The University of Waterloo will host the Velocity Fund Finals next week, where Waterloo students and alumni will pitch their innovative startups for the chance to win funding to grow their businesses, and entry into the Velocity Garage, the largest free startup incubator in the world. Velocity is a comprehensive entrepreneurship program at Waterloo.
Location: Great Hall, Student Life Centre, University of Waterloo
Date: Thursday, July 21, 2016
Time: The $5K competition starts at 11 a.m. The $25K competition starts at 1 p.m., with the event wrapping up at about 3 p.m.
Ten companies will compete for four prizes of $25,000. Judges will present one winner with an additional $10,000 for the top hardware pitch. Another 10 startups will compete for one of three awards of $5,000.
Companies competing for the Spring 2016 Velocity Fund $25K are:
- Altius Analytics Labs is developing the first of its kind health care intelligence system to help prevent joint pain and injuries.
- Babylon VR uses virtual reality to help home buyers visualize pre-built condos before they are built.
- Citius Solutions is a software-as-a-service company that offers optimization solutions in the delivery industry.
- CubeXLab Technologies provides automated vision inspection solutions that are highly affordable, flexible and easy-to-use for part and component manufacturers in automotive, fastener, plastic injection and pharmaceutical industries.
- EMAGIN is Canada's first artificial intelligence company for the water sector.
- Hiaq Thermal is a performance sportswear company which has developed an ultra thin, lightweight, flexible, and breathable nanoparticle insulation for their winter apparel line. Specializing in the next generation of performance apparel, Hiaq is bringing the future of winter clothing to the world.
- HITCH is developing solar-powered smart WiFi routers that automatically interconnect, to form community mesh networks for storing, accessing, and sharing videos and other Internet content.
- Knote offers a natural language processing platform to help companies leverage the power of artificial intelligence in documents and big data processing. Their tools enable companies to support employees by automating routine, time consuming work, and improving efficiency.
- Salient Energy is commercializing a revolutionary new battery based on research at the University of Waterloo. Their zinc-ion battery is perfectly suited, both technically and economically, for storing electricity in the grid.
- UpGrain uses low frequency electro-magnetic field stimulation of seeds to increase overall yield of various crops by 20 percent. They use advanced mathematical algorithms to calculate the most suitable time to maximize treatment effects on seeds.
Finalists pitching for the Spring 2016 Velocity Fund $5K are:
- EloquentSpeaking enriches lives by improving people’s communications skills, in order to make simple yet powerful communication techniques universally accessible and adopted
- ENVR develops hardware and software which adds a 4D element to virtual and augmented reality.
- Gymnatik provides one day passes to gyms around the world.
- Masood Energy provides reliable grid level storage by repurposing used electric vehicle batteries. Once electric vehicle batteries reach the end of their lives, they still retain a significant amount of their initial capacity and can be repurposed for stationary energy storage to provide an additional 10 years in secondary use.
- MycoCup is a sustainable take-out cup made of agriculture waste and mycelium, the roots of fungi. The mycelium creates a polymer that’s durable, hypoallergenic, non-toxic, mold-resistant, and retains more heat than fibreglass. By using this cup, cafes can cut costs, reduce their eco-footprint, and differentiate their brand.
- Orbit360 deploys a network of screens inside and/or outside of vehicles so that companies can advertise themselves to their target customers more efficiently.
- Speak! is a language teaching tool that simulates real life situations with speech recognition and interactive videos.
- Studio Monolith is an interdisciplinary digital design practice specializing in interactive media.
- Tabnex is an end-to-end job acquisition platform that centralizes all the essential tools into one seamless experience, and designed into a workflow.
- The Playful Pixel hosts large group entertainment events that combine the best of theatre, board games, and video games. A small cast of Playful Pixel performers and game technicians guide 50+ player audiences through 3 hours of face-to-face play with a flexible overarching narrative, sensor-enhanced smart props, and handheld mobile devices.
Velocity Fund $25K judges
Velocity Fund $5K judges
