York University’s YSpace welcomes a new cohort of technology startups to its Technology Accelerator program, which begins this month. The four-month virtual accelerator program is designed to support entrepreneurs as they launch and scale their ventures through bootcamps, workshops, one-on-one mentorship, and over $30,000 in cash awards plus perks.

The Technology Accelerator program focuses on helping pre-revenue technology startups execute their go-to-market strategies and acquire customers, providing ample opportunities for hands-on experience, accountability sessions, customized mentorship, and connecting with key partners in the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Get to know the 16 technology companies in the 2021 cohort below.

Connexa is a customer service platform dedicated to helping small- and medium-sized companies maintain a human connection with their customers.

Dwellcome is an onboarding platform to welcome residents and help them adapt to their new community after they move in.

Elizion Tech is a groundbreaking nanotech company leading the way in cutting-edge nanomaterials and product development to address 21st century challenges.

Find A Nurse set out to lead the digital transformation of traditional home care and build the next-generation home care system for families.

Honeybee is a cross-platform software that connects researchers and study participants for health studies. Its mission is to modernize health research workflows and democratize health research for all.

HUEX Labs is involved in research and productization around the areas of artificial intelligence, specifically machine learning, data analytics, computer vision and speech recognition technologies.

Mely.ai provides accurate and automatic key information extraction from freight documents such as Bill of Lading, Commercial Invoice, Packing List and more.

No Fuss Tutors offers immersive one-on-one tutoring programs to catch students up to grade level in 12 weeks. Its vision is to make use of the revenue from its fast-scaling tutoring to fund development of EdTech.

PPalli empowers individuals to build healthy internet-use habits to better their social, physical and mental well-being.

Positive Reactions is a platform for social change. Users are rewarded for doing good, creating a loop of positivity.

Reachout is an early-career community where students can find internship/full-time jobs, employers can hire diverse talent, and career centers can manage the complex works.

Taku Retail makes it possible for physical retail stores to automatically provide a much better digital neighbourhood shopping experience and attract local customers who buy more both in-store and online.

Taonga lets users take back control of their personal documents through an end-to-end encrypted app.

Veer AI helps small- and medium-sized retail companies make data-driven marketing decisions.

VIBRAINT RehUp is a brain-computer interface-based neurorehabilitation system that helps paralyzed people to re-gain limbs motion.

VoxCell BioInnovation Inc. is a biotechnology startup focused on the creation of Canada’s first multiphoton 3D bioprinter.

YSpace, York University’s innovation hub, is excited to welcome the 12 participating companies in the third cohort of its Food Accelerator program, which begins this month. A first-of-its-kind initiative in the GTA, the Food Accelerator supports promising food and beverage consumer-packaged goods (CPG) ventures as they build their strategy, grow their network and scale their business.

Launched in partnership with the Regional Municipality of York Region and the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative, the five-month Food Accelerator program helps scale high growth food and beverage ventures through customized workshops, expert mentorship and peer-to-peer circles.

Meet the new cohort of food ventures below.

Algi Foods creates delicious, purpose-driven food products centred around algae. Its introductory product, the IMPACT Bar, is an unprocessed plant-based energy bar made with spirulina algae. Algi Foods’ mission is to redefine the food landscape by creating a wide variety of algae-based food products that make it easy for consumers to get great-tasting, nutritious and sustainable food products centred around algae.

Appleflats Foods is commercializing a forgotten Canadian heritage, crabapple, into a variety of products. The company’s crabapple jelly and mixers provide healthy foodies with delicious mixed drinks and natural jams made with simple ingredients.

Bro Dough is introducing a healthier way to indulge in your favourite childhood treat with its 100 per cent vegan, egg-free and zero-guilt edible cookie dough. With added protein, it makes the perfect post-workout snack. Dip it, scoop it, spread it; have your dough – your way Bro.

