Startups pitch for $125,000 in prizes

Ten of Waterloo Region’s most progressive startups will pitch for one of four $25,000 prizes at the Velocity Fund Finals at the University of Waterloo next Thursday.

Judges will present one winner with an additional $10,000 for the top hardware pitch. Another 10 startups will compete for one of three $5,000 awards.

“The Velocity Fund event is always an indicator of trends in the startup world,” said Mike Kirkup, Director of Velocity, a comprehensive entrepreneurship ecosystem program at the University of Waterloo. “This year, while we have continued interest in hardware, nanotechnology and science startups, we are now seeing a return to software that will impact healthcare, enterprise systems, security and more.”

The competition, which is held three times a year, showcases some of the most innovative local software and hardware companies.

Companies competing for the Spring 2015 Velocity Fund $25K are:

Black Box Technology – Using nanotechnology, Black Box Technology is creating an optical fingerprint for authentication and the prevention of counterfeiting.
Grasp - Grasp is a biometric bike lock that secures a bike in seconds and is easily managed through the Grasp software platform and app.
Knote - Knote has developed a natural language processing and artificial intelligence-based system to eliminate the frustrations of note taking and studying.
Lani – If you have a 3D print job to do, Lani analyzes and estimates prices and shows you all available printers depending on the quality and materials you have selected.
Marangoni Optics – Marangoni is implementing a novel process control method for electronics component fabrication.
OneSet – OneSet users share, like, follow and engage with each other’s content and the app provides a simple on-the-go solution for new workouts and workout ideas.
PneuEquip - PneuEquip is building compact and safe workout equipment for condo/apartment residents that relies on air pressure to mimic traditional plate weight.
Sales Ninja - The number one door-to-door sales productivity suite for collecting lead information and storing it in the cloud. The app gamifies internal sales competition to keep teams motivated and engaged.
Site2Site – The Site2Site mobile platform takes field information from mobile employees and integrates it with payroll and job reporting. The platform collects and analyzes data to create an editable ready-to-send invoice.
Varden Labs – Ideal for business campuses and private residences, Varden Labs is creating electric shuttles that capture the benefits of autonomous vehicles in more controlled environments.

Finalists pitching for the Velocity Fund 5K are:

Arc Home: Developing breeze, a smart air register that integrates with smart thermostats and allows the customer to control the temperature of individual rooms in their home.
DeepVision: Aims to use deep learning and proprietary image processing technology to advance the field of computer vision. DeepVision wants to delve into the depths of what is truly displayed in images and allow users to instantly interact with objects within images.
Extempra: A communications training company that empowers people to speak with impact. Extempra offers workshops and personal coaching in the realm of public speaking and interpersonal communications.
Finuvo: Enables hobbyists and designers to create visually stunning 3D parts by applying a variety of colours and patterns to the surface of the part.
Fosite: Fosite writes software for the legal industry.
HiredWell: A mobile-optimized solution that enables brick-and-mortar businesses to seamlessly gather all required information from walk-in job seekers and quickly screen this information with an easy-to-use dashboard.
intuiMIX: A mixing platform that allows small independent artists to automate the sound engineering process.
Pave: A time management tool that improves and enhances productivity in one of the most reliable ways possible.
Tether: Tether is working to enhance the means by which people interact with computers and technology in general. Its first product is a form-factor redesign of the desktop mouse to allow precision productivity on any surface.
Thalo: Thalo is building a new display technology to increase the battery life and daylight visibility of mobile devices.