Toronto’s ideaBOOST media and technology startup accelerator announced its latest cohort of six companies yesterday. The program takes place at the Canadian Film Centre’s Media Lab (CFC Media Lab).
The swanky ceremony was hosted by CBC’s award-winning host of “Q”, Jian Ghomeshi, while the six companies graduating from ideaBOOST’s previous cohort pitched their products to a crowd of investors and entrepreneurs at the Steam Whistle Brewing Company in Toronto.
The six participating companies in the fall 2013 ideaBOOST program are:
1. Bublcam, a consumer-ready camera that captures a 360° panoramic view through spherical photos and videos.
2. L.A.R.G.E. Location-based AR Gaming Engine, a tool kit for the creation of location-based and augmented reality experiences.
3. RadioMogul, a platform for people to create, customize and curate their own monetizable Internet radio station.
4. Think Dirty, a mobile app that makes reading beauty and body care product labels simple, easy and fun.
5. uMentioned, a location app that allows you to anonymously flirt and make new friends with people nearby.
6. Weirdwood Manor, a unique storytelling experience—a novel brought to life through interaction and animation.
“The companies vying for entry into ideaBOOST are now mostly enabling technology firms that are trying to disrupt the entertainment business,” says Ana Serrano, Chief Digital Officer, CFC. “We are thrilled by the platforms and apps developed in our second cohort and have very high expectations for their success. Mean time, we enthusiastically welcome the next six companies to join the ideaBOOST community and make their bid to become digital entertainment rock stars in their own right.”
Some of the products pitched from the previous ideaBOOST cohort were Wondereur, a Gwyneth Paltrow-endorsed story-driven ecommerce platform for selling contemporary art and instaRadio, the Launch Festival “one to watch” app that lets anyone stream audio anywhere, anytime. Also launching are AlertTV, Lightning Platform, Bemused, and Motion Panels.
Launch Pad attendees also received a sneak peek at the five winning companies of the ideaBOOST/Mind Pirate Production Lab. They were among the first to create wearable tech games and apps using Mind Pirate’s Callisto platform. The ideaBOOST/Mind Pirate Production Lab made a call for applicants in early October, and the three-month program is now coming to a close. The apps were developed for the likes of Google Glass, Samsung Gear and Pebble Smartwatch, the “next consumer mega trend of wearable technology.”
The winning companies will be formally revealed today at the Canadian Innovation Exchange (CIX), taking place at the MaRS Discovery District in Toronto.
ideaBOOST identifies early stage companies in the media and technology industry that are ready to take advantage of the accelerator process and the relationship building that ideaBOOST believes “is essential to become market- or investorready in today’s competitive media market ecosystem.” Through a four-month, part-time prototype development and audience engagement boot camp, ideaBOOST enables participants to build successful products and sustainable companies that stay in Canada and build employment.
Meanwhile, the Canadian Film Centre’s Media Lab (CFC Media Lab) provides a unique training, research and production think-tank environment for new media content developers, practitioners and companies. It was created it 1997. An internationally acclaimed and award-winning facility, graduates of the CFC Media Lab emerge as leaders in the world of interactive media, produce innovative projects and start up 21st century companies.