Velocity

Firefighters, industrial workers, and hazmat responders know their gear contains PFAS chemicals that are harming them. Until now, they've had no alternative. EverBond, led by a University of Waterloo professor, Boxin Zhao, and a seasoned industry executive Trent Ogilvie ICD.D, is changing that with a PFAS-free, breathable coating that actively neutralizes toxic agents on contact rather than acting as a passive barrier. The result: continuous protection and gear that's actually wearable, solving two problems that have plagued the industry for decades. The company has a published PCT patent, completed early licensing discussions, and established industry collaborations validating both the technology and the market need. EverBond has secured dilutive and non-dilutive funding, with support from Velocity and Waterloo Commercialization Office (WatCo). Read more: https://lnkd.in/euM-mJ5F

How Kitchener’s Finite Robotics aims to help grow larger apples A crunchy, tasty, and low-cost apple is the goal for Finite Robotics. The company has developed an orchard robot that supports fruit thinning during the growing season, removing excess apples so the remaining ones have more room to grow. Co-founder and president Matt Stevens shares how the technology works and what it means for growers. 🎬 Watch more on CBC News: https://lnkd.in/ezFpBaPr

A new approach to recovery, built for movement Most compression gear works, but only if you're willing to lie still for 30 minutes with bulky boots on your legs. Jordan Savage (BASc ’22, MASc ’24) and Caleb Horst (BASc ’02, MASc ’04) founded Strivonix to change that. Their wearable compression pants use air muscles wrapped around the leg, so recovery no longer requires you to stop. By combining soft robotics and microfluidics, Strivonix is developing compression systems that deliver therapy in a more natural, responsive way. Born out of research at the University of Waterloo and supported by Velocity and Waterloo Commercialization Office (WatCo), the team is bringing this technology from lab to real-world recovery. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gwsxsmyx

JUST A HANDFUL OF TICKETS REMAIN, LAST CALL!!!

Mappedin raises $24.5M to map the indoors at scale Mappedin has raised $24.5M in Series B funding, led by Edison Partners with participation from Betatron Venture Group, to accelerate its vision for indoor mapping. Mappedin builds digital maps for complex indoor spaces like malls, airports, and large venues, making it easier for people to navigate and for businesses to power location-based experiences. The company’s roots go back more than a decade to founder Hongwei Liu’s time as an engineering student at the University of Waterloo, with early momentum supported by $25,000 in funding from Velocity in 2011. Today, Mappedin has mapped over 10 billion square feet across 86 countries, helping guide more than 450 million visitors. Its technology is used by major destinations including Simon Property Group, Los Angeles International Airport, and Super Bowl stadiums. Congratulations to the Mappedin team on this milestone achievement. Read more: https://lnkd.in/d3gCvvsc

TimeSmart.AI secures strategic investment, backed by Velocity Fund, to fix one of healthcare's most expensive blind spots Managing physician contracts is one of healthcare's most expensive blind spots, and most health systems are still navigating it with spreadsheets and static PDFs. TimeSmart.AI, a Kitchener-based healthcare technology company, has secured a new investment round led by Graphite Ventures, with participation from Velocity Fund, MaRS Investment Accelerator Fund, Archangel Network of Funds, and a syndicate of strategic angel investors. The funding will accelerate the buildout of TimeSmart's AI-driven platform for physician contract compliance, compensation tracking, and audit readiness. Discrepancies in contract adherence can lead to overpayments, revenue leakage, and regulatory penalties, and yet most organizations still rely on fragmented, manual workflows. TimeSmartAI replaces that chaos with a single system of record. One early customer cut payment cycles by over 50% while reducing invoice administration time by 25%. “Healthcare systems are hemorrhaging money through contract misalignment and manual workflows. TimeSmart.AI solves this problem with AI-driven precision. The founding team's deep clinical informatics expertise and early traction makes us confident that they're the team that can scale this solution across thousands of providers. Ismail and Ranjith understand the problem viscerally and have the execution chops to own the market.” - Akash Vaswani, General Partner at Velocity Fund. The funding will accelerate the buildout of TimeSmart's AI-driven platform for physician contract compliance, compensation tracking, and audit readiness, while fueling its expansion into the U.S. market. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eBQ4neSr

Turning sunlight into a solution for mine water Mining operations face a growing challenge: how to treat and reuse process-affected water without relying on energy-intensive systems or costly infrastructure. H2nanO is addressing this with its patented SolarPass technology, which uses sunlight to generate oxidants that break down contaminants in mine water. By harnessing natural and surplus energy, the approach enables low-energy treatment, desalination, and water reuse while reducing carbon emissions. H2nanO recently secured $1.8M in funding from Emissions Reduction Alberta (ERA) to advance low-energy water treatment and reuse solutions for Canada’s energy and mining sectors. Learn more about H2nanO: https://www.h2nano.ca/

Twelve University of Waterloo Engineering student teams brought serious energy and creativity to this year’s Norman Esch Entrepreneurship Awards, taking home more than $100,000 in funding. The Capstone Design pitch competition showed just how far these teams have taken their ideas. What started in the classroom is already translating into real ventures with early traction and clear potential. We’re excited to see many of them continue their journey in our Summer Accelerator, Velocity’s immersive program supporting recent and soon-to-be graduates as they transition into full-time entrepreneurship. Great to see Akash Vaswani from Velocity Fund among the judges sharing feedback, and Matt Stevens from Finite Farms hosting the event. Read more: https://lnkd.in/ghBnjXvF