In December 2020 ventureLAB hosted a Pitch Competition in partnership with Digital Main Street and the Region of York. Across York Region, companies are reimagining business continuity amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. We selected the top 8 companies with innovative products and solutions that will help us rebuild through and beyond the current crisis. We watched them battle it out in front of a live audience and top-notch public and private sector judges. Evaluated on their innovation, economic impact, and community collaboration, each company had an opportunity to present their solution and answer questions from the judges. We gave the winning companies $50,000 to pilot or scale their innovative solutions. Our judges, hailing from Accenture, Shopify Retail, Bell Canada, and more, looked for novel solutions that increased market opportunity for main street businesses, elevated customer confidence, and managed costs associated with COVID-19 protocol compliance.
Our Finalists
- CACHET SUPPER CLUB
- EAIGLE
- Greeter.AI
- Hotspots
- inField Solutions
- Just Vertical
- ShopCloseBuy
- TempOwn
Our Judges
The winner of ventureLAB’s 2020 Pitch Competition
EAIGLE offers an AI solution for crowd monitoring and 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. Read more.EAIGLE received $25,000 and access to advice, mentorship, business-relevant training, professional networks and the opportunity to pilot or scale their innovative solutions in York Region.
First Runner-Up
Hotspots provides the first 100% Canadian designed and manufactured outdoor heated furniture to extend the patio season. Hotspots 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. Read more.Hotspots received $15,000 and access to advice, mentorship, business-relevant training, professional networks and the opportunity to pilot or scale their innovative solutions in York Region.
Second Runner-Up
inField Solutions enables retail and food services to thrive in a COVID environment and beyond. Their iQ Connected CUBBIES are a patent-pending smart locker solution that provide 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. Read more.InField Solutions received $10,000 and access to advice, mentorship, business-relevant training, professional networks and the opportunity to pilot or scale their innovative solutions in York Region.
Interested in getting involved?
ventureLAB is a leading technology hub located in Markham in York Region, Canada’s second largest tech cluster. Through our programs focused on capital, talent, technology, and customers, ventureLAB has supported over 2,000 tech companies and entrepreneurs, including 100 companies that have raised over $100 million and created 3,500 jobs. Join now.
Thank you to our partner organizations!
About Digital Main Street (DMS)
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.
