On September 17, 2025, Startup Canada brought the Startup Global Pop-up Pitch Competition to Moncton, New Brunswick, shining a spotlight on the region’s most promising early-stage entrepreneurs with global ambitions.
More than 40 founders pitched behind closed doors to a panel of judges, and only the top five advanced to pitch live in front of the audience. Each finalist had just three minutes to showcase their business, explain their global potential, and make the case for why they should move forward to the national stage.
After an inspiring round of pitches, David Sánchez, Decarb Technology Inc. was awarded the top prize of $3,000 and a finalist spot at the 2025 Startup Global Grand Finale, taking place on October 21 at the Startup Canada Tour stop in Mississauga.
The People’s Choice Award, decided by audience votes, went to Navi Parmanand, Celebrate Your Curves, highlighting the excitement and support for Moncton’s entrepreneurial community.
Joining them in the Top Five were:
- Yash Mehta, L23 AI
- Brenda Ann Robinson, iNav4U
- Dave Buote, The Inkubatr Agritech Solutions Inc.
These top five finalists delivered their three-minute, no-slide, no-prop pitches to a live audience and an expert panel of judges, including:
- Stephen Weyman, Founder and Co-CEO, WeyMedia
- Paul Gaspar, Director of Small Business, UPS Canada
- Alexandra Falibois, Director Entrepreneurship, Southeast Regional Service Commission
The Moncton pop-up reflected the strength of Atlantic Canada’s startup ecosystem. Founders, ecosystem leaders, and supporters came together for a day of networking, mentorship, and celebration of entrepreneurship. The event was a powerful reminder of the innovation and determination driving businesses across the region.
With this win, David Sánchez will now join other regional champions from across Canada to compete at the 2025 Startup Global Grand Finale for over $70,000 in cash and support. The Finale will take place on October 21 in Mississauga, Ontario, during the last stop of the Startup Canada Tour.
This pitch competition was part of the Startup Global 2025 program, a nationwide initiative that equips Canadian early stage entrepreneurs with the tools, resources, and support to enter global markets.
The Startup Global program is proudly supported by UPS and EDC (Presenting Partners), along with TD Bank (Program Partners) and FITT (Ecosystem Partner).
We are also grateful to all of our Atlantic Canada partners that made the Moncton Pop-up Pitch possible: Venn Innovation (Venue Partner), Southeast Regional Service Commission (Event Partner), Opportunities New Brunswick (Networking Partner) and our Community Partners: University of New Brunswick (J Herbert Smith Centre), Innovation PEI, Planet Hatch, Ignite, JEDI, Startup Atlantic, Propel ICT, and NBIF.
About Startup Canada
Startup Canada is the gateway to Canada’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. We’re here to connect entrepreneurs with the support, community, and tools they need to build a successful business in Canada. Since our inception in 2012, Startup Canada has grown to support more than 130,000 entrepreneurs annually and an ever-growing entrepreneurial ecosystem support network from coast to coast to coast. Through our flagship and digital programs, we provide guidance, eliminate barriers, and champion the needs of each and every entrepreneur to private and public sector partners. Startup Canada supports entrepreneurs in starting up and scaling up to ultimately make Canada the best place to start and build a business. For more information, visit https://www.startupcan.ca/.