Technology meets tradition at Techtoberfest presents Investorhaus

Lederhosen, a spirit of learning and lively conversations filled the air at Techtoberfest presents Investorhaus. This year’s gathering, hosted by Communitech at the Walper Hotel in Downtown Kitchener, welcomed hundreds of founders, investors, business partners and community members to Downtown Kitchener to celebrate the tech community. 

“We’re here to build a community of support for those busy building great things, and this was an awesome day of learning, networking and celebrating,” said Chris Albinson, President and CEO of Communitech. “Techtoberfest has been one of our most popular events and we were excited to host this gathering to celebrate our community spirit and tradition of uniting everyone in the tech ecosystem.”

The event’s discussions highlighted some of the challenges and opportunities startup founders face when it comes to accessing capital in a shifting economic climate. The day featured a series of breakout sessions exploring various topics, such as showcasing intellectual property (IP) strategies to investors, accessing government programs, raising growth capital without sacrificing equity and understanding quality assurance in product development.

Techtoberfest also featured a fireside chat with Peter Vreeswyk, Chief Financial Officer, and Angelo Loberto, Chief Operating Officer at Magnet Forensics. They opened up about their experiences in scaling and preparing for an initial public offering (IPO), and reflected on how Magnet Forensics grew from a small startup founded by former Waterloo Regional Police officer Jad Saliba into a global leader in digital investigation software used by agencies and companies worldwide.

A Women of Impact panel featured discussions on the fundraising landscape in Canada. It was moderated by Amber French, co-founder of Catalyst Ventures, and included panelists Ruth Casselman, CEO of the Accelerator Centre, Stephanie Porter, Deputy National Leader of Technology Consulting at EY, and Janet Bannister, Managing Partner at Staircase Ventures.

“During the pandemic, there was a real peak in fundraising and funds being deployed into technology companies for a few reasons, including the fact that tech adoption was accelerated due to COVID-19 and interest rates were low,” said Bannister. “While fundraising has been down significantly relative to those years, it’s actually been up since pre-COVID.”

“If you’re a founder, there is money available for the best companies,” she said. “The best companies will always be able to raise capital. Markets are loosening up and there is much more appetite to invest capital again.”

The founder pitch competition was the highlight, which featured the following five startups:

• Stephen McCabe co-founded QuickCasa, which developed a Conversational AI Support Agent that automates and streamlines the initial communication process between property managers and realtors, and potential tenants or buyers.
• Esmaeil Sadeghi founded OptiFab, which focuses on advanced AI-driven software solutions that deliver precise production recipes to optimize manufacturing processes. 
• Christy Lee co-founded PatientCompanion, which developed a communication app that allows patients to make specific requests, which are then automatically prioritized by nursing staff.
• Shari Van de Pol founded CATTLEytics, an agritech company that provides innovative solutions for dairy farmers to optimize operations and improve productivity while working within existing quota limits.
• Sydney Robinson co-founded Vessl Prosthetics, which created an automatically adjustable prosthetic socket to address a common challenge for lower limb amputees: poor socket fit. The product is designed to improve comfort and quality of life for amputees.

The pitches were evaluated by a panel of judges including Amber French, co-founder of Catalyst Ventures, Mike Kirkup, CTO at EnPowered, Akash Vaswani, General Partner at Velocity Fund, and Malcolm Jussawalla, Senior Manager, Fintech Investments and Partnerships at TD. Vessl Prosthetics took home the grand prize of $7,000 for best pitch, while PatientCompanion won a $500 people’s choice award based on audience votes.

Techtoberfest also brought a taste of Bavarian fun, with food, drinks and live music from Canada’s Polka King, Walter Ostanek. The event coincides with Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest, which kicks off with an official keg tapping on Friday.