2025

First Prize – $75,000

• Recipients 
  Roseline Olory | BrainInnov | Université du Québec à Montréal

• Project
  To honor a promise made to a friend who passed away too soon, Roseline Olory has designed an AI solution to detect lung cancer before symptoms even appear, potentially increasing five-year survival rates from 4% to 63%. Inspired by the work of pioneers such as Joy Buolamwini and Timnit Gebru, she is committed to developing an innovation that is ethical, inclusive, and deeply human. An artist at heart, this gospel singer is now channeling her creativity into her childhood dream: using science to save millions of lives.

 

Second Prize – $50,000

• Recipients 
  Madline Sauvage & Delphine Bouilly | SensÈn | Université de Montréal

• Project
  SensÈn is the result of a partnership between a young PhD student with an entrepreneurial drive and a dedicated research professor with cutting-edge expertise in physics. Together, they are developing miniature electrical sensors to improve the monitoring of breast cancer and make personalized therapies more accessible. Their solution aims to help doctors adjust treatments based on a tumor’s real-time aggressiveness. Driven by a deep desire to make a tangible impact for the many women affected worldwide, they aspire to make their innovation a global benchmark.

 

Third Prize  – $35,000

• Recipients 
  Samuel Raymond, Charles-Antoine Boivin, Guillaume Rochette-Marion & Xavier Riva | BardXpert | Université de Sherbrooke

• Project
  Addressing the harsh realities of the roofing profession, the BardXpert team is tackling a major safety issue with its Bard-X tool, which automates shingle removal. Ingenious and passionate about motor racing, their strengths are agility and speed of execution, proven when they closed a pre-sale in under two months. Inspired by entrepreneurs like Jean Bélanger of Premier Tech, they are determined to protect the workers who build Québec, all while aiming to conquer the North American market and establish themselves as an industry leader in construction.

 

Fourth Prize  – $25,000

• Recipients 
  Guillaume Ramadier & Rodrigo Itzamná Becerra Deana | Peregrine Photon | Polytechnique Montréal

• Project
  Behind Peregrine Photon is a duo of young PhD students, among the few in the world to have mastered the fabrication of tapered optical fiber components. On their journey from the lab to entrepreneurship, their mission is to democratize access to super-resolution microscopy with a compact fiber module that plugs directly into any existing microscope. This innovation opens the door to advanced imaging for countless labs and could spark major new scientific discoveries around the globe.

 

Fifth Prize  – $15,000

• Recipients 
  Jonathan Gauvin, Justin Couturier, Louis-Charles Baillargeon & Philippe St-Laurent | KONOS Technologies | Université Laval

• Project
  KONOS Technologies is rethinking how traffic cones are placed and retrieved with an automated machine that eliminates repetitive and dangerous tasks for road workers. Each year, more than 200 workers are injured while handling these cones on our roads. With a fully functional product and a first sale already secured, KONOS aims to become a North American leader in road safety automation. The team is determined to leverage its strong cohesion and personal bonds to achieve success.