Six researchers working in Canada took the stage at SFU Innovation Week to pitch STEM ventures, and Dr. Maria Cleveland’s textile-recycling startup came out on top.
On Day Two of SFU Innovation Week 2026, the i2I Innovation Pitch Competition put some of Canada’s brightest graduate-level researchers in front of a panel of top commercialization experts. After six sharp pitches, Q&A and a tough deliberation, the First Place prize was awarded to Maria Cleveland of Nylzyme with Second Place honours going to Vienna Lam and her venture, Taphos | Global Respect Services.
What is the i2I Innovation Pitch?
The i2I Innovation Pitch is the annual showcase of the i2I Skills Training Program, which Dr. Elicia Maine founded at Simon Fraser University in 2015- with early support from Mitacs- to help Canadian scientists, engineers and clinicians move research out of the lab and into the market. Finalists from i2I’s entrepreneurial mindset and commercialization training cohorts pitch their science and technology ventures to a panel of industry and commercialization experts, competing for cash prizes and valuable mentorship. Today, the National i2I Network delivers entrepreneurial training coast to coast, in English and French, with support from NSERC’s Lab to Market program.
Congratulations to Our Winners
1st Place ($5,000): Dr. Maria Cleveland, Nylzyme
Dr. Cleveland’s venture uses enzymes to turn nylon waste into new nylon, making textile circularity possible. A chemist with a PhD from the University of British Columbia and postdoctoral research in enzymatic plastic degradation at Queen’s University, she is an inaugural i2I Commercialization Fellow. In January 2027, she joins Université Laval as an Assistant Professor to continue advancing enzymatic recycling solutions with global impact.
$2,500 Prize: Dr. Vienna Lam, Taphos | Global Respect Services
Dr. Lam is a forensic taphonomy and injury prevention researcher, and a Senior Crime Analyst, who is turning public safety insights into innovative forensic and mortuary products that protect evidence and preserve the truth.
Congratulations to Our Finalists
Every finalist delivered a compelling, commercialization-ready pitch. Congratulations to:
- Dr. Martin Angerer, EchoLite: a compact, autonomous ultrasound sensing platform for real-time quality assurance of advanced materials and critical infrastructure.
- Dr. Tianyu Guo, Chitinova: a circular process for compostable, medical-grade fabric made from marine by-products.
- Dr. Atul Rangadurai, Nanovation Therapeutics: an RNA-based therapeutic aiming to free lupus patients from disease symptoms and medication.
- Dr. Manyou Sun, Faradix: thermo-electrochemical water electrolyzers that turn electricity and heat into affordable green hydrogen for industry.
Thank You to Our Judges
We are grateful to our expert panel for their time, insight, and thoughtful feedback:
- Dr. Erin Knock, Associate Director of Neural Biology, R&D, STEMCELL Technologies
- Kathryn Hayashi, Board Chair, Quantum Algorithms Institute (QAI)
- Karima Bawa, CEO, 3D Bridge Solutions
- Dr. Michael Damiani, Patent Lawyer and Registered Patent Agent, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG)
Pitches were scored on value proposition, ability to create and capture value, long-term market potential, IP strategy, team, presentation quality, Q&A, and social impact.
From Skills Training to the Pitch Stage
Every presenter was selected from pitches delivered in the i2I Skills Training Program, where Canadian graduate students and postdoctoral researchers in STEM learn the entrepreneurial skills needed to take research from the lab to the market, from customer discovery and market sizing to IP strategy and pitching.
The i2I Innovation Pitch is supported by Mitacs and NSERC through the Lab to Market grants program.
Ready to commercialize your research? Explore the i2I Skills Training Program and build the skills to turn your discovery into impact.
