Dunin-Deshpande Innovation Centre Regional Pitch Competition 2026

Kingston's largest pitch competition for early-stage ventures. Join the DDQIC team and 15 amazing ventures pitching in the 2026 Regional Pitch Competition. Take a look below to see the descriptions of our competing ventures! As Kingston's Life Sciences Network grows, so does the talent creating new ventures in the space. For the first time, we will host a life sciences-dedicated block and our classic, sector-agnostic block. Sprinkled throughout the day, we will have special panels from the Kingston startup ecosystem on funding programs, innovation talks, and Queen's University CEO alumni. Please see the agenda below for a detailed breakdown of the day. Watch as start-ups compete to win funding for their venture, with a prize pool of up to $100,000 in non-dilutive seed funding. Attendees can also vote for the venture they believe has the greatest market potential for the Wisdom of the Market Award. The event will be held in person on Queen's campus, or online via Zoom. Make sure you select your preferred attendance method when you choose your ticket! In-person address: Mitchell Hall Building Atrium, 69 Union Street. (Kingston, ON). Life Sciences Block: Anansi Care - Anansi Care creates TV Peripheral devices and mobile software that help seniors in long-term care reminisce about their best memories, connect with family, reduce behavioural issues, and improve safety through fall detection. Argan Biomedical Technologies - Building on over 50 years of engineering research, Argan is developing synthetic biomaterials for cell and immune therapy. Our synthetic polymer gel leverages the body’s defence mechanisms to trigger natural healing processes. Axera - Axera is developing a pharmacomicrobiomics-based precision psychiatry platform that uses gut microbiome biomarkers to predict patients’ responses to antidepressants. Our goal is to provide clinicians with a personalized decision-support tool that reduces trial-and-error prescribing and, ultimately, to expand this approach across multiple psychiatric disorders and treatments. Brigid - Brigid is an AI-powered calling platform that helps patients stay monitored between care touchpoints. ClinAI - ClinAI is an AI-powered clinical education platform that gives medical students realistic practice with the hardest patient conversations (ie., breaking bad news) through simulated patient encounters with real-time, criterion-referenced feedback. myLyme - myLyme is a tick testing venture. myLyme is working towards generating the pathogen intelligence needed to improve health outcomes for people and pets through next-generation surveillance and innovation. Strik Decisive Diagnostics - PolypStrik is a machine learning platform that automatically screens colonic polyps and highlights suspicious areas for focused human review. It automates high-volume diagnosis and enhances workflow to strengthen patient safety, all while keeping the pathologist firmly in the loop. Weterus - Weterus is a women’s health venture helping women understand their existing hormone blood work through personalized, plain-language education grounded in cited medical research and rule-based logic rather than generative AI. Built to keep health literacy accessible, Weterus is growing beyond the platform and building a broader women's health ecosystem. Sector-Agnostic Block: Corax - Corax Systems builds behavioural AI that spots shoplifting live on standard security camera feeds. Retailers get instant alerts for concealment and suspicious activity, turning passive cameras into an active loss-prevention system. Kyntrack - A software platform where we help coaches ensure their athletes stay physically and mentally healthy so they can keep playing at their best. Maajii - Maajii is a platform that addresses a major systemic issue in the Canadian startup sector - early-stage risk aversion. Maajii creates data where none existed and pairs angel investors with founders to maximize the chance that they meet each other’s goals. MercSentAI - MercSentAI is AI-powered merchant risk infrastructure that helps payment companies identify, assess, and continuously monitor high-risk merchants. MMC Labs - MMC is a single-camera precision motion capture and computer vision company aimed at improving accessibility. Our validated algorithms enable custom data pipelines, faster research, and shared setups across commercial settings, labs, and universities. Nylzyme - Nylzyme uses enzymes to turn nylon waste into new nylon — so the fabric you throw away becomes the fabric you wear next, making textile circularity possible. Valorin - Solar defect detection agentic software platform.