For University of Toronto graduate students Ria Khan and Sufyan Shaikh, what began as a research project in the Farcas Lab soon evolved into a globally recognized medical innovation. Together, the pair co-founded NephroTech, the startup behind the DialySnake, which is the world’s first medical device offering a non-invasive, rapid solution for unclogging peritoneal dialysis (PD) catheters at patients bedsides, and went on to become runners-up in the 2025 Hult Prize at U of T competition and one of only 22 teams worldwide to reach the Hult Prize Global Finals. 

Their achievement marks another milestone for U of T’s growing entrepreneurial community and offers an inspiring glimpse into how scientific innovation and startup strategy can come together to change lives. We sat down with the co-founders to discuss their incredible journey so far.

From Classrooms to Co-Founders

Both Ria and Sufyan proudly “bleed blue”. 

“I’d like to say I bleed U of T blue,” says Sufyan. “I went to undergrad at UTM, did a Bachelor of Science in Life Science, and then came to St. George for my Master’s. Recently, I transferred into the PhD program at the Faculty of Medicine. My research focuses on understanding clinical and post-surgical urology practices and building and deploying practical medical devices to address current limitations.” 

Ria shares a similar journey: “Yeah, I also bleed U of T blue. I did my undergrad here with a double major in Human Biology and Neuroscience, and I am currently completing my Master of Science with a focus on developing and testing surgical urology devices at the Farcas Lab, where Sufyan also works.” 

Their shared academic path eventually converged in the lab, where the DialySnake device was conceptualized by the dually trained engineer and surgeon, Dr. Monica Farcas. “We’ve known each other for about two or three years,” says Sufyan. “The DialySnake project was actually Ria’s master’s research project. Our lab builds medical devices, and we always think about how we can bring those innovations to the patient’s bedside. When the Hult Prize opportunity came up, it felt like the perfect moment to showcase it.” 

The Spark: Solving a Life-Threatening Problem 

NephroTech’s DialySnake tackles a critical issue in kidney care. Over 2.5 million people worldwide rely on dialysis, and many prefer peritoneal dialysis (PD) because it can be done at home with better patient outcomes. Despite conferring significant benefits over hemodialysis, PD catheters often become blocked by fibrin clots, forcing patients to undergo costly and risky surgical revisions. 

For those who don’t come from a scientific background, Ria breaks down the technology with a plumbing analogy, “Imagine you have a blocked pipe or clogged sink, and you have a device like the plumbing snake that can be sent down the drain, screw into whatever gunk is blocking it, and pull it out, ultimately unblocking the drain and restoring water flow. That’s the idea behind DialySnake, which was actually inspired by plumbing snakes. If your PD catheter becomes blocked, our device can be inserted into the catheter and remove the clot, immediately restoring dialysis fluid inflow and outflow at patients' bedsides.” 

The device has immense transformative potential. “Currently, there is a burdensome, multi-step pathway in obstructed PD catheter management,” says Ria. “Saline flushes and guidewire manipulation are often unsuccessful in restoring catheter patency, and many patients are faced with no other alternative but high-risk, costly surgery. Some patients even have to start emergency hemodialysis, if an operating room cannot be urgently secured, as a blocked catheter is a life-threatening emergency, and patients cannot afford to be off dialysis. This device offers a patient-friendly, cost-effective and time-efficient solution to blocked catheters.” Beyond patient outcomes, Ria emphasizes DialySnake’s global health implications: “Peritoneal dialysis is most prevalent in developing countries, where most patients don’t have access to the surgeries or sophisticated healthcare resources required to fix blocked catheters. Our device addresses healthcare inequities globally.” 

She adds that there’s also an environmental benefit: “Turning surgical catheter revision into a bedside procedure would significantly reduce operating room waste and greenhouse gas emissions...even in North America, where we have the facilities to do these surgeries, we would be cutting down our greenhouse gas emissions tremendously as healthcare accounts for 8.5% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, with operating rooms contributing up to 70% of hospital waste.” 

