The VentureLift Grant supports trainee-entrepreneurs at various stages of commercialization by helping them overcome critical development milestones and accelerate their progress toward market readiness. In this inaugural round, BioHubNet received 22 applications, with three selected for funding.
Congratulations to the following recipients in our first round of funding:
- Ehsan Zare Bidaki, University of Waterloo, ThermOcular AI Corp.
ThermOcular AI is developing the first AI-powered, temperature-based screening platform for Dry Eye Disease—designed to deliver fast, affordable, and objective assessments during routine eye exams. Our goal is to transform dry eye diagnostics with real-time thermal imaging and automated biomarkers that improve clinical efficiency and patient care.
Project Title: Advancing Commercialization of ThermOcular: An AI-Powered Diagnostic Platform for Dry Eye Screening
- Jonathan Labriola, University of Toronto, Synakis
Synakis’ is developing ocular solutions to provide a quick, comfortable, and convenient recovery for patients with retinal injuries and disease.
Project Title: Manufacturing processes and design controls for SNK-125
- Marc Shenouda, University of Toronto, Neuropeutics Inc.
Neuropeutics is a pharmaceutical company developing targeted therapies to extend neurodegenerative disease patients’ survival and improve their quality of life. We have developed a first-in-class patent-pending small molecule with great efficacy in preclinical models of TDP-43 pathology.
Project Title: Enabling Pre-seed Round Raise for the Development of Small Molecule Targeting TDP-43 Protein Aggregation for the Treatment of Neurodegenerative Diseases
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Visit our VentureLift Grant page to check eligibility.