Each year we put together a variety of expert judging panels who’s job is to select which startups they feel are the most promising. This past July 10-12 was especially difficult since 50% of our audience were startups–that’s A LOT of startups to judge! But after 2 full days of being pitched to, our judges pulled through and picked some extremely worthy winners. Here they are:
$70K investment prize winner:
Each year we have a big investment prize up for grabs–and this year’s happened to be $70k! Along with the $70k investment, L33dr.ly founder, Jason Bailey, walked away with $5,000 in services from design and branding specialist, Daniel Arsenault, one year of free access to the Fasken Martineau Start-up Program and 6 months FREE rent, with services included, at the Quo Vadis Communoloft location on Rene Levesque (which he transferred to his friends atSnoobe).
L33dr.ly, founded by serial entrepreneur, mentor and investor, Jason Bailey, provides a game leader board that increases player engagement while generating revenue for independent game developers.
Grandmother Judge winners:
Our lovely grandmother judges have proven to be an invaluable component to the festival—they provided startups with unique standpoints, criticism and priceless tips. According to feedback from last year, this was both the hardest and most valuable judging that the startups experienced! Not to mention that they can really spot a gem—the startups selected by this panel in the past have gone on to become extremely successful.
Demo Table winner:
Founded from a passion for travel by Gilbert Tourville, Trinity Hammocks was born of a desire to turn hammocking into a sharing and social experience rather than a solitary one.
Winning stage pitch:
For smartphone owners, Snoobe is a free and intuitive cost-saving tool that analyses the user’s actual wireless consumption directly from the smartphone and compare hundreds of competitive plans from numerous suppliers. It allows Snoobe users to make better-informed decisions about their wireless subscriptions.
Winning tent pitch:
Sober Smart
Sobersmart is a unique and intelligent breathalyzer that takes care of you, or your children, if the Blood Alcohol Level (BAC) reading is elevated. It uses the « smart » in smartphone to give you a variety of options to return home safely.
Stage pitch winner: This year we selected 12 startups (out of hundreds!) to pitch onstage to our startupfest audience. This is a great opportunity for them to gain visibility, get their product out there, and meet investors! This year, Will Pwn 4 Food blew everyone away with an amazing pitch, and a great product.
Will Pwn 4 Food is a gaming platform that helps gamers make money doing what they love the most!
