Where Global Mentorship Meets Local Innovation: Celebrating TiE Vancouver’s Startup Pitch Fest 2025

For more than three decades, TiE (The Indus Entrepreneurs) has stood as a global force for entrepreneurial advancement. Founded in Silicon Valley in 1992, TiE has grown into the world’s largest network supporting entrepreneurs, with 60+ chapters across 14 countries. Its mission remains rooted in five foundational pillars: mentorship, networking, education, incubation, and access to capital. Through this model, TiE continues to ignite innovation and fuel economic growth across international ecosystems.

Here in Western Canada, TiE Vancouver serves as a dynamic catalyst—connecting ambition with opportunity and empowering founders with the three essentials every entrepreneurial journey depends on: capital, community, and purpose. The chapter nurtures an ecosystem where visionary entrepreneurs, seasoned investors, and world-class mentors converge to elevate ideas from British Columbia onto the global stage. Guided by TiE’s philosophy of net giving, the community embodies a culture where knowledge sharing, strategic collaboration, and collective growth are core values.

Entrepreneurs are invited to participate in a movement that champions innovation, fosters meaningful connections, and builds legacies that reach far beyond borders.

Celebrating the TiE Vancouver Startup Pitch Fest 2025

This year, TiE Vancouver launched its highly anticipated Startup Pitch Fest in two categories:

TiE University
TiE Women

PixelPaddle has consistently supported initiatives that strengthen the local entrepreneurial landscape. In alignment with this mission, Meer Anwar, CEO of PixelPaddle, was invited to serve as a jury member for both the semi-finals and the in-person grand finale held in Vancouver. His involvement reflects PixelPaddle’s continued commitment to mentoring founders, uplifting small businesses, and contributing to a thriving innovation ecosystem.

The semi-finals featured an impressive range of applicants, each bringing creativity, technical depth, and community-minded solutions to the table. The winners were:

TiE University – Semi-Final Winners

Sophia Millar – Sonibel Instruments
Saboor M. – GrowEasy Solutions
Evezi Esiehor – MindTrail

TiE Women – Semi-Final Winners

Ranah Chavoshi – Phyco
Vidya Kotamraju
Vivian Liu – Making Auto Easy
Jessica Bosman – DOUBL
Bryn Davis
Williams Valli
Manickam Cyndi
McLean Sue Blanchet
Maxine Cunningham

Every participant demonstrated remarkable passion, domain expertise, and resilience—qualities that define future leaders.

Special appreciation was extended to the esteemed panel of judges:
Ragul Mohan, Angela Kate, Haer M Ed, James Dean Waryk, Meer Anwar, Prashant Agrawal (Mr. P), Bhavik Chauhan, and Shawn Goyal.

And the Final Winners Are…

The grand finale showcased a diverse mix of innovations on November 13, 2025 in the shape of beautiful ceremony in Vancouver, addressing real-world challenges including food contamination, AI-driven mining fault detection, clean air systems, precision welding technology, automotive operating systems, functional beverages, apparel fitting solutions, pet care, and school speaker engagement tools.

TiE University – Final Winners

Winner: Sophia Millar – Sonibel Instruments
First Runner-Up: Saboor M. – GrowEasy Solutions
Second Runner-Up: Evezi Esiehor – MindTrail

TiE Women – Final Winners

Winner: Jessica Bosman – DOUBL
First Runner-Up: Vivian Lu – Making Auto Easy
Second Runner-Up: Ranah Chavoshi – Phyco

PixelPaddle’s Contribution to the Ecosystem

Continuing its commitment to empowering grassroots entrepreneurship, PixelPaddle partnered with Kaprix to extend $30,000+ worth of support to finalists. This included:

NextLevelCRM subscription credits
Go-to-market (GTM) strategy mentoring
Business development guidance
Early customer acquisition support

These offerings were provided not just to the winners, but to all participating finalists, ensuring every deserving startup gains access to resources that can meaningfully accelerate their growth.

During the ceremony, Meer Anwar took the stage to present awards, congratulate the winners, and encourage every participant to continue nurturing their vision. Speaking from the lens of PixelPaddle’s innovation journey, he shared insights and inspiration with the founders.

A Future Built Together

The Pitch Fest was more than a competition—it was a celebration of creativity, diversity, and innovation. From student founders to women-led businesses to first-time entrepreneurs, each participant demonstrated the strength of Western Canada’s growing entrepreneurial ecosystem.

With platforms like TiE Vancouver and contributions from community partners like PixelPaddle, the region continues to cement its place as a hub where global mentorship and local innovation intersect.

The journey for these startups has only begun—and the future looks exceptionally promising.