Next Gen Den, the Dragon’s Den made for the online world and optimized for mobile, will see two new interesting additions to its impressive judge roster: Shopify chief platform officer Harley Finkelstein and Offset Market Exchange (OMX) founder Nicole Verkindt will be joining BlueCat chairman Michael Hyatt as they seek out the next best investments in young entrepreneurs and early stage businesses.
Finkelstein’s decision to join the judging panel is a reflection of both of Shopify’s desire to be a key player in changing the future of retail, and of his personal record of giving back to the Canadian startup community. Recently, Finkelstein could be found at Whistler’s GROW Conference, where he sat down for a one-one-one with one lucky BetaKit reader, and talked about his road to success with Shopify.
Verkindt, who had her start in her family’s aerospace business, went on to found OMX and invented a software solution that matches key aerospace players with Canadian technology partners. OMX’s customers include Lockheed Martin and British Aerospace.
For those unfamiliar with Next Gen Den, participants must take everything they’re offered, or walk away from the deal. Auditions are currently open for early stage startup companies looking for investments under $100,000.
The second season premieres on October 7.