Entrepreneurial futures are bright after record-breaking Stu Clark New Venture Championships
22 schools represented at prestigious annual competition hosted by the Stu Clark Centre for Entrepreneurship
With record-breaking applications, the 2025 Stu Clark New Venture Championships welcomed top undergraduate and graduate entrepreneurs to Winnipeg for this annual pitch competition.
Thirty-two teams representing 22 universities from across North America pitched their big ideas and business plans for the chance to win over $60,000 in cash prizes.
The Stu Clark Centre for Entrepreneurship, headed by I.H. Asper Executive Director of Entrepreneurship Debra Jonasson-Young, imagines, creates, hosts, and pushes this event forward each year.
Experiential entrepreneurship education in the heart of Canada
Dean Bruno Silvestre speaking at the 2025 Stu Clark New Venture Championships. Photo by Tony Nardella.
Bruno Silvestre, Dean of the Asper School of Business and CPA Manitoba Chair in Business Leadership, highlights what makes this annual event so special.
“The 2025 Stu Clark New Venture Championships once again showcased the transformative imagination of entrepreneurship and the impact of experiential learning for students.
“As a hub for innovators and entrepreneurs, the Asper School of Business is always proud to be part of this event and bring our community together. I am impressed by the high-caliber presentations and grateful for the support of our business community who serve as judges and supporters.
“Thank you to The Associates of the Asper School of Business, the Asper Foundation, and Stu Clark for making this event possible, and thank you to the incredible team at the Stu Clark Centre for putting on another wonderful installment!”
Clark [BComm(Hons)/76, LLD/2011], whose generosity to the Asper School of Business and University of Manitoba enabled the establishment of the Stu Clark Centre for Entrepreneurship and its flagship event, was a judge for the championship graduate round this year.
Ideas that inspire, make an impact, keep getting better
Imagine Devices Inc., represented by the team from the University of Texas (Austin), wowed the judges in the final round. They earned first place in the Graduate Business Plan competition with their Trinity Tube, a multifunctional feeding tube for infants.
The University of Toronto’s Xatoms took home first for the Undergraduate Business Plan category with an advanced water purification system capable of tackling water crises in off-grid and resource-limited communities.
Dean Bruno Silvestre, Stu Clark, Xatoms Team, and Debra Jonasson-Young at the 2025 New Venture Championships.
Charles LaFlèche [BComm(Hons)/84], Chief Development Officer at Sapphire Springs Rockwood, Inc, served as a judge for the championship round of the Graduate Business Plan Competition, and spoke to how the bar for teams continues to rise.
“It was interesting to read and learn about a number of outstanding solutions to several business or health challenges we are currently facing,” he wrote.
“I have been doing this for years, and my fellow judges agree that this was one of the strongest cohorts we have seen to date.”
A bright future for entrepreneurship
Amanda Hildahl, Director of Strategy & Customer Experience at Manitoba Public Insurance, served as a judge in the championship round of the Undergraduate Business Plan competition.
Hildahl [BA/12, MBA/14], who volunteered as a judge among over 50 industry leaders, explains how the experience each year leaves her feeling inspired, excited, and above all, hopeful.
“The caliber of the business plans and the confidence of the students presenting them point to a bright future.
“These teams are tackling real-world problems with bold ideas and thoughtful execution. It’s also clear that today’s graduates are entering the workforce with a mindset shaped by innovation, collaboration, and social responsibility, and that perspective influences how I think about recruitment and talent in my own organization,” she said.
In addition to the business plan categories, teams were also awarded prizes in Social Entrepreneurship and Video Pitch categories—full results are listed below.
UM science, engineering students impress with local talent
The Grad Finder team representing UM pitches to judges.
With 130 applications to compete with, four University of Manitoba teams pitched their businesses this year.
At the graduate level, Daniel Schwade Araujo (Faculty of Kinesiology & Recreation Management, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences), pitched U-Pro Soccer, an app that leverages AI and app-based technology to enhance soccer training and coaching.
Devon Bath and Naim Ben Younes (Faculty of Science) presented GradFinder, their centralized recruiting platform designed to connect graduate students with professor through AI-power matching.
At the undergraduate level, Quadric Francisco (Price Faculty of Engineering) pitched UMaps, a more efficient, lower-cost alternative mapping system to improve university navigation, resource access, and event organization, while Mohammad Alrubaye (Price Faculty of Engineering) made a case for Spacetime Company, offering drone light shows that provide a safe and eco-friendly alternative to traditional fireworks.
Bath and Younes spoke to CBC Radio about the experience, highlighting the positive feedback and helpful critiques from the judges that they will use to drive the business forward.
Pushing boundaries and driving innovation forward
The 2025 Stu Clark New Venture Championships gave students the chance to test their mettle, connect with fellow entrepreneurs, and receive invaluable feedback from leaders who have been where they are today.
Like the Stu Clark Centre itself, the competition is a unique energy source, building students’ confidence and sparking their ambition, building momentum for bigger ideas, bolder businesses, and better solutions for all.
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The Asper School of Business is a hub for entrepreneurship and innovation, home to the Stu Clark Centre for Entrepreneurship, with its flagship New Venture Championships and tailored programs like the Startup Coach and How to Start a Side Hustle course.
Learn more about studying entrepreneurship at the Asper School of Business and accessing incredible resources at the Stu Clark Centre for Entrepreneurship today.
2025 Stu Clark New Venture Championships Results
Graduate Business Plan:
- Imagine Devices Inc. – University of Texas, Austin
- Eutrobac – University of California, Santa Cruz
- Humimic Biosystems – University of Arkansas
- Revyn Technologies – University of Victoria
Undergraduate Business Plan:
- Xatoms – University of Toronto
- NerView Surgical Inc. – McMaster University
- WeldRight – University of British Columbia
- Ova Health Inc. – Western University
Social Entrepreneurship:
Graduate
Fetal Therapy Technologies
Undergraduate
MabLab – Harvard University
Video Pitch:
Graduate
- Revyn Medical Technologies
- NeuroFore
- Easy Snack Corporation
Undergraduate
- Drago Boxing – Western University
- Ova Health Inc. – Western University
- Motiv – University of Cincinnati