Startups

Founded in 2023 by Professor Wei Shi and Hassan Sepehrian, a Ph.D. graduate of Université Laval, the company specializes in advanced optical interconnect solutions and O-band optical transceiver chiplets (silicon photonics) for data centers and artificial intelligence.

Their technology promises to revolutionize O-band optical interconnects by accelerating the capabilities of AI data centers.

FluoChlor is a young project aiming to greatly improve the lives of patients suffering from neuropathic pain. This type of pain, very often linked to nerve damage, affects 7 to 8% of the world’s population and is found as a comorbidity in numerous conditions such as cancer or diabetes, for example.

At present, patients suffering from this type of pain have access only to a largely ineffective arsenal of first-line options, or to options that unfortunately come with a great many side effects (opioids).

Arising from research carried out jointly by the team of Prof. Yves DeKoninck’s laboratory at Université Laval, the team of Prof. Pascal Fossat at the Université de Bordeaux, and Monoamine Pain and Parkinson (CNRS Unit 5293), the FluoChlor solution aims to revolutionize the market for therapeutic solutions used to treat this chronic pain.

The team currently consists of 3 people: – Franck Aby (PhD), future CEO, expert in pain and pain networks – Yadaly Gassama (PhD), future COO, expert in molecular and cellular neuroscience – Pascal Fossat (Professor at the Université de Bordeaux), future CSO, expert in electrophysiology, endogenous pain control, and serotonergic networks

This team has enabled the development of a new therapeutic solution based on the discovery of new key mechanisms in the transmission of pain signals in cases of neuropathic pain.

Exclaro Tridan Innovation is a startup born from the research work of Prof. Frédéric Leblond of Polytechnique Montréal.

The goal is to provide rapid screening tests by offering an easy-to-use point-of-care solution to quickly obtain multiple results using body fluids (saliva, urine, and blood). The company is currently focused on drug screening and assessing the health status of athletes.

PATQER is a private company created by Prof. Tigran Galstian of Université Laval, providing electro-optical components, devices, and solutions primarily for optical metrology and photography.

PATQER has developed a revolutionary approach to significantly improving the performance of optical metrology systems using an electro-optical film called “Predator.” This film can be used on its own or integrated into various photonic devices (detectors, image sensors, cameras, etc.) to increase their resolution and provide additional information about the light or the observed object.

Founded in 2021 by two students, Jérémie Guilbert and Louis-Philippe Dallaire, who worked in the laboratory of Professor Claudine Allen at Université Laval, the startup DéteXion quickly established itself thanks to its deployment potential. Quantino, the high-tech incubator powered by the Institut national d’optique (INO), took it under its wing in early 2023 to support its growth.

The young company’s mandate is to reduce the impact of infectious diseases and antibiotic resistance by developing fast, portable biosensors

Vega-BioImaging is developing imaging and detection technology based on the plasmonic optical properties of colloidal nanoparticles and engineered nanostructures. This technology addresses the growing need in healthcare for rapid and accurate diagnosis and personalized therapies.

The project emerged from a close collaboration between university researchers (Polytechnique Montréal) and a practicing pathologist (CHUM). This same team is behind the startup founded in 2021. The co-founders are Professor Michel Meunier of Polytechnique Montréal, Cécile Darviot, M.Sc., and Sergiy Patskovsky, Ph.D.

More than 10 years of research and development in the field of biomedical nanoplasmonic imaging and detection, conducted at Polytechnique Montréal (Prof. M. Meunier) and funded by CHRP, NSERC, and Oncotech projects, have demonstrated the underlying scientific principles of the technology.

Professor Benoît Gosselin, Ulysse Côté-Allard, and Gabriel Gagnon-Turcotte are the co-founders of SifiLabs. The startup, which began operations in 2021, bases its products on technology aimed at developing a stretchable band equipped with several biosensors, including 10 sensors measuring muscle activity and 6 sensors for electrocardiography.

The organization’s mission is to create the next generation of affordable, high-quality wearable biosensor modules, in order to advance biological-signal research to the next stage.

In 2019, Prof. Wei Shi and PhD student Raphael Dubé-Demers, both from Université Laval, founded EHVA Photonics, based on a solution for testing photonic integrated circuits (PICs) and system automation.

Three services were then offered to users:

Test stations Fully automated, high-precision photonic test robots at various scales, from a single chip to a 300 mm wafer.

Software suite A unified platform for automation and data intelligence to support scalable photonic testing and data-driven design.

Test services Comprehensive services for the optical, electro-optical, and RF characterization of integrated circuits and photonic systems.

The startup quickly attracted interest for its bold offering of precision tools for PIC testing. Germain Lamonde, founder and majority shareholder of EXFO, quickly saw an opportunity there, and the Quebec company — which employs 2,000 people and exports its products to more than 120 countries — acquired it in 2022.

“The solution EHVA will add includes test equipment, positioning systems, and software, which are often worth half a million to a million dollars. And it’s very difficult for a small company to sell products like that around the world. So we’re giving them this vehicle to accelerate growth, but also collaboration with Université Laval in the field of photonics to advance research,” explained Germain Lamonde in an interview with the daily Le Soleil in October 2022.

Article published in Le Soleil: EXFO acquiert Ehva

About EXFO: EXFO

A startup founded in 2019 and led by Louis-Philippe Pleau and Vincent Fortin, LumIR Lasers draws its origins from the research advances of Professor Martin Bernier, a pioneer in the development of Bragg gratings and mid-infrared fiber lasers.

