Entrepreneurship Hub Empowers uOttawa Innovators

The Entrepreneurship Hub works with pre-revenue and early-stage teams on business models, fundraising, strategy, investment readiness and more. It has helped launch more than 150 businesses and it’s a strong first stop if you have an AI project that could make a difference in health care.

“We’ve created a space that gets people excited about entrepreneurship and helps those considering commercializing their research figure out the next steps,” says Kyle Thomas, the eHub’s communications and marketing officer. “Some of the start-ups we’ve supported are using AI in healthcare to tackle problems that matter.”

FastFindAi is one such project. Founded by engineering graduate Nicholas Laflamme and medical student Albino Nikolla, the venture brings together imaging, synthetic data generation and VR-based training. The team started with a clear gap: access to large, representative imaging datasets and realistic training scenarios remains uneven across Canada, and older MRI hardware often produces lower-quality scans. They are building tools that aim to support radiology workflows by improving image quality, highlighting areas of concern and speeding up review. In parallel, the team is developing VR modules, with AI built right into the headset, that allow learners to practice certain procedures in environments that offer feedback and repeatability. FastFindAi credits the eHub with giving them early funding and structure, mentorship, access to legal and business guidance and a community that helped them refine their roadmap toward the future. 

Another initiative that received support through the Entrepreneurship Hub is CardiAxis Medical, founded by biomedical engineer Connor Haberl. The company grew out of research at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute and uses AI-supported modelling to improve how clinical teams plan non-invasive treatments for abnormal heart rhythms. Its software, SHARP-VT, is a 3D tool designed to streamline a treatment planning process that is otherwise time-consuming and difficult to reproduce. SHARP-VT brings multiple imaging modalities together in a single environment, so clinicians can see the heart's anatomy, muscle health, and electrical activity in one unified platform. The goal is to enable broader adoption of non-invasive cardiac procedures by reducing costs and scheduling delays, standardizing care, and improving treatment accuracy.

Quip Medical offers another example of an eHub-supported start-up using AI to address practical needs in health care. The company was founded by medical student Yoobin Lee and biomedical engineering graduate Brian Li, who noticed how complex billing requirements can add administrative pressure to patient care. Quip develops tools that read what appears on the screen within an electronic medical record and help physicians complete billing more efficiently. The company handles data carefully and processes information in real time without storing clinical details beyond the immediate task. Quip Medical has already launched with early beta users and is looking to commercialize in 2026.

Each of these ventures shows how early support, mentorship and a structured environment can help people turn health-focused ideas into working solutions. The Entrepreneurship Hub and Startup Garage continue to be important places for students, trainees, researchers and alumni who want to explore entrepreneurship, test concepts and take first steps toward commercialization.

Visit the Entrepreneurship eHub site and the Startup Garage site for details on how to participate.