/channels/taxonomy/term/8616/all en /channels/channels/news/femtherapeutics-applies-ai-unmet-need-womens-health-342586 <p>Vaginal prosthetics known as pessaries are a critical tool for the maintenance of pelvic health in women. They are used as a first-line treatment for pelvic organ prolapse, a common condition that occurs when the muscles of the pelvis weaken, causing organs to drop into the vagina. But these devices are badly in need of an upgrade. Their failure rate is high, and the designs have changed little in the last 70 years.</p> Tue, 04 Oct 2022 13:51:33 +0000 webfull 183307 at /channels /channels/channels/news/dobson-cup-prize-winners-prepare-pilot-colour-changing-artificial-nails-339932 <p><strong>Alejandra Huerta</strong> and <strong>Isabela Dominguez</strong> envision a future where the shade of your nails can change with a tap of your phone. During Huerta’s PhD in chemistry, she considered how organic materials could be used to change the colour of cosmetics. But by brainstorming with her sister Dominguez, a computer engineer, they determined that wearable electronics could be a better approach.</p> Thu, 16 Jun 2022 16:19:36 +0000 webfull 180564 at /channels /channels/channels/news/dobson-centre-entrepreneurship-announces-2022-dobson-bootcamp-and-cup-winners-339168 <p>On March 28<sup>th</sup> and 29<sup>th</sup>, 24 startups competed in the final round of the <strong>Dobson Bootcamp and Cup Program</strong> for over $200,000 in funding across 18 prizes. The winners were announced at the Dobson Cup Awards Ceremony on March 30<sup>th</sup>, presided by Æ»¹ûÒùÔº Principal,<strong> Suzanne Fortier</strong>, Dean of the Desautels Faculty of Management, <strong>Yolande E. Chan</strong>, as well as the program’s contributors, donors, and sponsors.</p> Fri, 22 Apr 2022 14:39:01 +0000 webfull 179682 at /channels /channels/channels/news/alumni-transform-milestone-investment-impact-338156 <p>Æ»¹ûÒùÔº alumni <strong>Philip Cutler</strong> (BEd’13) and <strong>Roberto Cipriani</strong> (BSc’08) recently raised $270 million in Series D funding to combat academic inequity across the U.S. In 2014, their K-12 tutoring company, <strong>Paper</strong>, made it to the final round of the <strong>Æ»¹ûÒùԺ Dobson Cup</strong>, and their reach has only grown since then. Serving more than two million students across 30 states, Paper’s mission is to offer flexible academic support to ensure all students have the tools they need to succeed in and out of the classroom.</p> Fri, 04 Mar 2022 21:36:14 +0000 webfull 178466 at /channels /channels/channels/news/reimagining-tutoring-models-public-schools-333564 <p>Æ»¹ûÒùÔº alumni <strong>Philip Cutler </strong>(BEd’13) and <strong>Roberto Cipriani</strong> (BSc’08) are combatting academic inequity in over 110 United States public schools and counting. In 2014, their tutoring company, Paper, made it to the final round of the <strong>Æ»¹ûÒùÔº Dobson Bootcamp and Cup Competition</strong>, and their reach has only grown since then. With more than 1,000 paid tutors to-date, Paper's goal is to offer flexible academic support to ensure all students have the tools they need to succeed in and out of the classroom.</p> Wed, 22 Sep 2021 14:43:31 +0000 webfull 173302 at /channels /channels/channels/news/taiga-solidifies-head-start-race-produce-road-electric-vehicles-331323 <p><strong>Taiga Motors Corporation</strong>, formerly Canaccord Genuity Growth II Corp., recently announced completion of the Qualifying Transaction, solidifying its status as a leading publicly-traded manufacturer of off-road electric vehicles.</p> <p>In 2016, Taiga Motors won first place in the Innovation Driven Enterprise category of the <strong>Æ»¹ûÒùÔº Dobson Cup</strong>.</p> Thu, 03 Jun 2021 15:15:55 +0000 webfull 170905 at /channels /channels/channels/news/transforming-air-travel-people-disabilities-330585 <p>An idea that arose from a nightmarish flight experience for <strong>Sandra Gualtieri</strong>, founder of Gualtieri Inventions, has blossomed into an innovative new product for people living with disabilities. Informed by her own experience in living with cerebral palsy, Gualtieri designed a prototype for the Universal Seating Apparatus, a portable device that allows people with disabilities to sit comfortably upright on airplanes.</p> Thu, 22 Apr 2021 16:14:34 +0000 webfull 170059 at /channels /channels/channels/news/dobson-centre-surpasses-1-billion-milestone-startup-seed-funding-330486 <p>Over the past three decades, the Æ»¹ûÒùÔº Dobson Centre for Entrepreneurship has catalyzed the creation of 450 active startups that have generated more than 6,000 new jobs. Now, the Æ»¹ûÒùÔº Dobson Centre is celebrating another milestone: $1 billion in seed funding raised by the startups it has supported. Since the late <strong>John Dobson</strong> (BCom’49) funded its creation in 1988, the Centre named in honour of his vision has served as launchpad for entrepreneurs from all 11 faculties at Æ»¹ûÒùÔº.