Two women-led businesses affiliated with McMaster University Engineering stood before a panel of investors in a special Full Circle episode of CBC’s Dragons’ Den that aired on March 5.
A legen-dairy opportunity
Dr. Shari van de Pol, a Computer Engineering and Society grad who went on to become a large-animal veterinarian, pitched her data-driven agri-tech business, CATTLEytics, alongside Pumpkin and Spice – two show cows.
“Dairy farmers work incredibly hard in a complex industry,” Dr. van de Pol described on the show. “CATTLEytics is an all-in-one farm management tool that helps automate daily operations.” She encouraged the Dragons to invest in her “legen-dairy” business – the first of its kind for the Canadian farming industry, which she cited as being worth $21 billion.
While the Dragons were intrigued by Dr. van de Pol’s business, they advised her to continue building traction and leveraging the government funding that has helped support the company’s growth so far.
Dr. van de Pol remains well connected to McMaster through alumni events and advising Capstone groups with their final-year projects, including ones focused on advancing elements of the CATTLEytics software.
McMaster students, staff and faculty cheered the CATTLEytics team on at a Dragons’ Den watch party at the Shawn & Ed Brewing Company in Dundas.
A boil-free menstrual cup
Social enterprise founder Leisa Hertz, founder of Bfree Cup, appeared on the episode alongside her son‑in‑law Asaf Shargall to pitch their groundbreaking menstrual‑health innovation: a boil‑free menstrual cup crafted from a unique antibacterial silicone.
The Bfree Cup team is working with researchers led by professors Tohid Didar and Zeinab Hosseinidoust at McMaster to explore how to further engineer the product, including the creation of an absorbent gel that can better contain the menstrual fluid in the cup and the use of bacteriophages to treat viruses in a highly targeted way.
The Dragons were deeply moved by Hertz and Shargall’s pitch and commitment to social impact, particularly their efforts in communities where stigma, resource constraints and poor sanitation infrastructure make menstruation especially challenging. Two Dragons each offered $250,000 for a 25% stake in the company, which the Bfree Cup team accepted.
