Introducing our newest cohort of entrepreneurial minds for the 2023 Spring Activator IMPACT Startup Visa Accelerator
In February, we put a call-out to startups internationally to participate in our eleventh Spring Activator IMPACT Startup Visa (ISV) Accelerator cohort. Looking at the incredible response to our program last year, it’s clear that international entrepreneurs across every sector, from healthcare and education, to retail, manufacturing and communication services, are leaning in on scaling their businesses for the Canadian market.
Today, we’re pleased to announce our newest cohort of groundbreaking startups for the Spring Activator IMPACT Startup Visa (ISV) Accelerator. The cohort is made up of individuals from various backgrounds, industries, and countries, each with their own unique experiences and perspectives. Over the next 12 weeks, they will come together to learn, grow, and collaborate on projects that have the potential to change the game in their respective industries.
This 12-week virtual accelerator brings the best of Spring’s IMPACT Starter Visa program led by seasoned entrepreneurs and business leaders, this cohort will be provided with invaluable resources, mentorship, and guidance as they work to develop their own ventures or scale existing ones. Through a rigorous curriculum, they will learn essential skills in areas such as fundraising, marketing, operations, and strategy, and receive personalized feedback on their progress and goals.
We received so many great applications for this program and want to welcome the eleven startups that make up the 2023 Spring Activator IMPACT Startup Visa (ISV) Accelerator cohort:
Meet the IMPACT Startup Visa Accelerator Cohort
The Skin Concept
The Skin Concept is a Sustainable, Premium Bath & Skincare Brand that creates 100% handcrafted products to nurture the outer beauty that reflects on the inner-self. Focused on aesthetics, they create luxurious product experiences for people to indulge in self care and are continuously striving for betterment by bridging the gap between nature and science. They create sustainable products with handpicked, quality ingredients from around the world, which are good for your skin & for our planet!
Aisha Chisti is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of The Skin Concept. She is an experienced professional who had previously owned and operated an International Beauty franchise in Dubai for more than 5 years. Combining her proven business acumen, a desire for growth, and creative organizational change paved the way for her to invest into her own startup.
Aisha Chisti | Founder & CEO
Farhan Siddiqui is the Digital Lead at The Skin Concept. He is a high-energy manager with an entrepreneurial mindset, successful in building and motivating dynamic teams. He cultivates a company culture in which staff members feel comfortable voicing questions and concerns, as well as contributing new ideas that drive company growth.
Farhan Siddiqui | Digital Lead
Anvil Business Center
Anvil Business Center is an intuitive digital platform for administering, listing, matching, and connecting businesses, investors, and professionals looking to raise, broker, invest, or syndicate capital with and to one another. The platform will digitalize the basic requirements and processes for fundraising and it will facilitate connections to financing for small and mid-sized businesses.
Franklin Nwaubani is the Founder of Anvil Business Center. He is in charge of providing the vision and oversight necessary for Anvil’s expansion into new markets, introducing the platform to the target market while fostering relationships with major financial service providers and other key partners.
Franklin Nwaubani | Founder & CEO
Elizabeth Mgbakor is the Operations Manager at Anvil Business Center.
Elizabeth Mgbakor | Operations Manager
Hivad
Hivad is a provider of consultation services through an online platform that utilizes a “decision tree” algorithm along with machine learning technology and artificial intelligence (AI). The platform is used to assess a patient’s condition and mood to then give treatment recommendations.
Alireza Qadiri Hedeshi is the CEO and Product Owner at Hivad. Having gained much experience over nearly two decades of working as language professor, lecturer, and journal editor, Alireza has decided to devote the rest of his professional life to advising youngsters and businesses.
Alireza Qadiri Hedeshi | CEO & Product Owner
Ehsan Jowkar is the Marketing Officer & Content Developer at Hivad. He manages the communication channels and social networks for the company as well as negotiates with local businesses and leads the R&D department.
Ehsan Jowkar | Marketing Officer & Content Developer
Aquilabs International
Aquilabs International is an innovative laboratory that has discovered a unique method to produce stable hypochlorous acid (s-HOCI), a very effective antimicrobial and disinfectant. The goal is to create new antimicrobial products and introduce them into different markets.
Juan Torres is the CEO and Managing Director of Aquilabs International. He has more than 20 years of experience as an entrepreneur and business leader. He develops business models based on strategical thinking, emotional intelligence, focusing on positive results. He has been running Aquilabs International since March of 2022 and is responsible for the day-to-day business as well as the definition and execution of the corporate strategy.
Juan Torres | CEO & Managing Director
Metawym Inc.
Metawym is a VR service that provides a real and natural environment with theta wave background music. Additionally combined with meditation languages created by world-famous meditators, the service aims to bring comfort through the use of 360 virtual reality.
Wonjun Choi is the CEO of Metawym.
Wonjun Choi | CEO
Yusik Na is the computer programmer for Metawym.
Yusik Na | Computer Programmer
Envirovamp
Envirovamp is a company working to create a product intended to enable farm owners to produce their heating requirements from farm waste on their own farms thus, reducing their expenses and contributing to GHG emission reduction.
Hossein Neishabouri is the CEO of Envirovamp. He is a renewable energy specialist who has founded three businesses in this field. The companies that he has managed during his career have saved more than 2 million kgs of co2 emission into the atmosphere.
Hossein Neishabouri | CEO & Engineer
Digitalex
Digitalex is a platform that provides legal, regulatory, and business analytics to professionals such as lawyers, judges, and researchers. It can also be utilized by other industries such as law enforcement and accounting. The search engine helps minimize the time required to go through various case files and large amounts of data using artificial intelligence (AI). The AI reads between judgements and takes key points thereby reducing the appearance of inaccurate search results.
Kaushal Sharma is the CEO and Founder of Digitalex.
Kaushal Sharma | CEO & Founder
Padrabrick
Padrabrick is a producer of eco-friendly bricks and blocks that use novel geopolymer formulas and raw-waste materials. This eliminates the use of high temperatures during production and is less natural resource-intensive. Using the technology to develop and produce geopolymer bricks with aluminosilicate wastes allow for low-cost, durable, and energy-efficient bricks that can compete with traditional bricks used in the construction industry.
Aida Pedram is the CEO of Padrabrick.
Aida Pedram | CEO
Cold Treat
Coldtreat is working towards the creation of a cold cap device used to treat an injured area primarily for patients undergoing chemotherapy or using medication for MS. The device includes two cold caps for simultaneous use by two patients, a removable cold dressing to prevent bleeding, a cold plate to reduce temperature quickly, and a medical refrigerator to store medicine.
Maryam Ahmadzadeh is the CEO and Emergency Medicine Specialist for ColdTreat.
Maryam Ahmadzadeh | CEO
Elham Zhianpoor is the CTO for ColdTreat and primarily works with the software engineering department. In their free time, they like to play the Santour (a traditional instrument from Iran) and paint.
Elham Zhianpoor | CTO
We are thrilled to welcome this exceptional group of entrepreneurs to our community and are excited to see the incredible impact they will make in the Canadian market and the world. With their passion, drive, and commitment to innovation, we are confident that they will achieve great things and inspire others to do the same. We encourage you to connect with them on LinkedIn and give a hearty Canadian welcome. 
