AquaPath AI from the University of P.E.I. and Seagreen Solutions NB from the University of New Brunswick were the two big winners at the recent Student Pitch Competition at UNB.
The J. Herbert Smith Centre for Technology, Management and Entrepreneurship hosted the competition, which handed out $3,000 for each first prize, $2,000 for second and $1,000 for third.
Seagreen, which uses seaweed to create climate-positive products that support healthier soils and stronger ecosystems, won the $3,000 first prize in the Growth category, which targets graduate students.
“Have you ever tried pitching while sick with a cold?” posted Co-Founder and CEO Marie Dankworth on LinkedIn. “I took some daytime cold medication, got out of bed, and went straight to the RBC Student Pitch Competition, and it was so worth it. Seagreen Solutions NB landed 1st place.”
Dankworth, a seaweed scientist, formed the company last year with videographer and musician Joel Thompson, who is the company’s COO.
The second-place prize in the Growth category went to SymmOptima Tech, a UNB venture founded by Seyedeh Maryam Abbasnia. Another UNB venture, Ghatan, led by Farhana Ahmed, captured third place.
In the Ideas category, which is intended for undergrads, the winners were Ana Kwon, Daniel López, Camille Neri, and Jonathan Zul Luna for their company AquaPath AI.
Another UPEI venture, Avoxify founded by Illyas Aberbaz, captured second place. UNB students Ayden Wright, Mattias Floyd, Murray Ferris, Nicolas Tower won third place for their venture Modulus Power Solutions.
The TME team handed out additional prizes to the participants in the pitching event. The winners were:
- Communications Award – Gluten Free Living (Saint Mary’s University – Emma McGill);
- Social Innovation Award – Gluten Free Living (Saint Mary’s University – Emma McGill);
- Innovation Award – Niavra (UNB - Sanjib Torafder, Dylan Piercey, Justin Christie, Lucas Weeks);
- Technical Innovation Award – OZONE Hockey (UNB - Nathaniel Dryden, Michael Doiron, Dominic Losier, Jake Profit);
- And Impact Award – Modsquad (UNB - Cael Serrao, Nashmia Riaz, Lam Tuan Anh Tran, Kieran Brian Prior Nicholson).
At the awards dinner, UNB also honored several members of its community even though most were not directly involved in the pitching competition. They were:
- Student Leader of the Year 2026 – Dominic Losier, a member of the OZONE Hockey team from UNB;
- The Brian Flood Entrepreneur of the Year 2026 – serial entrepreneur Jeff Thompson;
- Teaching Excellence 2026 - Kevin Ferguson, a UNB Adjunct Faculty Instructor;
- And Ecosystem Award – Tracy Bell, Executive Director of the Wallace McCain Institute.