LumIR Lasers manufactures and sells a new line of fiber laser solutions emitting in the mid-infrared. Its products enable surgical procedures to be performed with revolutionary precision, flexibility, and sensitivity.

Pi-Sol Technologies was launched in 2019 in response to advances made in the manufacturing of halide perovskite-based solar cells. Professor Sylvain G. Cloutier of the École de Technologie Supérieure (ÉTS) is behind this startup, which merged with Wattbywatt in 2020.

Initially, the startup set out to innovate in the field of solar and optoelectronic devices through its pre-mixed perovskite solutions, which make it possible to design and manufacture solar cells under ambient conditions with efficiencies above 17% and a stability of more than a year over time.

Article of Interest: Ambient condition-processing strategy for improved air-stability and efficiency in mixed-cation perovskite solar cells

Regarding Wattbywatt: Wattbywatt is a young “green energy” company whose products are based on WattByWatt Perovton™ photovoltaic modules made using proprietary perovskite formulas and production processes. Available in various sizes and shapes, Perovton™ photovoltaic modules harvest and convert natural or artificial light into electrical energy. Applications range from electronic devices to buildings and renewable energy production facilities.

Founded in 2018, the startup Femtogate grew out of the research work of PhD student Elissa Haddad, supervised by Professor François Légaré at the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS).

It is a startup that develops diagnostic tools for ultrafast lasers. Its value proposition is to offer simple, reliable instrumentation that adapts to nearly all types of lasers on the market, regardless of wavelength — from supercontinuum to mid-infrared.

Created in 2017, Femtum is a startup that grew out of advances made in the laboratories of professors Réal Vallée, Michel Piché, and Martin Bernier of Université Laval, and Michel Olivier of Cégep F.X. Garneau, aimed at harnessing the potential of mid-infrared fiber lasers for a wide range of applications.

Since then, co-founders Simon Duval and Louis-Rafaël Robichaud and their team have developed patented know-how and technologies to make a difference in the laser industry. With this deep understanding of mid-IR fiber lasers, they bring innovative solutions to customers’ real-world needs. Femtum’s mission is to help high-tech manufacturers and scientists solve their most demanding challenges, from laser micromachining to state-of-the-art mid-IR spectroscopy.

SBQuantum is the first company to emerge from the Institut quantique at the Université de Sherbrooke. Founded in 2017 by David Roy-Guay, a former student of Professor Denis Morris, and co-founded by Rachel Taylor, the company’s mission is to reveal the invisible — whether hidden underwater, buried in the ground, or concealed within one’s surroundings.

The team harnesses magnetic intelligence to develop a precise, high-resolution model of the Earth’s magnetic field that makes it possible to navigate complex environments more effectively. To achieve its goals, the company has developed a diamond-based quantum magnetometer that reveals a maximum amount of information from magnetic measurements. This data is sent directly to a personalized dashboard, allowing customers to inspect, explore, and navigate using imperceptible fluctuations in the Earth’s field.

Founded by Éric Lebel, Mathieu Champagne, and Daniel Côté in 2015, Bliq Photonics has grown impressively since 2017. The company offers modular microscopy solutions designed to accelerate its users’ discoveries.

It designs and manufactures high-resolution video microscopy systems for life-science researchers around the world. The company’s goal is to become a major player in in vivo microscopy, all while manufacturing its products in Quebec.

Founded in 2015, Sollum Technologies draws inspiration from nature to offer greenhouse growers the only intelligent LED lighting solution that dynamically reproduces and modulates the full spectrum of natural sunlight.

The company’s co-founders are three ÉTS graduates, François Roy-Moisan, Gabriel Dupras, and Jacques Poirier, who completed their studies under the supervision of Professor Sylvain G. Cloutier.

Few-Cycle Inc was founded by Dr. Bruno E. Schmidt in 2014, a former postdoctoral fellow associated with Professor François Légaré’s research team at INRS-ÉMT.

It is a Canadian spin-off located in the Montreal area that emerged from research at the Femtosecond Source Laboratory, also known as Advanced Laser Light Source (ALLS).

Few-cycle is a research-oriented company developing methods for generating and characterizing high-energy, short-cycle pulses in the IR spectral range. It works in close collaboration with the French National Institute for Scientific Research (INRS).

These pulses are used for ground-breaking experiments such as high harmonic generation, high-field THz generation and new electron acceleration schemes, to name but a few.

Ki3 Photonics is a Canadian spin-off from the team of Prof. Roberto Morandotti at INRS. Its co-founders are Yoann Jestin and Piotr Rozotocki.

Ki3 Photonics seeks to provide cutting-edge technology for the distribution and processing of quantum resources in order to improve cyber-resilience and quantum communication capabilities.

Founded in 2013, Castor Optics was first created to commercialize and develop the family of double-clad fiber couplers (DCFC) designed by professors Caroline Boudoux and Nicolas Godbout of Polytechnique Montréal.

The Castor team works closely with the Canadian office of Thorlabs to bring to market a wide range of fiber-based optical components for next-generation medical imaging devices and cutting-edge instruments used in the physical sciences.

Founded in 2010 by Alex Fraser, then a PhD student at COPL, Laserax began operations by developing integrated laser solutions for the largest foundries. Building on their reputation in that industry, they went on to win over die-casting plants and automotive parts suppliers around the world.

Laserax brings the most promising laser technologies to market. Their team develops complete laser solutions as well as high-performance lasers that can mark, clean, texture, and harden surfaces.