28 student teams engage in entrepreneurship, critically testing their ideas in the marketplace.
Dal Innovates is pleased to congratulate 28 ambitious entrepreneurial student teams on completing Atlantic Canada’s Collide Validate Winter 2025 program. During the six-week program, 41 students from nine postsecondary institutions thoroughly tested and evaluated their business ideas for market readiness.
For the first time, Collide Validate was offered in two cohorts: in-person and virtual. These cohorts were delivered by Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC), and the University of Prince Edward Island.
“In Atlantic Canada, student innovation is thriving, and Dal Innovates is pleased to partner with post-secondary institutions across the region to support this growth,” said Jeff Larsen, assistant vice president, innovation and entrepreneurship at Dalhousie University. “We are excited to offer our unique Collide Validate program, which equips students with the tools to conduct rigorous customer discovery, reduce risks, and create products or services that meet real market needs.”
Jewell Tan, a Master of Design student at the NSCAD, is among the successful program graduates. “Child myopia is a growing epidemic, and Collide Validate helped me refine my business model and my Seeya toy set to address the needs of parents seeking to reduce screen time and promote healthy vision habits for their children,” she shared.
Collide offers a suite of extracurricular innovation and entrepreneurship education programs primarily targeting post-secondary students in Atlantic Canada. Lab2Market offers similar programs for graduate students and researchers interested in commercializing research. These programs unfold in three stages – Discover, Validate, and Launch – and provide students with the skills, experiences and mindset to drive their innovative and entrepreneurial ideas into catalysts for change.
Led and provided by Dalhousie University, Collide programming is also delivered by Acadia University, Mount Allison University, Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC), and the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI). Collide programs are also offered directly to students through Dal Innovates, working in partnership with Cape Breton University (CBU), NSCAD, Saint Mary’s University (SMU), and the Centre for Entrepreneurship Education and Development (CEED). Collide is funded through the support of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) as well as other donors and supporters.
Meet the 2025 Collide Validate teams:
| 14 Teams (Atlantic Canada Cohort) | Academic Institute | Description of Venture in Development |
|---|---|---|
| Shaun Taylor | University of Prince Edward Island | AeroHarvest Solutions – Drone-based precision agriculture services to optimize crop health, irrigation, and pest management. |
| Neha Kumari | Memorial University of Newfoundland | AssuredHubs – A platform specializing in mid-term rentals to match vetted tenants with verified landlords. |
| Duy Nguyen, Huy Ba Pham | University of Prince Edward Island | Digital Tech Care – A one-tap interface platform that helps seniors and non-tech-savvy individuals connect to video calls, entertainment, healthcare, and other essential services, with remote support from caregivers or relatives. |
| Ali Rizvi | University of Prince Edward Island | EcoBite – A digital platform to reduce food waste and promote sustainability by connecting restaurants with leftover food to consumers seeking discounted options. |
| Alejandro Quezada | Dalhousie University | Ember Co-op – A nonprofit focused on wildfire mitigation by mobilizing local volunteers for large-scale, sustainable fuel management. Using a circular economy approach, it processes forest material into mulch to reduce wildfire risks while fostering community connections. |
| Ben McQuaid | University of Prince Edward Island | Ez Breathe Heat Pump Cleaning – A professional maintenance and heat pump cleaning service for a cleaner and healthier environment. |
| Eric MacRae | University of Prince Edward Island | Fitness Finder App – Online booking platform for browsing a wide variety of gyms, fitness studios, and classes in any city within seconds. |
| Nancy Kotei-Sass | Saint Mary’s University | Kacy’s Delight – A bakery offering a range of traditional African pastries made with local ingredients to deliver a unique taste experience and to introduce upcoming bakers to the cultural richness of African flavors. |
| Richard (RJ) Hetherington | University of Prince Edward Island | LimbRise Recovery Solutions – An innovative leg support device engineered to facilitate medical recovery by eliminating weight-bearing on the knee, foot, or ankle, while ensuring upper-body mobility. |
| Emmanuel Egorp, Kenneth Osekhuemen | University of Prince Edward Island + Saint Mary’s University | MealMatch – An app that connects grocery stores, farmers, and restaurants with students, newcomers, and low-income households to offer discounted surplus and near-expiry food. It also features “Buffet & Boards” events to promote community engagement and mental well-being. |
| Lika Kramarchuk, Erika Marcelo, Diya Bubna | University of Prince Edward Island | Purely PEI – Eco-friendly dog treats crafted using the finest local ingredients like lobster extract, fish, pumpkin, and antioxidant-rich blueberries. Allergen-free and packed with nutrition, these treats bring the taste of PEI to pets while promoting their health and happiness. |
| Sara Sharifi | Dalhousie University | Roohheal – A culturally inspired mental wellness platform for international students and immigrants. It provides multilingual resources, including guided meditations, culturally sensitive therapist matchmaking, and peer support forums to address the culture shock, stigma, and language barriers. |
