TRANSFORMING RESEARCH INTO INNOVATIVE BUSINESSES
Nobellum, CBSN, and LBIH partner to open a new pathway from academic research to entrepreneurship
Canada is home to world-class STEM research and innovation, yet many promising discoveries never make the transition from the laboratory to the marketplace. For researchers exploring entrepreneurship for the first time, navigating intellectual property, commercialization, venture development, and market opportunities can present an entirely new set of challenges.
Through our Idea Stream, sponsored by CIBC, we support early-stage innovators as they move from idea to venture, whether by developing and launching a minimum viable product (MVP) or transitioning in entrepreneurship for the first time.
As part of this work, Nobellum partnered with the Canadian Black Scientists Network (CBSN) and the Lanterna Black Innovation Hub (LBIH) to deliver the STEMM Innovator Cohort, a program designed specifically to help Black STEMM researchers explore the commercial potential of their research and begin developing the skills needed to become founders.
Six researchers from five Canadian universities participated in the inaugural cohort before taking the stage at the 5th Annual BE-STEMM Conference at Carleton University on July 30, 2026.
The Programme
Leading up to the BE-STEMM Conference, the six researchers progressed through a structured founder development journey designed to introduce them to entrepreneurship and prepare them to communicate the commercial potential of their research.
The cohort participated in a virtual program orientation, followed by a pitch masterclass on June 30, led by Expert-in-Residence Mthabisi Mhlanga, and two pitch preparation sessions on July 16 and July 23, facilitated by Charles Nwankwo, Nobellum's IT and Digital Coordinator. These workshops also introduced participants to AI-enabled tools to support the development of their pitch decks and strengthen how they communicated complex scientific concepts to non-academic audiences.
Throughout the programme, participants refined their value propositions, strengthened their business models, and developed investor-ready pitches. The programme culminated in the STEM Innovator Pitch competition, held on July 30, Day 1 of the 5th - Conference at Carleton University, where participants presented their ventures before a panel of judges.
The Pitch Day
The live pitch session opened with remarks from Kathryn Lawrence, Co-Founder & COO of Nobellum, followed by Dr. Trevor Charles of CBSN, who spoke to the collaboration between Nobellum, CBSN, and LBIH and recognized the six researchers participating in the inaugural cohort.
Each researcher delivered a three-minute pitch followed by three minutes of judge Q&A, putting into practice the skills and commercialization narratives they had developed throughout the program.
While judges deliberated, the session continued with a scientist panel moderated by Dr. Charles, followed by a discussion between Kathryn Lawrence and John Nelson highlighting the partnership between Nobellum and the Black Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub (BEKH).
Six pitches. Six researchers turning laboratory science into venture potential.
The Winner
Oghenefejiro Erome-Utunedi of the University of Calgary won the STEM Innovator Pitch with Inflammatrack IBD, a portable cytokine monitor for earlier flare detection in inflammatory bowel disease.
As the winner, Oghenefejiro receives the $3,000 pitch prize, access to legal and accounting advice through Nobellum. He will be further spotlighted at the 2026 Nobellum Summit on August 14th at The Globe & Mail in Toronto.
The other five pitches, spanning materials science, cancer diagnostics, digital health, evidence synthesis, and cellular biology, reflected the depth and range of research happening inside Canadian universities that rarely finds its way into the commercial ecosystem.
The Six Researchers
Norman Israel, University of Ottawa — Designing Matter Today, with a Purpose for Tomorrow. Research in confining light with artificial materials.
Oluwatobi Agbede, University of Toronto — Non-invasive Blood-Based Panel for MM Relapse and Response Prediction. Research in cell-free whole-genome sequencing for multiple myeloma.
Oghenefejiro Erome-Utunedi, University of Calgary — Inflammatrack IBD. Research in cytokine monitoring for inflammatory disease. STEM Innovator Pitch Winner.
Sussan Anukem, Dalhousie University — Verdica: Evidence Reviews Reimagined. Research in Black experiences in Canadian STEMM pathways.
Yared Aynalem, University of Alberta — Digitizing Preconception Care. Research in bridging knowledge gaps in low-resource settings.
Mohammed Ibrahim Mohammed Said, University of Toronto — ScaleUp. Research in multidimensional analysis of multinuclear osteoclasts.
The impact extended beyond the six participants. Approximately 50 additional researchers and conference attendees were introduced to entrepreneurship and commercialization through the session, with attendees expressing interest in participating in the 2027 STEMM Innovator Cohort.
Building the Scientist-to-Founder Pipeline
The STEMM Innovator Cohort represents an important extension of Nobellum’s Idea Stream: creating pathways for innovators at the earliest stages of entrepreneurship to move from an idea or area of expertise toward a viable venture.
For Black STEMM researchers, that journey may begin with years of scientific research rather than a traditional startup idea. Supporting that transition requires more than teaching researchers how to pitch. It means helping them understand commercialization, intellectual property, customers, markets, business models, and how their expertise can translate into solutions with real-world impact.
As Nobellum, CBSN, and LBIH look toward the next STEMM Innovator Cohort, the opportunity is to continue building a pipeline that helps more Black researchers see entrepreneurship as a viable pathway for taking their ideas from the lab to the market.
