Announced Sept. 28, University of Waterloo startup Avro Life Science was honoured as one of 20 finalists for the James Dyson Award short list.
The prestigious international competition takes place annually to showcase the best student design and engineering projects.
Avro Life Science was celebrated for its development of trans-dermal drug delivery systems, starting with an allergy medications for kids.
The technology takes the form of a patch, which allows drugs to be delivered directly to the system via the skin.
Avro Life Science co-founder, Keean Sarani, said the team entered into the Dyson Award because they “thought it would be a good idea to showcase the design and engineering we do outside of Avro, and also demonstrate the design power that’s in the Waterloo Region.”
Sarani thanks his mentors for their success and is humbled to have made the top 20 list.
“We think it demonstrates the entrepreneurial ecosystem that Waterloo uses and the opportunity to get it out there for students in any age or any year at Waterloo,” said Sarani.
“Our experience has been great so far, giving us great international exposure and the attraction that continues to be a factor.”
When asked what he would like to share with students aspiring to launch their own startup, Sarani’s advice was simple: “Just go for it.”
“Who cares if it you don’t make it? You can always try again later. If [by] some chance you are successful in it now, you have nothing to lose,” he said.
“I started Avro about halfway through the first semester of first year. We didn’t know what we were doing, but we kind of learned along the way.”
