UPPlift: Toronto has announced the eight winners of its first-ever Urban Pilot Program.
The winning companies will pilot their smart city technologies in test-beds owned by QuadReal Property Group and the City of Toronto. UPPlift: Toronto said the selected companies will receive $25,000 from the Independent Electricity System Operator, legal support from Fasken Law, as well as tech support and expertise from Microsoft and Intel.
“Toronto’s innovation community has an abundance of solutions to enhance the city’s existing infrastructure.”
UPPlift, which launched in January, aims to bridge the gap between smart city technologies and infrastructure operators seeking tech that can enhance the city’s liveability. QuadReal Property Group and the City of Toronto selected the winners from a group of 20 smart city innovators who participated in workshops and received mentorship and support from partners such as QuadReal Property Group, Microsoft, and the Build in Canada Innovation Program.
“Through UPPlift: Toronto, we help resolve challenges in the built environment. Toronto’s innovation community has an abundance of solutions to enhance the city’s existing infrastructure,” said Mikele Brack, CEO of Urban Living Futures and creator of UPPlift: Toronto. “Our winning innovators are now able to participate in the city’s first living lab to deploy ‘smart’ and resource-efficient technologies to address those challenges.”
The companies selected to pilot their smart technologies include:
- ArgosAI: developing a digitized data stream that is activated through video cameras and used to count people, manage space usage, assess advertising impact, and manage individual parking spaces without sensors.
- Binners Junk Removal: an app focused on organizing and simplifying item removal and sustainable disposal.
- VSETA: a smart facility software that enables real-time building and facility monitoring through a private wireless sensor network independent of Wi-Fi or wiring.
- Spark EV: has established charging stations and a network management platform that allows commercial, retail, and residential building owners and property managers to manage a network of EV chargers across various buildings through a cloud-based dashboard.
- Eddy Home: using IoT technology to develop an intelligent leak protection and water monitoring system to protect, control, and conserve water. The technology provides real-time readings of water consumption, leak detection, and remote water shutoff.
- Infranovate: developing products in the infrastructure space, such as a solar-powered smart bench that provides analytics, Wi-Fi, and mobile charging, and recycled materials focused on greening and improving urban environments.
- Intuitive Robotics: has established AI modules that help detect and route disposal of items in the correct waste category.
“Toronto is looking forward to piloting ground-breaking new ideas and smart city solutions to drive improvements in the city’s connectedness, efficiency and sustainability,” said Michael Kolm, chief transformation officer for the City of Toronto. “These solutions have the potential to make city living easier and more inclusive.”
Photo via Twitter
