BoutIQ Solutions Inc. team members present at 2025 Biotech Venture Pitch Competition: (left to right) Doris Adao, Alice Feng and Heta Lad.
Six promising early-stage biotech ventures took center stage at the 2025 Building a Biotech Venture Pitch Competition, held on May 8 at the University of Toronto’s (U of T’s) Myhal Centre for Engineering Innovation and Entrepreneurship. The event drew an audience of more than 180 attendees from across the biotechnology, venture capital, startup, and academic communities to witness the next wave of scientific innovation being translated into commercial opportunity.
Led by PRiME Next-Generation Precision Medicine, in close partnership with Medicine by Design (part of CCRM), Health Innovation Hub (H2i), and Talk Boutique, the Building a Biotech Venture program supports teams from U of T and its affiliated hospitals as they translate regenerative and precision medicine breakthrough research into viable startup ventures. After months of venture-building workshops and mentorship, six teams pitched their business ideas to a panel of expert judges and a public audience.
First place goes to BoutIQ Solutions Inc.
STEMCELL Technologies’ James Vinnai (second from right) presenting a prize package to boutIQ Solutions Inc.
BoutIQ Solutions Inc. was named the 2025 Building a Biotech Venture Grand Prize winner for its AI/machine learning-powered platform to optimize cell culture media development for regenerative medicine, biotechnology, and cellular agriculture. Led by Alice Feng, Heta Lad, and Doris Adao from the labs of Julie Audet and Craig Simmons at U of T, the team was awarded:
- $25,000 in research funding, sponsored by PRiME and Medicine by Design
- $5,000 BioHubNet VentureConnect Travel Award
- A prize package from STEMCELL Technologies that includes product discounts, scientific support, training and more – part of its commitment to supporting new biotechnology companies in Canada
- 1:1 advisory session with Creative Destruction Lab (CDL)
“Congratulations to our multidisciplinary team members as winning the [Building a Biotech Venture] pitch competition speaks volume in terms of their ability to collaborate and work with each other effectively, often with very tight timelines” says Audet, co-founder of BoutIQ Solutions Inc., and professor at the Institute of Biomedical Engineering, U of T. “[Building a Biotech Venture] provided them with professional development opportunities and means to acquire skills complementary to their scientific and research expertise. It is hard to believe all that has been accomplished by the team so far. We have great ambitions for BoutIQ and it is definitely a venture to watch!”
Audience picks Linker to win People’s Choice Award
The People’s Choice Award, determined by live audience voting, was awarded to Linker, a venture developing long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) therapies to treat inflammation in cardiovascular disease, led by Janice Pang from Omar Khan lab at U of T. Linker received:
- $5,000 BioHubNet VentureConnect Travel Award
- 1:1 advisory session with CDL
“Congratulations to the winners and all the finalists who brought bold ideas and incredible energy to the stage. A heartfelt thank you to our judges – Sarah Farr, Evelyn Pau, Mathew Platt, and Mark Steedman – and to our incredible mentors and partners across U of T and Toronto’s thriving biotech ecosystem,” said Akshita Vincent, director of strategy & partnerships at PRiME. “The [Building a Biotech Venture] program is a powerful example of what’s possible when research excellence meets entrepreneurial ambition. More than just a pitch competition, it’s a launchpad for emerging ventures, and a model for how our ecosystem supports early-stage innovation by helping research teams collaborate, gain confidence, and take their first steps toward turning transformative science into real-world impact.”
“We congratulate the winning team, boutIQ Solutions. It was a difficult decision, as each of the six ventures gave a fantastic presentation,” says Allison Brown, senior vice president, academic engagement & philanthropy, CCRM. “Over the years, the most exciting part of the pitch competition to us is seeing the growth of all the teams. Many come into the program with just a spark of an idea and leave with a solid foundation for a company. And many teams have thrived because of the start they got from Building a Biotech Venture.”
Paul Santerre, director of H2i and professor at the Faculty of Dentistry and the Institute of Biomedical Engineering at U of T, adds, “We continue to witness with [Building a Biotech Venture] cohorts, and this year was no exception, the outstanding commitment that [U of T] scientists, including faculty and trainees, have towards enabling deep tech science [to] become a reality in the clinic, for all of society to benefit from.”
The 2025 Building a Biotech Venture Pitch Competition was generously supported by STEMCELL Technologies, BioHubNet, and the Creative Destruction Lab (CDL), whose contributions helped provide meaningful resources and opportunities for the winning teams.
