Only in Waterloo Region could you mix pitch decks, polka music and craft beer and call it ecosystem building.

That was the spirit behind Techtoberfest 2025, a day of learning, pitching and networking at the Communitech Hub in downtown Kitchener. The annual event brought hundreds of founders, investors and partners together to celebrate what gives Waterloo Region its biggest edge and advantage: community and technology.

A community effort

This year’s Techtoberfest was a team effort by Community of Tech partners including Communitech, Velocity, the Accelerator Centre, Medical Innovation Exchange (MIX), Graphite Ventures and Catalyst Commons. Together, they planned, promoted and produced an event that reflected the collaborative DNA of the region.

Communitech hosted the daytime programming at the newly reopened Tannery Event Centre and at the Communitech Hub, while Graphite Ventures carried the celebration into the evening with an after-party at Festhallen Lane. The event featured everything from one-on-one meetings between founders and investors to a keynote, a pitch competition and a networking happy hour complete with live accordion music and traditional German food.

The result was a day filled with ideas, introductions and enthusiasm for what’s happening across Waterloo Region’s tech ecosystem.

Lessons from The Wealthy Barber

The afternoon kicked off with a keynote from David Chilton, the bestselling author, investor and proud Waterloo Region local best known as ‘The Wealthy Barber’. His timeless financial advice has sold more than two million copies in Canada alone, and his storytelling skills made him a fan favourite during his time as a Dragon on CBC’s Dragons’ Den.

Chilton brought that same combination of humour, humility and insight to the Techtoberfest stage, speaking about smart investing, perseverance and the value of community. His message resonated with founders in the room who know that building a business requires the same discipline and optimism that go into building wealth.

Founders take the stage

The Techtoberfest Pitch Competition was the main event of the afternoon, showcasing six companies taking on challenges in fields like health care, sustainability and artificial intelligence (AI).

Each founder had eight minutes to make their case to a panel of four judges: Zeeshan Ali, Partner at Wittington Ventures; Mellie Chow, General Partner and Managing Director of Techstars Toronto; Robbie Marks, Senior Associate at Staircase Ventures; and Sarah Willson, Principal at Panache Ventures.

The lineup featured:

  • Sensible Vascular developed a stroke treatment system designed to improve patient outcomes and reduce complications.

  • HyC Light turns methane waste into clean hydrogen and carbon nanotubes to decarbonize heavy industry.

  • VetVivo develops bio-implants that support internal biological structures in a rapidly growing sector of medical technology.

  • Junior Associate uses AI to help lawyers and legal professionals simplify research, drafting and case preparation.

  • NerView Surgical improves surgical precision through neurotechnology and next-generation imaging tools.

  • Neptune Nano Technologies creates sustainable materials from ocean waste to strengthen packaging and reduce environmental impact.

After an afternoon of pitches and questions, Mann Parikh, CEO of NerView Surgical, took home the $10,000 prize. 

A toast to collaboration

The day was made possible by a long list of partners and sponsors. Foundational sponsors included EY and Gowling. Riipen/Future Path supported the event as Network Sponsor, with Cowan, Google for Startups, RSM, Vidyard and Waterloo EDC rounding out the community sponsor list. Support also came from the Government of Canada, the Government of Ontario and the City of Kitchener.

Waterloo Region has built its reputation on collaboration, resilience and a love of building things that matter. Techtoberfest 2025 proved again that when community and technology connect, everyone wins (lederhosen optional).

The connections don’t stop here.

If you’re building something, we’ll help you find the people, partners and programs to make it happen. Connect with us at Communitech.