News Summary

Startupfest 2025 concluded with over $1 million in investment commitments, marking the highest total in the festival’s history. Montréal-based medtech startup mTatt won both the Best of Fest and Audience Choice awards for its innovative microtattoo technology that measures blood test biomarkers. Other notable winners included Vancouver’s Tydra Laboratories, which received the Women in Tech prize for its eco-friendly chitin extraction process, and Toronto’s Serenity Power, which won a Black Entrepreneur Investment prize for its cleantech solutions. The event also saw the introduction of the Impact Investment Prize, awarded to Halifax’s Aruna Revolution for its compostable menstrual pads. The festival emphasized diversity, with awards supporting women, Black, 2SLGBTQIA+, and student entrepreneurs, reflecting Startupfest’s commitment to inclusivity.