| Oluwatobi Oriade | University of Prince Edward Island | Taksi – A new and cost-effective process for converting older gas-powered cars into electric vehicles by replacing key engine components with electric alternatives. These eco-friendly vehicles would join a car-sharing fleet, offering sustainable transportation. |
| Rosaline Antoun, Mucyo Joshua Rugema | University of Prince Edward Island | ToGo Services – A mobile app that uses location-based technology to connect users with local service providers in categories such as home repairs, personal care, and pet services. It enables users to compare options based on price, quality, and availability, to make quick and informed decisions. |
| 14 Teams (Halifax Cohort) | Academic Institute | Description of Venture in Development |
|---|---|---|
| Hannah Meagher, Ashish Ganapathy, Aneesa Hussain | Dalhousie University + Saint Mary’s University | Accesstructure – A digital twin platform designed to audit buildings for accessibility compliance and offer facilities managers actionable solutions to make accessibility improvements seamless, cost-effective, and transformative for public institutions. |
| Kripa Hariharan Nandam Srinivasan | Dalhousie University | Altharis – Transforming stroke recovery with smart rehab devices and a gamified therapy app powered by AI. Our app adjusts in real-time to each patient’s progress, adding challenges and rewards to keep motivation high. For physicians, our tools provide remote insights, saving time, while insurers benefit from reduced long-term care costs. |
| Hrishi Patel, Harsh Patel | Dalhousie University | Apifi – A marketplace for developers to turn their code solutions into profitable APIs and provide fellow developers with proven battle-tested tools. Apifi offers seamless infrastructure, documentation, and billing to help generate passive income and accelerate projects, building a developer-to-developer economy where solutions multiply. |
| Jake Young, Shawn Ray | Dalhousie University | Shelltech – An aquaculture technology company focusing on reducing shellfish mortality by sorting quality specimens and optimizing environmental conditions using AI assisted cameras and systems. |
| Jeremiah Philips, Kavin Kadam | Dalhousie University + University of British Columbia | Clarify Student Resources – Helping educators to deliver personalized lessons that cater to each student’s unique needs. By using data analysis and machine learning to automate tasks, this adaptive system enhances learning by addressing individual strengths and learning styles to improve outcomes and help students unlock their potential. |
| Dekid Wu | NSCAD University | Inspresso – A cutting-edge tool for creative professionals to capture, organize, and access inspirations seamlessly, boosting productivity. More than a creative tool, it’s your partner in turning ideas into reality. |
| Lin Jiang, Zhicong Wan | NSCAD University + Cape Breton University | Linkplanet INC.– A project management software for subcontractors and small businesses, offering tools for planning, tracking, and budgeting. Real-time sync, offline support, and smart notifications keep projects on track. |
| Shima Soltani | NSCAD University | Mector – A memory connector technology that supports seniors with Alzheimer’s. It focuses on daily routines, helping seniors keep their short-term memory active to be more independent and confident. |
| Melina Markotjohn | Dalhousie University | Nimbus – Innovative earplugs that offer active noise cancellation with frequency selectivity, filtering disruptive noises while allowing speech and alarms. Additional features will include tinnitus masking and sleep mode with white noise or calming soundscapes. |
| Michelle Kemigisha | Saint Mary’s University | OptiFem – A platform that uses advanced sports science to create strength and conditioning programs for female athletes. By integrating factors like hormonal cycles, biomechanics, and injury prevention, it offers customized regimens and tools for tracking progress and adjusting athlete-specific plans in real time. |
| Shakara Russell Louise Adongo | Dalhousie University | OsunWell – A wearable menopause tracking app that combines bio-data from the microbiome, genetics, and hormonal mapping with tools to help women address hormonal imbalances and take control over their symptoms. |
| Kunal Gandotra , Hariesh Annadevara | Nova Scotia Community College + Dalhousie University | Park Easy – An app that helps drivers find available parking spots in real-time. Powered by AI, sensor technology, image recognition, and GPS, the platform could also offer dynamic pricing, allowing users to compare prices and book a spot instantly. |
| Jewell Tan | NSCAD University | Seeya – A toy set designed to address child myopia due to excessive screentime and promote healthy vision habits. Using research-backed features, it encourages varied focus distances and shapes to reduce eye strain and support eye development. |
| Pavankumar Sakhare, Mayuri Kate | Dalhousie University | TraceMark – A software platform that provides digital verification to consumers about the quality and ethical sourcing of the diamond jewelry they wish to purchase. It enables retail jewelers to offer a verified record of each step in the manufacturing process until it becomes a piece of jewelry, using blockchain technology. |
About Dal Innovates
Dal Innovates provides opportunities for students and faculty to explore entrepreneurship and develop the skills to translate ideas into innovations. Since 2020, over 900 students and faculty from 25 colleges and universities across Canada have participated in Dal Innovates programs. Dal Innovates alumni have gone on to raise $19 million in private and public funding. Empowering participants to build and contribute to successful ventures, its programs support every step of the venture journey—from identifying market needs and building prototypes to sourcing investment and securing patents.