Local startups win at 43North business competition

IN BRIEF

WATERLOO REGION — Two local startups won a total of more than US$1 million at the 43North competition in Buffalo. Qidni Labs, which makes an artificial kidney that can be implanted in patients with end-stage renal failure, and Suncayr, which makes a skin patch that changes colour when more sunscreen should be applied, were among the winners at the fifth annual 43North competition. Qidni won $550,000 while Suncayr won $500,000. The startups, both founded by University of Waterloo grads, will also get free office space in Buffalo for a year as well as other perks. Suncayr is based in the Velocity Garage in the Tannery building in downtown Kitchener while Qidni is working out of a San Francisco-based incubator called IndieBio. The annual competition was created to attract startups from around the world to Buffalo. This year’s top prize of $1 million went to SomaDetect, which is based in Fredericton, N.B.