On December 3, eight startups presented their products and solutions for main-street business continuity to top-notch public and private sector judges. The Pitch Competition was hosted by ventureLAB, the Regional Municipality of York, and Digital Main Street to explore, source, and pilot novel solutions that support business continuity amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Solutions addressed one or a combination of the following challenge areas:
- Increase market visibility/presence and business networking opportunities
- Enable staff retention and access to qualified talent
- Elevate consumer confidence, particularly for non-essential goods and services
- Manage costs associated with COVID-19 protocol compliance
The winning finalist received $25,000; the runner-up received $15,000; and the third-place finalist received $10,000 in funding. These finalists will have access to advice, mentorship, business-relevant training, professional networks and the opportunity to pilot or scale their innovative solutions in York Region.
Meet the 2020 Pitch Competition Winners
First Place: EAIGLE
EAIGLE offers an AI solution for Crowd Monitoring & Occupancy Data Analytics for public places with high foot traffic. With the rise of COVID-19, EAIGLE introduced a new AI solution that automates the total COVID-19 screening process for employees at points of entry. The solution monitors large crowds non-invasively without any interruption in traffic flow specific for companies with large numbers of employees/visitors.
Second Place: Wrmth
Wrmth provides the first 100% Canadian designed and manufactured outdoor heated furniture to extend the patio season. Wrmth chairs provide incubating warmth, with three temperature settings, comfortable contours, and multiple safety features, while providing a green energy solution that adds months to the outdoor patio season.
Third Place: inField Solutions
inField Shoppe iQ Connected CUBBIES enable retail and food services to thrive in a COVID environment and beyond. The Connected CUBBIES solution is a patent-pending smart locker solution that provides a curbside pickup and delivery management system driven by a mobile app. It combines the advantages of physical shopping with the convenience and safety of online commerce.
Meet the 2020 Pitch Competition Finalists
- Just Vertical: Just Vertical is an indoor vertical hydroponic company that creates furniture that feeds you. Our modern indoor hydroponic garden systems are sleek, sustainable, and gives the gift of fresh food all year round.
- Greeter.AI: Greeter.AI delivers better health & safety outcomes through AI. It automates COVID-19 screening and automatically enforces health protocols, such as masks and social distancing. Organizations can eliminate the need for human screeners, cut costs and reduce the risk of outbreak.
- CACHETDELIVEReh!: A “new normal” logistics company founded to support small businesses during the pandemic and beyond. End to End digital solution. We deliver, Eh!
- TempOwn: TempOwn is a secure peer to peer rental marketplace for essential items/equipment – the Airbnb of essential items/equipment. Our progressive cloud-based platform securely connects owners & lenders of essential items and equipment to our growing pool of pre-verified borrowers.
- ShopCloseBuy: ShopCloseBuy is a Community eCommerce platform providing an online one-stop shopping experience for buyers in local municipalities. Shared marketing encourages mutual support and cross-promotion of vendors with the goal of strengthening the business community as a whole.
Our Judges
Partner Organizations
Thank you to our partners who share our passion and commitment to supporting entrepreneurs all across rising cities across the country.
About ventureLAB
ventureLAB is a leading global founder community for hardware technology and enterprise software companies in Canada. Located at the heart of Ontario’s innovation corridor in York Region, ventureLAB is part of one of the biggest and most diverse tech communities in Canada. Our initiatives focused on raising capital, talent retention, commercializing technology and IP, and customer acquisition have enabled thousands of companies to create over 4,000 jobs and raise more than $200 million in investment capital. At ventureLAB, we grow globally competitive tech titans that build-to-scale in Canada, for global markets.
About Digital Main Street
Digital Main Street is a program and service that helps main street businesses achieve digital transformation. It is cost-free, made possible by the generous support of the Government of Canada and FedDev Ontario through the Regional Relief and Recovery Fund. It was introduced to help Ontario’s bricks and mortar businesses and the economy get through this challenging time.
About the York Region Entrepreneurship and Innovation Fund
The Entrepreneurship and Innovation Fund will support development of the innovation network in York Region. This year, in light of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the fund will focus on business continuity solutions from communities and business organizations. The Fund will drive business and economic recovery in the Region. Recipients are engaged in projects that have a larger impact on helping other businesses and organizations recover from economic loss, generate profit, or increase employment in a new post COVID-19 world.