The Little Red Bake Shop is a cookie subscription business that helps customers celebrate the beautiful in every single day by bringing delicious homemade cookies right to their doorstep each month. The team also offers custom sugar cookies that can be ordered for special events, because no event should go without a little extra sweetness.

Metavo, produced by SP Nutraceuticals, is a natural supplement that contains AvoB, a powerful bioactive found in avocados that helps promote good health. This product maintains normal blood sugar levels and helps support a healthy metabolism.

More Granola is a gourmet granola brand setting out to make healthy eating more indulgent. Its dessert-inspired granola flavours are made with simple, good-for-you ingredients. More Granola is bridging the gap between granola cereal and granola bars, because they believe you should have it all. So why settle for less, when you can have More.

Nola Baking Co. is a Canadian company focused on creating healthy food products with clean, all-natural ingredients. Products are made with 100 per cent real food and contain no gluten, dairy, eggs, refined sugar or artificial preservatives.

Neophyto Foods seeks to make plant-based versions of everyone’s favourite foods without compromising on taste, texture or sustainability. Its newest product, Neokit, is the first plant-based meat kit made here. With only five ingredients, Neokit is shelf stable without preservatives, and it can be used just like ground meat.

Oatsy Bar is on a mission to end Canada’s addiction to candy-like energy bars. Its bars are half the sugar (none refined) of the leading energy bar brand. Their low glycemic load reduces blood sugar spikes, leading to better recovery, less hunger, and improved energy. Finally, they contain nutrient-dense whole foods to achieve an incredible macro and micronutrient profile full of fibre, protein and omega 3s.

It’s Souper is an Afro-fusion soup and sauce line that’s shaking up the food and beverage industry with hearty, spicy, and flavourful African-inspired recipes. Over 60 per cent of Black immigrants moving annually to Canada are of African descent, yet less than 2 per cent of products available in the mainstream grocery store cater to their needs. It’s Souper was launched to solve this problem by creating nostalgia through food and catering to the diverse culinary needs of Canadians.

Taltis Foods Inc. is bringing African-oriented food products to Canadians everywhere, allowing food adventurers to experience the uniqueness of African cuisine. The team combines local African ingredients to make cultural and delicious beverages and sauces such as the lemongrass drink, the Baobab drink, the Hibiscus drink and the popular Jollof sauce originally from Senegal.

Zing is a pandemic-born food brand that makes small batch, chef-prepared pantry shortcuts. Its vegan and gluten-free condiments and seasoning salts are designed to be home cooking hacks: just add Zing (and if you want, nothing else!) to any recipe for a punch of flavour without the extra effort.

Innovation York and the National Research Council of Canada’s Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP) are pleased to announce another round of the Artificial Intelligence Industry Partnership Fund program to support artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) collaborative research projects for industry and York University researchers.

This is a unique opportunity for companies to explore the feasibility of employing AI/ML in their business. Researchers will also have the opportunity to apply their knowledge and technologies to real-world situations and employ their research to further extend the knowledge base within AI and ML.

Researchers are encouraged to use the funding to initiate a new partnership or continue the support provided to their industry partners. For SMEs that have not pre-identified a research partner, Innovation York will conduct a matchmaking search with relevant faculty.

Applicants: Canadian SMEs, that are or will be partnered with York faculty members.

Application Deadline for Unpartnered SMEs: May 21, 4 p.m. EST.

Full Application Deadline: June 11, 4 p.m. EST.

Funding Amount: Up to $12,000 per selected research project (no funding to industry partners, no funding required of industry partners).

Project Length: Two (2) to four (4) months.

Use of Funds: To execute industry-driven research projects in artificial intelligence/machine learning. The funds can be only used toward student(s) stipend(s). All other expenses are ineligible.

For those requiring assistance finding a partner, please contact Rachel Sung, Industry Engagement Coordinator, at sungr@yorku.ca as soon as possible.

For more information and to apply for this grant, please visit innovationyork.ca/partnership-grant.