Eight University of Calgary-affiliated startups took the stage at Startup TNT's Summit Pitch Night on Oct. 14, putting their ideas in front of investors, entrepreneurs and Calgary's broader innovation community.
The event, held at Platform Calgary, kicked off the organization's Calgary Investment Summit, which brings early stage tech companies together with new and experienced angel investors, giving founders a chance to pitch their businesses, build relationships and pursue investment, along the way allowing the UCalgary startups the opportunity to grow beyond their university roots.
The pitch night is an early milestone in the process, which will culminate in a November finale featuring the top five companies.
A strong showing for UCalgary
Eight of the 20 companies who pitched were UCalgary-affiliated or supported, including Chromasense Technologies, Nacreous UAV, Nanostrip, Quanta Sense, SyncMed Technologies, Vision3x, Mic'd Up, and Photeris Instruments.
The strong UCalgary showing reflects the many ways entrepreneurial ideas take shape across the university, whether that be through research, student ventures, programs or collaboration with the broader innovation community, says Guy Levesque, executive director of UCalgary's Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking.
For Travis Issler, a UCalgary PhD candidate and founder of Photeris, being selected feels like further confirmation that "taking this leap of faith has paid off.
"It means that putting ourselves out there and putting ourselves in the right environment is worthwhile. It means a lot to be able to stand up and pitch in front of these individuals."
Issler, BSc'22, is also a recipient of the 2026 Cannon Lachapelle awards that recognize students who combine curiosity, creativity and initiative to tackle problems, identify opportunities, and create real-world impact through their research, leadership, ventures and community contributions.
Pirouz Kiani, founder of Nanostrip, says the pitch night was also an opportunity to recognize the community that helped his company get there.
"I'm honoured to be one of the 20 companies that gets to be a part of this experience," says Kiani. "I'm very thankful for the support from the University of Calgary and the Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking, and the entire ecosystem."
The event, according to Kiani, reinforced the strength of Calgary's innovation ecosystem: "My biggest takeaway is that the ecosystem is so diverse; everyone has a space here."
Zack Storms, co-founder of Startup TNT, was impressed to see so many companies affiliated with the university represented on stage.
"The work being done at the university to integrate entrepreneurial thinking is paying off," says Storms. "Eight companies from the university, with six of those companies supported by the Hunter Hub, are here today, now pitching. It's great to see this community doing so well."
For Storms, Startup TNT's mission is ultimately about creating the conditions for founders to pursue the ideas they believe in.
"I want to see people challenge the status quo and build the future that they most want to see," Storms says. "Sometimes that involves deep technologies out of a university; sometimes it's a cool idea that started in your garage. This experience is all about helping founders grow, which is so rewarding to see."
On Oct. 26, the top 10 teams will be revealed. Five finalists will then advance to the November finale, where they will pitch for investment.
