Who will outlast the competition and take home the grand prize?
Startup Survivor is a 4-month Accelerator and Pitch Competition awarding $75,000 to McMaster University students and alumni with the best business ideas. The program runs annually throughout the Summer Term. We began in May with 10 startups and 35 competitors – 28 Students and 7 Alumni from all levels: Undergraduate, Masters, PhD. To support the growth of these startups, McMaster and The Forge awarded $40,000 to the 10 teams while mentoring them through intense business and technical challenges. Finalists will deliver a 5-minute pitch to the audience and esteemed judging panel. After deliberations, we’ll crown our winners and award the remaining $35,000 in our prize pool!
Join The Forge & McMaster University on November 14 from 5-8PM at CIBC Hall (McMaster University Student Center, Third Floor). We hope to see you all there!
About The Forge
The Forge Business Incubator is funded and supported by McMaster University to serve startups in Hamilton and the GTA. We work hands-on with student, alumni and community entrepreneurs to develop their business ideas from ideation and validation to growth. Our clients receive free services including expert mentorship, seed funding, investor introductions, office space inside McMaster Innovation Park, entrepreneurial workshops, access to a well-equipped makerspace and additional services to ensure success. So far 270 startups have been through The Forge; together they have raised over $42M, created 700+ jobs, and are selling products in 50+ countries.
Meet The Survivors
AccessResolve
AccessResolveAccessResolve is building an HR software that simplifies and expedites the process of tracking and managing workplace accommodations, leading to peace of mind for both employees and HR professionals.
Pitching: Areeb Khawaja, Co-Founder
Master of Engineering, MEng Engineering Design (2022)
FYSIQ
FYSIQFYSIQ is developing an intelligent fitness analysis suite for strength training. Leveraging the power of pose-estimation, biomechanics, and machine learning algorithms, the FYSIQ application provides coaches, trainers, and athletes with the analytics, insights, and tools needed to crush performance goals and stay injury free.
Pitching: Noah Smith, Co-Founder
Master of Science, MSc Global Health (2023)
MedX Insights
MedX InsightsMedX Insight helps improve patient care and save doctors time. Our platform is designed to increase patient compliance and provide clinics with critical data and metrics to streamline appointments and assist in decision-making.
Pitching: Shreyas Suri, Co-Founder
Bachelor of Health Sciences (2025)
Tression
TressionPeople with venous insufficiency, namely varicose veins, are limited to pantyhose compression stockings as a main preventative and management solution, often described as uncomfortable, out of style, and impractical. Tression’s enhanced compression pants are specifically designed to help users manage their health without having to sacrifice their comfort or style in doing so.
Pitching: Parisa Agahi, Founder
Master of Biomedical Discovery and Commercialization (2021)
Universole Fit
Universole FitUniversole Fit is changing the way the world thinks about buying shoes online. Using ground-breaking 3D shoe modeling and a proprietary AI algorithm, Universole Fit finds the ideal foot and shoe match based on retailer specific stock. It helps online shoppers find a shoe that fits the first time while decreasing the rate of returns for retailers.
Pitching: Joshua McGillivray, Co-Founder
Master of Applied Science, Biomedical Engineering (2022)