CNE Canadian National Exhibition Innovation Garage Pitch Competition 2018 Day 1

I am lucky to again have the honour of being involved with the CNE (Canadian National Exhibition) Innovation Garage in 2018.  The CNE Innovation Garage is a celebration of Canadian Innovation highlighting innovative startup from all across Canada.  This year was no exception, with Alberta Startup Pitch competition winners flying out to Toronto to pitch.  Entrepreneurs from all over Canada converge once a year at Exhibition Place Toronto to take part in Canada’s Largest Event the CNE!  With over 2 Million visitors through Toronto’s Exhibition Place gates each year during The Ex (short for The Exhibition is synonymous with the CNE) it’s the best event in Canada to show off your startup’s consumer product.  If you plan to spend time in Toronto The CNE offers something for everyone and is always a good use of Toronto time.

The national pitch competition featured some of Toronto’s top startup experts and investors as judges.  With each pitch competition category winner receiving $5000 to help finance their startup, and the Canadian National Pitch Competition winner receiving an additional $25,000 to help fund their startup!

CNE Emerging Innovators Pitch Competition

CNE (Canadian National Exhibition) Innovation Pitch Category – Travel & Leisure

In this category, startup competitors will focus on the travel, leisure and tourism fields. Some examples of the type of products you may see during these pitches include apps related to food and social interaction, products or services linked to travel or entertainment.

Hikster

First up, Hikster is an innovative platform to help you find the best trails for outdoor sport.  Hikster suggests places around the user that matches his current interest (sport, difficulty, dog allowed).  More than trails, users find all point of interest nearby and can book accommodation.
Everything into one app !

Tbird

TBIRD is a new kind of a booking company that is reinventing the way people find accommodations, transportation, and tour services by leveraging the power of Negotiation and Bidding among users.

We allow Users to gain access to alternative income at a time and place convenient for them, as well as, gain competitive pricing through a built-in negotiation and bidding process.

Jauntin’

JAUNTIN’ allows users to turn their insurance on and off instantly with a swipe of a finger.  Travel Insurance is provided on an hourly basis – only when needed.  Geo-fencing allows Jauntin’ to sen users reminders to turn their insurance on and off when they approach major airports and border crossings

HiRide

HiRide is a carpooling app for long distance travel, with the mission to improve the interaction between riders and drivers.
Targeting post-secondary students, our goal has always been to provide our users with utmost trust, transparency, accountability and safety.

Node App 

The start up Node empowers foodies and restaurants with a mobile platform to network and produce exciting social media content.

Node is a community of influencers, restaurants, and brands. Together, they are establishing valuable relationships in the food and beverage industry, while shedding light on local venues and noteworthy dishes.

The judges for this pitch category

Rebecca Tran, Ontario Centres of Excellence

Stuart Brown, Pycap Ventures

Ray Kovarik, Bhole Law

and the winner is ..

Jauntin’

Toronto Startup Jautin’ is an on-demand insurance platform allowing insurers to distribute micro-insurance via smartphones and optimize data collection to improve risk and pricing. Jauntin’ allows users to turn their insurance on and off instantly on their phone.  Jauntin’ is a TorontoStarts Startup Pitch Competition Finalist and it is great to see our community startups winning!

Listen to my Interview with Jauntin on the Startup Talk Podcast

CNE (Canadian National Exhibition) Innovation Pitch Category –

Agriculture & Urban Farming

This category will feature start-ups that are focused on agriculture technology for both home and commercial solutions.

Ripple Farms

How many can we feed?
From our Farms to Your Forks – Ripple Farms is growing Toronto’s freshest greens and seafood 365 days of the year. Our Aquaponic Farms balance sustainability and innovation to produce some of the highest quality crops in Canada.

Ohh Food Inc.

Our mission is to innovate allergen free snacks that make you feel safe and included, are nutritious and taste great!

Naturalbliss Infusions

NaturalBliss is an herbal infusion with a full serving of tropical fruit, designed to be consumed as a beverage hot or iced. Each pouch has a sachet of aromatic herbs plus 10g of real pieces of delicious tropical fruit ready to eat. Each pouch contains an exotic mix of four tropical fruits including golden berry, mango, papaya, kiwi, pineapple, apple, and strawberry.

NaturalBliss is 100% natural real fruit, with no preservatives or additives. It is convenient to use at home, office, or away from home and contributes to your daily recommended fruit servings. This product originates in the equatorial country of Colombia, where a wide range of exotic fruits are harvested year round.

Plantbox

We Make Planters For Modern People.
Tired of wasting time, money and effort keeping your plants alive? So were we.

A PlantBox in Every Room
Our unique PlantBoxes provide a home for your plant, designed especially for you.

The judges for this pitch category

and the winner is ..

Ohh Food Inc.

CNE (Canadian National Exhibition) Innovation Pitch Category –

Home & Everyday Life

This category will showcase innovations for the home and day-to-day living. Included in this category is everything from mechanics to a connected home to app based learning systems linked to education or entertainment.

Sobie Systems Inc.

Redefining HVAC Monitoring & Carbon Monoxide Safety.
Monitor the efficiency and safety of your HVAC right at the source and take preventive actions before your system breaks down.

Confable Inc.

Have you ever felt to express your intensive thoughts, but you felt it could offend people? Introducing to you, “Confable”

A 100% anonymous app.

Nise Tech Inc.

The Nise Wave transforms any pot of water into a personal chef by cooking sous-vide…

With the mobile app, whether you want a medium-rare steak, chicken, or crème brûlée, your food will be ready the MOMENT you arrive home (or whenever you want)!

Micro-temperature adjustments are made throughout the day to create a temperature curve so your meals are done the way you want, WHEN you want!

The Nise app has 100s of gourmet recipes pre-programmed

ArFront Technologies Inc.

Augmented Reality is the bridge between imagination and reality, see the world from a brand new angle beyond 3D. Don’t limit yourself to the flat screen: stream line your business and offer unparalleled customer engagement. We develop software that powers the latest generation of affordable Augmented Reality Solutions on Smartphones and Smartglasses.

TapHax Inc.

Real Time Water Tracking System
TapHax is a smart-faucet that enables homeowners to understand their water usage in real-time at the tap. Unlike traditional water trackers that measure consumption and require you to check an app – TapHax displays usage right at the point of use, letting you take control of how much you use just as you’re using it!

On the app get notifications about leaks in your households as well as understand historical trends. You’ll also be able to compare yourself to the average consumer in your area while learning about how water waste affects our world!

and the winner is ..

Sobie Systems Inc.

Redefining HVAC Monitoring & Carbon Monoxide Safety.
Monitor the efficiency and safety of your HVAC right at the source and take preventive actions before your system breaks down.

Wow that was day 1 of the Canadian National Pitch Competition 2018 at the CNE Innovation Garage!

Day 2 post coming soon …