What if we could make bendable, flexible robotics to go where humans can’t, or turn waste heat from large industrial facilities into low-cost electricity?
Thanks to the Eva and Allen Lau Commercialization Catalyst Prize for Computing and Engineering Innovation, two U of T research teams are bringing these new technologies closer to reality.
The prize, hosted by the University of Toronto’s Centre for Entrepreneurship (CfE), was established through a visionary $2-million gift from U of T alumni and renowned entrepreneurs Eva and Allen Lau. With matching funds from the Faculty of Arts & Science and the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, the gift doubles its impact to support graduate students, postdoctoral researchers and faculty members. By providing staged funding, mentorship, educational resources and workspace, the prize helps teams advance proof-of-concept and validate product-market fit.
The selection process for the 2025-26 cohort was incredibly competitive, with nearly 30 teams applying from both the Faculty of Arts and Science and the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering. While not every project advanced to Stage 1 this year, the high calibre of work from all applicants represents the best of U of T’s entrepreneurial spirit and innovative potential in computing and engineering.
After its inaugural launch in fall 2025, the prize's mission is now underway following the selection of the Stage 1 teams. Two pioneering teams have each secured $5,000 in initial funding and are currently in the process of validating their technologies and exploring product-market fit:
Continuum Robotics Laboratory
Doctoral students Ella Walsh (MIE PhD candidate) and Jimmy Shentu (EngSci BASc 22, Computer Science PhD candidate) serve as the project development leads for a specialized team out of the Continuum Robotics Lab. The team is developing slender, flexible robotic structures that navigate complex environments by mimicking the movement of a snake or elephant’s trunk. Supported by faculty principal investigator Jessica Burgner-Kahrs (Department of Mathematical & Computational Sciences, UTM), the project focuses on "continuum" robots designed for delicate interactions in constrained spaces. These versatile robots offer transformative potential for minimally invasive surgery, allowing for safer navigation through the human body, as well as industrial applications such as the inspection and repair of high-value machinery in environments otherwise inaccessible to traditional, rigid robotics.
Walsh and Shentu bring a combined expertise in mechanical design, medical device commercialization and full-stack robotic software to the project's development.
Cardinal Volta
Cardinal Volta is a startup co-founded by alumnus Nan Ge (MIE BASc 13, MASc 16, PhD 19) and Professor Aimy Bazylak (MIE). Their team, which includes manufacturing and scale-up lead Alex (Qing) Ni (ChemE PhD 16), is developing thermal-to-electric technology that converts waste heat from data centres and industrial systems into clean, on-site electricity. While traditional waste-heat recovery often requires large-scale industrial footprints, Cardinal Volta’s research focuses on high-efficiency thermodynamics that can be integrated directly into modern data infrastructure.
Cardinal Volta is motivated by the growing gap between rising energy demand and the efficiency of existing infrastructure, seeing a clear opportunity to move their thermodynamics research beyond the lab to deliver measurable economic and environmental benefits.
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Both teams began a series of ideation workshops in February covering entrepreneurial strategy, customer discovery and experimentation, along with individualized sessions focusing on their specific ventures. They will continue to receive feedback through bi-monthly developmental workshops and regular consultations with advisors.
Stage 1 concludes this May, leading into the highly anticipated Stage 2 in June. Current recipients will compete for a spot as the 2025-26 finalist, which includes up to $65,000 in funding to further accelerate their path to commercialization. Final allocations will be contingent on completing milestones mutually agreed upon between the finalist teams and the review committee.
“The launch of the Catalyst Prize marks an important milestone in our commitment to supporting the commercialization of science at U of T,” said Hong Luo, academic director of the Centre for Entrepreneurship and an associate professor at the Rotman School of Management and department of economics.
“Both teams in our inaugural Stage 1 cohort have demonstrated strong technical excellence and entrepreneurial drive.”
Support for these teams will continue as they progress through the competition.
Special appreciation is extended to the review committee — Vaughn Betz (Electrical & Computer Engineering), Jon French (University of Toronto Entrepreneurship), Hong Luo, Mike McCarthy (Computer Science), Joyce Poon (Electrical & Computer Engineering) and Kurtis Scissons (University of Toronto Early Stage Technology) — for generously sharing their time and expertise. Additional thanks are owed to Kevin Bryan of the Rotman School of Management and Mathew Platt of the Creative Destruction Lab for leading the inaugural workshops.
Stay tuned this summer as the CfE announces the finalist team and shares information on applications for the next cohort of innovators for 2026-27.