​​​​City showcases leadership in Canada’s space and innovation economy​

BRAMPTON, ON (November 12, 2025) – The City of Brampton celebrated its second annual BramHacks hackathon last week, rounding out a successful weekend of events positioning Brampton at the forefront of Canada’s growing space and innovation economy.

  Regional Councillor Rowena Santos, Vice-Chair, Economic Development with BramHacks winning team, Team JADE — Arjan Waraich, Daniel Ganjali, Emerson Ni, and Justin Riu — and Kyle Boyko, BramHacks finalist judge and CEO and Founder of InspireTech Canada. Credit: City of Brampton ​​

At this year’s BramHacks 2025: Space Edition​, over 700 registered participants representing more than 35 academic institutions across Ontario and Canada came together for a three-day in-person innovation challenge to design creative, data-driven solutions using space technologies to strengthen communities, drive sustainability and improve life on Earth.

The top five teams advanced to the finale on Sunday, November 9, at Brampton City Hall, where they presented their solutions before a distinguished panel of judges — Matilda Khoshaba, Systems Engineer at Canadensys Aerospace Corporation; Kyle Boyko, CEO & Founder of InspireTech Canada; and Michael Graham, CEO & Founder of the North American Space Institute (NASI). The finale featured a keynote by NASI CMO Mahfuz Chowdhury, inspiring participants to turn their ideas into real-world impact.

BramHacks 2025 Winners

• First Place – Team JADE for Heimdall, an AI-powered satellite diagnostic system designed to predict hardware failures and improve the reliability of space missions.
• Second Place – Team Coolie for Astro-Academy, a gamified, AI-enhanced learning platform that makes space science education accessible, interactive and engaging for students through simulation-based modules.
• Third Place – Team SpaceEx for Vela, a space debris monitoring system that uses satellite data and predictive analytics to enhance orbital safety and reduce collision risks.

 BramHacks 2025 Finale at Brampton City Hall with Regional Councillor Gurpartap Singh Toor, Chair, Economic Development, Regional Councillor Rowena Santos, Vice-Chair, Economic Development, the Economic Development team, winners, judges and mentors celebrating innovation. Credit: City of Brampton

BramHacks 2025, administered by HackWorks, is a partnership between the City of Brampton’s Economic Development Office and Brampton’s Innovation District, proudly sponsored by Amazon, ​Greater Toronto Airports Authority​, Canon Canada, Pizza2Go and Downtown Brampton BIA with support from local post-secondary institutions and industry mentors including Sheridan College, Toronto Metropolitan University, Zebra Robotics, Youth Culture, Make Stuff Move, Downtown Brampton BIA and Algoma University. In collaboration with Ibentos, a BHive start-up, this year’s hackathon introduced a digitally immersive experience powered by an AI assistant and virtual networking community, taking participant engagement to the next level.

Space Day in Brampton

The three-day hackathon launched on Thursday, November 6, during Space Day in Brampton at Canon Canada Headquarters. The day featured milestone events highlighting Brampton’s leadership in the national space sector, including:

• Moonshot3, an experiential learning event introducing high school students to careers in rocketry, robotics and space technology.
• A gathering of the Ontario Space Cluster, hosted by the Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade (MEDJCT), bringing together provincial stakeholders, industry partners and researchers to advance collaboration in Ontario’s space innovation ecosystem.
• The official launch of BramHacks 2025, featuring keynote remarks by Dr. Robert Thirsk, former Canadian astronaut, and Rahul Goel, CEO of NordSpace, a company preparing for Canada’s first-ever commercial rocket launch.

​Denise McClure, Director, Economic Development & International Relations, City of Brampton; former Canadian Space Agency astronaut Dr. Robert Thirsk; Regional Councillor Gurpartap Singh Toor and Chair, Economic Development; and a representative from Minister Maninder Sidhu’s Office, following the presentation of a Certificate of Recognition to the City of Brampton’s Economic Development Office for leading and organizing BramHacks 2025.Credit: City of Brampton

Brampton is home to MDA Space’s Global Headquarters and Space Robotics Centre of Excellence, known worldwide for developing the Canadarm and advancing space robotics and manufacturing. Together with the Sheridan Centre for Intelligent Robotics and a growing network of research and startup partners, Brampton continues to establish itself as a launchpad for Canada’s next generation of space technology and talent.

Quotes

“Brampton is quickly becoming one of Canada’s most exciting centres for space innovation and advanced technology. Through BramHacks, we’re showcasing the creativity and talent that continue to position our city as a launchpad for the future. We’re proud to support young innovators who are driving solutions for a stronger and more sustainable world.” - Patrick Brown, Mayor, City of Brampton

“Events like BramHacks not only spark creativity among our students but also attract investment, generate new opportunities and strengthen Brampton’s reputation as a city of talent and innovation. By challenging students to solve real-world problems in space technology, we are positioning our city as a place where bold ideas are developed, tested and launched into action.” - Gurpartap Singh Toor, Regional Councillor, Wards 9 & 10; Chair, Economic Development, City of Brampton

“Last week demonstrated the power of collaboration between government, academia, and industry. From Space Day to BramHacks, Brampton is becoming a hub in Canada’s space sector and continues to attract and develop the next generation of STEM leaders while growing our innovation economy. - Rowena Santos, Regional Councillor, Wards 1 & 5; Vice-Chair, Economic Development, City of Brampton

“We built Heimdall, an AI-powered satellite-repair-as-a-service (SRaaS) platform that uses deep learning to forecast satellite failures, simulates autonomous docking in Gazebo, and performs in-orbit repairs with a custom 3D-printed robotic arm mounted on a satellite. BramHacks showed us how space innovation can support life on Earth and inspired us to create technology that sustains the satellites our communities rely on every day.” - Team JADE, BramHacks 2025 Winners: Daniel Ganjali, Emerson Ni, Justin Rui, Arjan Waraich