Meet the 10 Velocity Fund Finalists competing for $100,000

Ten startups from diverse backgrounds - everything from biotech to computer science - will pitch their businesses for a share of $100,000 at the Velocity Fund Finals (VFF) at the University of Waterloo.

The entrepreneurs hope to win one of four $25,000 prizes on July 24 as well as earn the opportunity to build their businesses in Velocity, the University's startup incubator. 

The contenders, who have backgrounds in biotechnology, computer science, engineering and nanotechnology, are tackling important issues like accessible vision care, health, food economics and efficient manufacturing.

A mix of hardware and software

“It’s great to see a solid mix of hardware and software startups competing at the upcoming Velocity Fund Finals,” said Mike Kirkup, director at Velocity. “These companies are not only competing for funding, they’re also competing for workspace at the Velocity Garage for software companies, or the soon-to-open Velocity Foundry for hardware, materials and life sciences companies.”

Here are the finalists:

Code Connect is a plug-in for Microsoft Visual Studio that dynamically visualizes program control flow for developers as they code, making software development and design easier.

ExVivo is changing the way allergies are tested. Their product provides an alternative to existing skin prick methods by moving the reaction outside of a patient’s body. This will give allergists a more rapid, safe and simple way to screen for allergies and offer patients results that are certain.

EyeCheck is a vision diagnostics solution involving a mobile app for taking photographs of the eyes, imaging equipment, and image processing algorithms that combined can provide a quick and inexpensive assessment of a patient’s full prescription. It’s ideal for making vision care accessible in regions around the world where it is otherwise not available or affordable.

Grobo is a personalized app-controlled in-home gardening system that lets anyone grow a successful garden at any time of the year, regardless of their experience level.

Localmotive is an online marketplace that facilitates the distribution and sales of locally produced food.

Maieutic is a programmable surface technology that can adjust topography at any time to monitor and correct defects in manufacturing.

MAJiK Systems is a web app for factory managers and machine operators to monitor the status, efficiency and problems of machines in real time.

Tempest Insight is a cloud tool that helps real estate developers determine what type of building to build and how to price them. Tempest does this by analyzing location-based data and generating statistical models.

Ubiq is reinventing the way presentations are given in enterprise organizations by allowing users to wirelessly present from their tablets or laptops to existing projectors and TVs in their meeting rooms.

Vitameter is a personal device that can inexpensively measure a user’s vitamin levels. An accompanying app allows users to track their deficiencies and actively manage their diet.

To qualify as a finalist, each startup submitted a written proposal and presented a 3-minute pitch to a panel of judges from the Velocity community. The ten finalists now move on to the Velocity Fund Finals to present 3-minute pitches on-stage before a live audience and a second panel of judges from the business community.

The judges for the $25,000 competition include:

• Tim Lee – Partner, Sequoia Capital
• Ted Livingston – Founder and CEO, Kik (Velocity alumnus)
• Karamdeep Nijjar – Venture Capitalist, iNovia Capital
• Mike Stork – President, Stork Holdings

An additional ten entrepreneurs from the University of Waterloo will pitch their early-stage startup ideas for one of three $1,000 grants.

Velocity fosters entrepreneurship by providing early-stage startups with funding, free workspace, workshops, networking opportunities and access to mentors. Velocity takes no intellectual property rights or equity in return. 

Register to attend the finals:

Date: Thursday, July 24, 2014

Time: $1,000 competition starts at 11 a.m., $25,000 competition starts at 1 p.m.

Location: Student Life Centre – Great Hall, University of Waterloo

A  livestream of the finals will be available and you can follow the competition on Twitter: #VFFS14. You can also view pictures and profiles of the competing startups.