From Student Pitch to $1.6M Startup | Sophia Millar

From student pitch contestant to venture-backed founder. Watch how Sophia Millar turned a TiE Vancouver start into a $1.6M startup story. In this episode, Sophia Millar shares the journey from student entrepreneur to CEO of Sonibel Instruments — from pitching in the TiE Vancouver ecosystem to building a fast-rising deep-tech company and closing a US$1.6M pre-seed round. We talk about what it really takes to go from student founder to venture-backed CEO: startup pitching, mentorship, fundraising, leadership, building in hardware, and staying focused while the stakes keep rising. Sophia also reflects on the role TiE Vancouver played in her journey, the lessons she learned as a young founder, and what happens after the pitch when you have to build a real company. If you’re a student entrepreneur, startup founder, operator, investor, or anyone trying to turn an idea into traction, this conversation is packed with insight. Topics covered include: startup funding, founder journey, TiE Vancouver, student entrepreneurship, pitch competitions, female founders, venture capital, deep-tech startups, leadership, Sonibel Instruments, and startup mentorship. If this episode gave you one useful idea, like the video, subscribe, and share it with a founder or student who needs to see what’s possible. Comment below: What was the biggest lesson from Sophia Millar’s journey? #StartupFunding #StudentFounder #TiEVancouver