If Waterloo was not busy enough cranking out talent and sought-after startups, the Waterloo Region’s Angel group and Golden Triangle Angel Network (GTAN) have announced its annual pitch competition, which will see eight early-stage companies compete for up to $10,000 in cash.
GTAN|START is taking place on May 8th with three cash prizes – Gold $10,000, Silver $5,000 or Bronze $2,000 – and the possibility of claiming the title of being one of Waterloo Region’s most promising startups.
Rob Douglas, President and Co-Founder of GTAN, said, “They will pitch to over 100 Angel investors, venture capitalists and industry leaders from this region and beyond… By the end of the day, the expert panel of judges will vote and crown the top three 2015 GTAN|START winners… We want to see startups succeed, and competition is healthy… We want to see great ideas turn into inspiring, investible companies, that’s what GTAN|START is about.”
While the prize money will help assist in building the startup, all three winners will also be fast tracked into an upcoming GTAN investment meeting where they might see further investment from others in the Angel community.
Check out GTAN here — tickets to the event cost $20.
Below is a list of the Top Eight:
EyeCheck
Founder: Ashutosh Syal
Website: http://www.eyecheck.co/
EyeCheck provides low-cost vision care to millions of people currently under-served in their region. EyeCheck provides the eye assessments needed in order to get glasses, all without training or user input.
ExVivo Labs
Founder: Moufeed Kaddoura
Website: http://www.exvivo.ca/
ExVivo Labs is building the next generation medical diagnostic tools. They focus on non-invasive technologies to make various testing procedures safe, simple and certain. They are located at the University of Waterloo, leveraging the extensive research network that the university offers, as well as the rich entrepreneurial atmosphere.
GROBO
Founder: Bjorn Dawson
Website: http://launch.grobo.ca/
GROBO believes that everyone should have access to fresh, healthy food, all year long. That is why they created the Grobo Pods. A revolutionary smart product that lets you easily grow what you want, when you want, where you want.
Kue Labs
Founder: Kamyar Ghofrani
Website: http://getkue.ca/
Kue is developing a timed release capsule that will open after a specific amount of time. They are using this technology to develop a caffeine product that gives people a burst of energy before they wake up. The capsule would be ingested before going to bed and the contents are released a few hours after the capsule is used, depending on how long the user wants to sleep for.
Medella Health
Founder: Harry Gandhi
Website: http://www.medella.ca/
Medella Health is developing the next generation of wearable technology to help patients better manage their diabetes. They are developing a solution that will let patients manage their blood glucose levels continuously and non-invasively, and thus provide with detailed data analytics and timely feedback.
Pout
Founder: Laura Smith
Website: http://pout.co/
Pout is an app that allows users to share their unique personal style, and find inspiration from across the world. Pout is the place for outfits, hair, nails, makeup, product reviews, video tutorials, and more.
Qidni Labs Inc.
Founder: Morteza Ahmadi, PhD
Website: http://qidni.com/
Qidni Labs Inc. is a medical device start-up based in Waterloo. They are currently developing a disruptive nanofiltration technology to improve the quality of dialysis for over two million patients with End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) around the world.