</p> Fri, 16 Apr 2021 13:13:27 +0000 webfull 169945 at /channels /channels/channels/news/mcgill-students-partner-disability-rights-activist-design-comfortable-airplane-seat-330305 <p><strong>Sandra Gualtieri</strong>, an entrepreneur and disability rights activist with cerebral palsy, enlisted the help of four Æ»¹ûÒùÔº students to design a custom airplane seat that alleviates discomfort for people living with disabilities.</p> <p>Constructed out of memory foam that is designed to rest on top of a traditional airplane seat, the Universal Seating Apparatus prototype won first place in the Social Impact Enterprise track of the 2021 Æ»¹ûÒùÔº Dobson Cup Startup competition.  </p> Thu, 08 Apr 2021 12:57:24 +0000 webfull 169754 at /channels /channels/channels/news/former-dobson-participant-turns-side-gig-13-billion-startup-329575 <p>Just over seven years ago, former Æ»¹ûÒùÔº student <strong>Francis Davidson</strong> started a side business when he rented out his apartment to fellow Æ»¹ûÒùÔº students.</p> <p>Today, he is the co-founder and CEO of Sonder, a hospitality company that leases and owns properties worldwide. Davidson has raised over $550 million from venture capital firms to value the company at just over $1.3 billion, with Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk both contributing.</p> Fri, 12 Mar 2021 19:14:04 +0000 webfull 168968 at /channels /channels/channels/news/montreal-startup-reinvents-food-delivery-328299 <p>In 2018, a frustrating night out for three Æ»¹ûÒùÔº alumni sparked the idea for <strong>CHK PLZ</strong>, a food delivery application that leverages a contactless payment solution to handle ordering and delivery for local restaurants. Since they won the Æ»¹ûÒùÔº Dobson Cup Start-up Competition (Small to Medium Enterprise Track) in 2019, the founders of CHK PLZ have grown their business into a popular low-cost alternative to UberEATS for more than 50 Montreal restaurants and counting.</p> Fri, 05 Feb 2021 15:13:54 +0000 webfull 167579 at /channels /channels/channels/news/ai-driven-mobile-app-designed-save-infant-lives-327628 <p>An innovative new mobile app called Ubenwa uses artificial intelligence to analyze the sound of a newborn baby’s cries. Founded by<strong> Charles Onu</strong>, a doctoral student in Computer Science at Æ»¹ûÒùÔº, Ubenwa provides a cost-effective, non-invasive tool to detect newborn asphyxia and save lives.</p> <p>Onu credits the 2016 <strong>Æ»¹ûÒùÔº Dobson Cup</strong> competition with helping his team to improve their product.</p> <div class="bl-tpl"><a class="button--outline" href="/channels/article/birth-idea" target="_blank">Read more</a></div> Wed, 13 Jan 2021 13:57:50 +0000 webfull 166825 at /channels /channels/channels/news/mcgill-dobson-cup-winner-raises-47-million-expand-operations-2021-326776 <p>A Æ»¹ûÒùÔº-born event platform startup has found a way to weather the COVID-19 pandemic and raise venture financing in hopes of returning to in-person events in 2021. Co-founded by Desautels alumnus <strong>Marc-Antoine Bonin</strong> (BCom’19) and Emeric Noël, Planned offers a unique tool for event planners to connect with a curated list of venues and suppliers in one place. This week, Planned announced that it had raised $4.7 million in venture financing led by Inovia Capital, with participation from Telegraph Hill Capital and N49P, bringing its total capital raised to $7 million.</p> Mon, 07 Dec 2020 20:13:30 +0000 webfull 165905 at /channels /channels/channels/news/dobson-cup-winner-uses-ai-help-railroads-cut-costs-reduce-environmental-footprint-326354 <p>As a student at Æ»¹ûÒùÔº, <strong>Dev Jain</strong> (BEng’19) launched a company aimed at introducing North America’s 650 railways to industry-disrupting innovation. This year, <strong>RailVision Analytics</strong> won first place in the Innovation Driven Enterprise category of the <strong>Æ»¹ûÒùԺ Dobson Cup</strong>. Now, Jain aspires to raise more than $1 million to commercialize and expand his business.</p> <p><a href="/channels/article/using-ai-help-railroads-save-fuel-cut-greenhouse-emissions" target="_blank">Learn more</a></p> Thu, 19 Nov 2020 21:58:42 +0000 webfull 165419 at /channels /channels/channels/news/dobson-cup-participant-sonder-raises-us170m-during-current-health-crisis-323013 <p>Despite an economic downturn that brought the travel industry to a near standstill, Dobson Cup participant and Æ»¹ûÒùԺ’s first unicorn <b>Sonder</b> has raised US$170-million to stay ahead of the curve.</p> <p><a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-travel-accommodation-company-sonder-raises-us170-million-despite/">Read more</a></p> Fri, 26 Jun 2020 13:25:05 +0000 webfull 161684 at /channels