An entrepreneur from Iran who now calls Winnipeg home is excited about his technology company’s future after receiving special recognition from an accelerator in Silicon Valley.
Last month, Irvine, Calif.-based Peachscore named Tactile Robotics the best startup it worked with during the fourth quarter of 2024.
Tactile founder and chief executive officer Yaser Maddahi said the award is a testament to the hard work, creativity and dedication of the company’s six-person team.
JOHN WOODS / FREE PRESS Dr. Yaser Maddahi, co-founder and CEO of Tactile Robotics, right, with DenTeach, a comprehensive multimodal teaching tool, and Dr. Ali Maddahi, co-founder and CTO, with PrepScanner, an AI-driven grading and assessment system, are photographed in their office Monday.
“We needed some endorsement that we are at the right place, (on) the right trajectory,” he said. “This is a reminder that… we need to keep pushing forward. We have to keep dreaming big.”
Founded in 2018, Tactile specializes in AI-powered robotics solutions for dental education, telehealth and research.
Its flagship product, DenTeach, uses different technologies, including AI, haptics and robotics, to increase access to simple, effective and measurable training for dental students.
The company is working on two more products.
The first, iManus, is a portable smart glove platform that allows people who have suffered a stroke and have residual motor impairments to rehabilitate themselves at home by following tasks assigned to them by a doctor or rehabilitation therapist.
The second product, CageView, is an AI-powered robotic system that allows pharmaceutical companies and animal science facilities to monitor experiments, visualize rodent movement in statistical and visual formats, and customize graphical representations.
Maddahi started the company alongside his wife, Maryam Kalvandi, and his brother, Ali Maddahi. The brothers each have PhDs in mechanical engineering while Kalvandi is a dentist.
Tactile predominantly serves customers in the United States and Australia, and will start promoting its products in Canada in the new year. In 2023, the company’s revenue was $500,000. This year, revenue is on track to exceed $1 million.
The company is actively raising US$1.3 million in seed funding, with 20 per cent already committed.
Joining Peachscore’s accelerator program earlier this year allowed Maddahi and his colleagues to work on their pitch, connect with potential investors and improve their go-to-market strategy.
Peachscore supported hundreds of startups from around the world during the fourth quarter, which made it a challenge to select a standout, according to Peyman Shahmirzadi, chief operating officer.
“Tactile Robotics emerged as a remarkable success story, securing US$350,000 in funding by graduation, forming multiple global partnerships and closing over US$300,000 in revenue and contracts across several countries — all within just a few months,” Shahmirzadi said in an email. “This is why our mentors, advisors and team selected Tactile Robotics as the standout winner.”
Shahmirzadi said he was struck by the Tactile team’s openness to learning and its proactive engagement with Peachscore.
“Their commitment to growth and collaboration has been truly inspiring, showcasing the transformative potential of leveraging the program to its fullest,” he said. “Our entire team couldn’t be prouder of their success and the exciting journey ahead.”
Originally from Tehran, Iran, Maddahi and Kalvandi moved to Winnipeg in 2009 — just 10 days after their wedding — so that Maddahi could pursue doctoral studies at the University of Manitoba. After completing his PhD, Maddahi was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Calgary, where he developed surgical robotic technology.
Kalvandi operates DenTouch Dental Clinic, located on Osborne Street near Confusion Corner. The couple has two children, ages seven and five, whom Maddahi lovingly refers to as “my other startup.”
He said he and his family have chosen to stay in Winnipeg because of the support they’ve received from the community. He pursues his vision with Tactile Robotics because he wants to make a difference in people’s lives.
“You can improve human life with a less complicated implementation of technology,” he said. “You just need to find the pain point and address the pain point and try to help people.”
Aaron Epp
Reporter
Aaron Epp reports on business for the Free Press. After freelancing for the paper for a decade, he joined the staff full-time in 2024. He was previously the associate editor at Canadian Mennonite. Read more about Aaron.
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