From Fast Track to Full Scale

In February’s first episode of Tech About Town, we caught up with Communitech program manager Carleigh Johnston and ConeLabs co-founder and CEO Albert Mansour to talk about Communitech Fast Track Cities. The program connects municipal partners with innovative tech startups and solutions to solve their challenges. ConeLabs won the Fast Track Cities Showcase pitch competition in November 2024, and Albert explains how his startup uses AI to automate infrastructure inspection, addressing issues like sewer inspections and autonomous technology integration.

Preserving family histories with tech

Kitchener-based entrepreneur Ayoola Gbade-Bello is on a mission to help families preserve their histories through Kintrace, a digital platform that makes it easier to capture and share personal stories. Inspired by the loss of his father, Gbade-Bello delivered an emotional pitch at the Communitech Startup Bootcamp Showcase, where he spoke of the importance of keeping family legacies alive. 

“My dad told his own story and for 45 minutes, he told me a really compelling story that transfixed me. I was like, this story you’ve just told me should not die with you. We literally have to find a way to bring it to life,” Gbade-Bell said.

With seamless integration into messaging apps, Kintrace aims to bridge generational gaps and ensure memories are passed down.

Unlocking the power of intellectual property

In another episode of Tech About Town, hosts Alex Kinsella and Rosie Del Campo sat down with Jim Hinton, founder and CEO of OWN Innovation, to explore the critical role of intellectual property (IP) for tech startups.

As a leading expert in IP strategy (and one of our favourite people around the Hub), Jim wants founders to know they need to prioritize IP protection from day one.

Jim explains the different forms of IP—patents, trademarks, trade secrets—and how startups can leverage provisional patents and trade secrets to safeguard their innovations while balancing tight budgets.

Made-in-Canada health-care solutions solving global challenges

On February 25, Communitech hosted the Fast Track Health showcase, featuring 10 health-tech startups presenting innovative solutions to critical challenges in Canadian health care. Jennifer Gruber, interim CEO and CFO of Communitech, opened the showcase by sharing Communitech’s commitment to giving tech leaders the support they need to start, grow and succeed.

“Founders are from the future,” said Gruber. “They don’t see problems as roadblocks. They see them as invitations to innovate. They’re willing to dive headfirst into the unknown and build solutions. And right now, that’s what Canada and the world need.”

The 10 startups addressed issues such as patient scheduling, lengthy wait times, patient education, feedback mechanisms, and hospital resource management. The showcased technologies included AI-driven platforms, digital twins, and workflow optimization tools, all aimed at improving the efficiency and intelligence of healthcare systems.​

Other news


This edition of the Roundup was compiled by the Communitech News Team. Sign up to receive the Roundup each month by visiting communitech.ca/technews and scrolling to the bottom of the page.