The Road to the Global Finals 

When asked about the challenges after their 2025 Hult Prize at U of T win, both founders laugh. “The U of T pitch was my first time ever pitching,” Ria admits. “I had never had to make a script or go on stage and deliver a startup pitch before, so going from poster competitions to pitch competitions was a huge transition. Simplifying scientific jargon into something a general audience could understand was also a huge learning curve.” However, that first debut was only the beginning. In the months that followed, Ria led NephroTech to a string of major victories, including: 

• The iCUBE Pitch With A Twist grand prize 
• The SICIEEIL Student Startup Award 
• A Top 10 finish out of 130 female-led companies at Startupfest 2025 in The Firehood’s Women in Tech Pitch competition 

This growing traction propelled NephroTech’s momentum toward the Hult Prize Global Finals and was crucial in their traction portion of due diligence at the end of the Global Incubator. Recognizing that MedTech demands not only strong business traction but also rigorous scientific credibility, Ria continued to build on the research foundation. This effort paid off with a 3rd place win at the St. Michael’s Hospital Research Training Centre Annual Scientific Day, an accolade that highlights the robust clinical research behind DialySnake.

For Sufyan, the biggest shift came in balancing science with storytelling. “For the U of T competition, we spent a lot of time defining the problem in our pitch, and not as much on the business side. However, we did eventually strike a balance in storytelling, communicating the problem, solution and business aspects.” Ria adds, “I spent hours constantly refining the storytelling, business model and financial projections based on feedback after each pitch session. This was crucial in the Hult Prize incubator and due diligence process to be selected into the accelerator.” As the competition progressed, NephroTech’s efforts continued to pay off. With support from the Centre for Entrepreneurship (CfE) — including travel funding, mentorship, and check-ins throughout the global accelerator — they advanced through the rounds and gained international recognition. 

“The CfE was super helpful,” says Ria and Sufyan. “They funded our flight to London and made sure we had everything we needed. Even during the finals, they checked in on us regularly. It made a big difference knowing we had that backing.” 

Following in the Footsteps of U of T Success 

The pair found inspiration in the path forged by previous U of T Hult Prize competitors, such as Diana Virgovicova of Xatoms and Luca Hategan of RePair Genomics, which validated their own ambitious journey. 

“Seeing Diana and Luca succeed made us believe we could do it too,” says Sufyan. “Luca’s a friend from undergrad, and he shared a lot of insights from his experience.” 

Ria adds, “Diana was incredible; she was our community manager at the Hult accelerator. She’s a female CEO who’s really paved the way for other Canadian and U of T startups. Diana provided crucial insights for pitching, financials, and due diligence. She even spent two hours one night at my office helping me refine our pitch deck to get the problem statement on target. It was so motivating, and it felt like she had my back, even here in Toronto.” 

Lessons from the Hult Prize Global Stage 

When asked for their biggest takeaways, Sufyan doesn’t hesitate to share: “First, just do it. It’s scary getting up on stage in front of hundreds of people, but you grow so much in the process. And second, the world feels big, but it’s also small. We met founders from Kenya, Peru, the Netherlands, and realized innovation is happening everywhere.” 

Both also emphasize resilience and planning. “If you’re going to the global accelerator, have an action plan from day one,” advises Ria. “Ensure you are landing in London with a solid plan, clearly define your goals, divide tasks, and hit the ground running. It’s an intense six weeks, but worth every second.” 

What’s Next for NephroTech 

NephroTech is already looking ahead. “We’re expanding our IP portfolio, on the verge of conducting a three-phase human clinical trial, and preparing for Health Canada and FDA approval,” Ria shares. “We’re hoping to pilot in Canada by 2028, and North America by 2030.” 

They’re also continuing to pitch and build momentum across the startup ecosystem. “You’ll still see us around,” says Sufyan with a smile. Ria adds “We just participated in the 2025 H2i Pitch Perfect competition, and we’re not slowing down anytime soon.” This is evident as NephroTech was one of the three winners at the recent H2i pitch competition.  

A Call to Future Changemakers 

For students eyeing the 2026 Hult Prize Qualifiers Competition at U of T, Ria and Sufyan offer this advice: stay open-minded, be resilient, and start where you are. 

“No one has it all figured out,” says Sufyan. “But with the right mindset and community, you’ll go further than you think.” 

As Ria puts it: “There are a lot of transferable skills between scientific research and the startup world, do not be intimidated by the jargon. The startup landscape is shifting, where being a scientist and CEO are not mutually exclusive events. Just go for it! You’ll meet amazing, lifelong friends, gain tools and insights you’ll use for life, and maybe even build something that changes the world.” 

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To learn more about how to participate in the next Hult Prize Qualifiers Competition at U of T, visit the Centre for Entrepreneurship website and take the first step toward your own global impact.