, bill payments, currency conversion, credit, investing, insurance, and more. Gigbanc believes in the transformative idea that if young Africans can gain access to electricity, the internet, and a computer, they can develop new skills and begin exporting their talent and human capital globally.
Gigbanc was founded by Paul Okundaye, HBA ’19, and Babatope Oni.
Chaser
Chaser is a project management solution embedded into Slack and Email. Chaser ensures everyone is in sync with automatic Team Status Reports and sends private reminders to ensure nothing slips through the cracks.
Chaser is led by Josh Martow, BMSc’14, and Alex Steshenko.
RavenRiskAI, Inc.
RavenRiskAI transforms credit diligence and assessment by private credit firms, investment managers and banks by integrating cutting-edge AI, machine learning, and deep financial expertise into their workflows. The platform streamlines the evaluation and management of large-scale corporate loans and credit investments, offering real-time, data-driven solutions that surpass traditional methods. By addressing the complexities of today's corporate credit landscape, RavenRiskAI empowers lenders to make more informed decisions efficiently, revolutionizing risk management in the financial sector.
RavenRiskAI, Inc. was founded by Western alum Blair Fleming and Frank Piazza.
Elluströs
Elluströs revolutionizes workplace ergonomics with its AI-driven mobile app that calculates optimal ergonomic posture and provides personalized recommendations. The app, complemented by the ergonomic SMARTChair, educates users and adjusts in real-time for maximum comfort and productivity. Elluströs integrates ergonomic intelligence into various IoT products, enhancing workplace well-being and efficiency.
Elluströs is led by Western Kineseology graduate Diana Gillstrom.