Lisa Mohapatra and Katrina Sitkovits - participants in York University's YSpace Women in Tech JumpSTART Incubator - have won a prestigious pitch competition with Bidblox, an artificial intelligence (AI) architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) technology start-up they co-founded. Now their innovation will reach the world stage.
Bidblox was created to address - and modernize - a common pain point in the construction industry: bids and proposals. "The preconstruction process is highly manual, error-prone and can result in significant financial losses during the build phase due to planning oversights," says Mohapatra.
Bidblox, an artificial intelligence (AI) architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) technology start-up was created to address and modernize bids and proposals
The Canadian startup provides support with AI-powered construction technology that streamlines bidding workflows for AEC companies by automating proposal generation, bid analysis and subcontractor management. The result is a reduction in manual effort and errors.
With the support of the Canada Startup Association, the pair were eager to present Bidblox at the Toronto Roadshow iteration of the Expand North Star Dubai Pitch Competition, which is among the world's largest early-stage startup and investor event. Their goal was to not just gain greater visibility for their company, but to get a foothold in the Dubai region where global tech innovation is rapidly emerging.
Lisa Mohapatra
"Recognizing that the Middle East hosts one of the largest construction markets, we saw a win as more than just recognition - it would open doors to a market with the potential to accelerate our growth to an entirely new level," says Mohapatra.
Win, they did. As part of the Expand North Star Dubai Pitch Competition prizing they received, they were given a guaranteed entry into the semi-finals of the GITEX 2025 compeition in October in Dubai, earning them an opportunity to showcase their cutting-edge technology at the world's largest information and communication technology fair.
"GITEX is the world's largest tech and startup exhibition," says Mohapatra. "This presents an unmatched opportunity for us to showcase our startup to a global audience and engage with investors.
"Winning this competition marks a key milestone in our mission to transform the construction industry. It reinforces our confidence and validates our vision."
That vision was cultivated partly through participation in The Women in Tech JumpSTART Incubator - a collaboration between YSpace at York University, the Schulich School of Business and Treefrog Accelerator with funding support from York Region.
Created to foster a diverse and inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem, the program empowers women-led tech ventures by providing access to mentorship, tailored resources and strategic networking opportunities critical for growth and global market entry.
Mohapatra and Sitkovits credit YSpace for being instrumental in supporting startups like Bidblox.
"The JumpSTART Program has been incredibly helpful," says Mohapatra. "The mentorship, resources and supportive community helped us refine our strategy, fast-track product development and connect with the ecosystem."
YSpace, for its part, also credits the Bidblox pair for what they and their company represent for those who go through their incubator.
"Bidblox's accomplishment underscores the impact of our incubator in empowering women entrepreneurs to excel on international stages," said Nicole Troster, the ELLA program founder at YSpace. "We are proud to see our founders making significant strides in the tech industry."
To learn more about YSpace, visit yspaceyu.ca; for more on the program visit Women in Tech JumpSTART program.
This story was originally featured in YFile, York University's community newsletter.
