The Alpha Exchange Innovation Campaign | Videos

Presented by Backbone magazine - boosting Canadian technology entrepreneurs to the next level.

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Introduction
Innovation Campaign contest rules, judges and format of the Dragons’ Den-style pitch-off event introduced by Backbone magazine’s editor Peter Wolchak. Jos Schmitt of the Alpha Exchange, the campaign’s principal sponsor, explains the vision of the Exchange to focus on promoting Canadian technology and funding and mentoring for entrepreneurs.

The Orion network
The Orion network is the fastest research and education network in the world (speeds equivalents to downloading 100,000 iTunes in one minute), linking educational and research institutions in Ontario explains Darin Graham, CEO.

EidoSearch \| David Kedmey - winner
EidoSearch: A quantitative analysis and content-based search tool for financial institutions. The tool brings relationships in data to the surface, democratizes quantitative analysis and allows traders, analysts and their clients to find the pieces of information that matter in a large bank of data.

Export Development Corporation (EDC)
EDC is a federal Crown Corporation that focuses on helping companies access new markets by mitigating risks or providing working capital, explains Steve Callaghan, regional VP, Ontario. One of the incubators it works, Communitech, features a new start-up program, Hyperdrive.

Gazaro \| Alexander Rink - top 10 finalist
Gazaro: An SaaS comparison shopping engine, currently used by five of the 9 billion-plus retailers. Gazaro uses best-in-class AI to help retailers pick the right price for each product. The technology is transferable internationally. Data generated can also be used by other providers, e.g. ERP, as a plug-in to their systems.

Ceridian
Ceridian is a human relations and payroll company, involved with the employee lifecycle from joining to leaving a company. Innovation is key to Ceridian, for example, being the first provider to use a mobile payment app for its services, says Donna Teggart, director.

TitanFile \| Milan Vrekic - runner up
TitanFile: Award-winning recognition software that delivers enterprise-level security to SMBs. Files are encrypted client -side, requiring no effort from the client. The system is multi- platform and operates in real time. Storage on Canadian servers is unlimited. Current clients are law engineering and accounting firms, universities and medical schools. Technology could become transferable internationally.

Wildeboer Dellelce
Wildeboer Dellelce is a corporate finance-focussed law firm, focussing on corporate securities, tax and lending, with its roots in the technology sector. The company’s Wildlaw fast track program (set fee for services delivered over 12 months) is ideal for entrepreneurs, explains Perry Dellelce, managing partner.

Vote Compass \| Clifton van der Linden - top 10 finalist
Vote Compass: An online application developed by political scientists and run during election campaigns. It allows citizens to engage meaningfully at election time by comparing their views with those of running parties and aims thus to stimulate voter engagement. The application could be extended for use by media outlets, academic organizations and is transferable internationally.

PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC)
PwC is dedicated to the emerging Canadian technology space as shown by their Emerging Company Services practice which searches for new companies with extraordinary talent, says Christopher Dulney, partner.

Zighra \| Deepak Dutt - top 10 finalist
Zighra: A solution that leverages mobile phones and the collective intelligence of its user base to detect and prevent fraud in real time. It enables simple secure authentication and transaction confirmation to drastically reduce frustrations and costs of fraud. Other potential uses include online banking, mobile payments, ecommerce and remote access.

Ryerson Digital Media Zone
Ryerson Digital Media Zone is an incubator-like environment creating an experiential learning zone where people can grow innovations and companies, explains Valerie Fox, executive director. It is looking to grow and help create the next Canadian digital hub.

Tunezy \| Derrick Fung - top 10 finalist
Tunezy: An award-winning online platform for independent musicians and their fans. Rethinking the record label model, combating the decline in music sales and filling gaps in distribution by using social media, gamification, crowdsourcing and allowing fans to participate in the success of musicians.

RBC Capital Markets
RBC Capital Markets is unique in its specialized approach to the marketplace. The RBC Knowledge-Based Industries group, for example, focuses on companies in that field and its account managers are embedded in the communities they serve, explains David Rozin, senior account manager.

Visualize.me \| Eugene Woo - top 10 finalist
Visualize.me: The company’s creation Venngage is a web platform on which users can quickly generate affordable infographics (combinations of text, design and science that synthesise complex information and present it in an easy-to-understand format). Venngage automates part of the infographics creation process, making it a more affordable medium for SMBs. Analytics are provided.

HP
Geoff Keruliuk, VP Commercial Sales HP’s describes HP’s beginnings as a start-up. HP is fully cognisant of the value of innovation as demonstrated by the fact that it has 11 patents approved daily and 85% of its current 44,000 products did not exist 18 months ago, explains Keruliuk.

Careerify \| Harpaul Sambhi - top 10 finalist
Careerify: A program that is more than just employee referral. It aims to become a social layer within all HR technology, using social media to recommend the best talent to companies and networks to refer opportunities to people. Gamification is also used to involve employees in improving engagement rate within their companies.

triMirror \| Jenny Tcharnaia - top 10 finalist
triMirror: An online program that fixes the problem of finding clothes that fit. Trying on is free and fitting is visual and accurate. The consumer inputs measurements and creates an avatar which moves so that clothes can be seen from different angles. The experience may be entertaining or, if you hate shopping, just pick the shirt you want and get out. Stores have the option of a website widget as well as in store installation to accommodate online and in-store shoppers.

NoteWagon \| Jamie Wang - top 10 finalist
NoteWagon: A website where student note takers place notes for sale to other students who have missed lessons or who find note-taking challenging. In this way, students help each other succeed academically and are rewarded financially. A flagging system ensures quality. NoteWagon operates through Canada and the US and plans to expand internationally and move to incorporating a networking model. Partnerships with text book companies and job sites are being developed.

Thanks to judges, sponsors and supporters
Over 200 applied for the Alpha Exchange Innovation Campaign. Steve Dietrich, Backbone’s publisher and founder, thanks judges, sponsors and supporters, which include incubators, universities and government agencies and the World Congress on Information Technology. Backbone will follow progress of the winner over the next year in magazine issues and online.

Announcement of winner and runner up
Peter Wolchak, Perry Dellelce and Jos Schmitt announce the runner up (TitanFile) and winner (EidoSearch) of the Alpha Exchange Innovation Campaign. All 10 finalists are congratulated and Peter reveals that the vote was very close, involving the judges in some debate.