Fredericton-based New Brunswick Innovation Foundation (NBIF) has revealed the five female-led companies selected as finalists for the Fueling Female Founders Pitch Competition:

NBIF is hosting the second annual Fueling Female Founders Pitch Competition at the Atlantic Venture Forum in Halifax on June 4.

The selected founders will pitch in front of a panel of investors for their opportunity to enter due diligence with NBIF for up to $100,000 in equity investment. The selected companies are all in the pre-seed stage.

The five companies are:

  • Elle, MD Biotechnologies – Jennifer Johnston, MD is creating non-hormonal contraceptive solutions to empower users and protect health (New Minas, NS)
  • Theranib Inc. – Paola Marcato is working on improving cancer care through precision ALDH1A3 therapies (Halifax)
  • Lab 4 Inc. – Nifemi O. is working in critical minerals processing and engineering technology (Dartmouth) 
  • RustSense – İlknur Tekin Bayhan is using smart corrosion monitoring to prevent damage before it starts (Fredericton) 
  • Urai AI Corp. – Shanthi Shanmugam is developing a platform to make AI agent creation effortless for businesses and developers (Fredericton).