Design for Startups

Spring 2025

Over the course of 12 weeks, ten student designers will work directly with the technical and business leads of ten companies to explore and develop a new methodology for connecting design to Internet startups as part of Design for Startups.

Paperplane Therapeutics develops therapeutic virtual reality (VR) solutions designed to reduce pain and anxiety during medical and dental procedures. Our immersive VR experiences transport patients into engaging and calming environments, making treatments in both dental practices and hospitals more comfortable and less stressful. By integrating our technology into clinical settings, we help healthcare professionals enhance patient satisfaction, improve cooperation during treatments, and differentiate their services in a competitive market. Our mission is to revolutionize patient care by leveraging VR technology to create a positive impact on both patients and practitioners.

Selina Kang will work with Paperplane Therapeutics.

The Coaches Site provides premium content for, and a mechanism for coach-to-coach educational and informative content sharing. In short: UNLIMITED ACCESS TO HOCKEY’S TOP COACHES. Explore anytime, from anywhere.

Prayag Kalianda will work with The Coaches Site.

Parkizio Technologies specializes in providing affordable and scalable electric vehicle (EV) charging solutions. We offer a range of products, including smart electrical outlets and EV supply equipment (EVSE), along with our “Plugzio” cloud-based system. Our platform allows property owners to control, monitor, and monetize electricity usage, making it easier to manage EV charging infrastructure.

Chiwu Lin will work with Parkizio Technologies.

Maggie’s Farm is a globally distributed video game studio headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

Ava Clark will work with Maggie’s Farm.

Global Fleet Management Inc. (PosiTrace) was created with a vision to provide businesses with powerful, cost-effective GPS tracking and fleet management solutions. Our mission is simple: to empower businesses to save time, reduce costs, and protect their people by ensuring safety through cutting-edge IoT technology.

Artem Fostach will work with PosiTrace.

Theorema Systems Inc. is a licensed engineering firm that operates in the high technology industry of practice. It provides services and solutions in the software engineering, systems integration, and biomechanics areas of practices.

Ishita Arora will work with Theorema Systems.

Tuktu Care is transforming senior care by leveraging cutting-edge AI and mobile technologies to seamlessly connect aging adults with personalized caregiving services. Our platform revolutionizes how care is delivered by empowering local providers, enhancing accessibility, and reducing costs, fostering community-supported solutions. With a significant presence in Canada and expanding into the United States, Tuktu Care has demonstrated rapid growth and substantial impact, reshaping the landscape of elder care with innovative, scalable solutions. With each connection we make, we’re not just offering care—we’re restoring independence and revitalizing communities, one senior at a time.

Sania Siddiqui will work with Tuktu Care.

EyecareX is an AI-driven digital health technology company with a mission to make affordable and accessible eye care available globally. EyecareX empowers optometrists through its B2B SaaS platform, enabling them to outsource eye testing to patients’ homes using their AI-enabled mobile application. By automating eye testing, optometrists can significantly scale their services, addressing the major capacity challenges in eye care that are contributing to an epidemic of preventable blindness in North America costing the health carse system over $120 Billion annually.

Melody Chong will work with Eyecare X.

Simply Sweet Games creates high-quality, accessible casual games that tap into global markets, combining sustainable development with scalable growth and long-term revenue potential. We focus on creating premium content for women and under represented groups.

Alisa Trysheva will work with Simply Sweet Games.

ThisFish Inc. provides software and artificial intelligence for seafood traceability and production workflows that improves business efficiency and increases trust and transparency in seafood supply chains. Our mission is to improve the social, environmental, and financial sustainability of seafood enterprises by making seafood supply chains more transparent.

Nayla Kiandra will work with ThisFish.

This project is generously supported by the National Research Council of Canada’s Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP) Fall 2024 – Spring 2026.