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Innovation Driven Enterprise Track

1st Place: Meacor

Mitral valve regurgitation is a common valvular disease with a prevalence of 2% in North America. When left untreated it leads to a decrease in the quality of life of patients and can lead to heart failure. Given the growing population of elderly patients with multiple comorbidities, the risk for conventional surgery is elevated. There are efforts to develop less invasive, percutaneous approaches. However, most do not reproduce the benefits of the conventional open-heart treatment. Meacor is developing a novel percutaneous repair procedure for the heart that mimics the current standard of care open-heart ring annuloplasty. Such an approach would allow to treat many patients with severe regurgitation that currently are not candidates for surgery, all the while reducing their recovery times and hospitalization costs.

2nd Place: Gymbirds

Gymbirds.com provides seamless pay as you go access to gyms and workout classes. For the casual gym user, find an affordable single day-pass to a gym or class in our large gym network, buy a pass online and go work out! Work out as often as you like, conveniently and without a contract. The future of working out is here.

Small and Medium Enterprise Track

1st Place: Isencore

ISENCORE Technologies Inc. is a software development firm based in Montreal, Quebec, that specializes in the creation of verification and validation software for the 3D printing industry. ISENCORE is developing an online platform that analyzes 3D CAD models and provides valuable feedback. A digital model is only a blueprint and does not express the physical behavior of an object. We are introducing user-friendly and affordable cloud-based tools designed specifically for the growing market of customized manufacturing. Our analysis engine, coupled with a smart and interactive recommendation system, allows designers and small manufacturers to test the viability of their models without having to 3D print a prototype. It also helps them choose the right material, print-orientation and printer, thus enabling them to create beautiful products that are strong and safe.

2nd Place: Cult Yogourt

Montreal-based Cult Yogourt produces Greek-strained yogourt churned with Quebec milk and heirloom probiotic bacterial cultures from Greece, Bulgaria and the Caspian Sea. The addictive secret of Cult Yogourt lies in the creamy yogourt: high-protein, low fat, low-carb and low-sodium with absolutely no thickeners, additives, powdered milk protein or artificial flavours. Cult differentiates itself from commercial yogourt companies with an innovative Quebec farmer-friendly business plan that increases farmer鈥檚 revenues without additional cows or expenses. In addition, Cult uses Probiotic & Heirloom Bacteria, natural Quebec milk, authentic artisan production, stylish eco-conscious European-style glass jars, and gourmet flavours & ingredients.

Social Business Track

1st Place co-winner: Centre Magnetique

This initiative aims at building an Innovative Centre in Lac-M茅gantic in order to revitalize the entrepreneurial sector of the region. The centre will be host a co-working space, an incubator and governmental organizations working for the local economic development (The Chambre de Commerce, Soci茅t茅 d鈥橝ide au D茅veloppement de la Collectivit茅 du Lac M茅gantic (SADC), Centre de d茅veloppement locale (CLD) and Commerce M茅gantic). The last aspect, the center鈥檚 most important source of profit by renting office space to these agencies, aims to support the incubator and other initiatives. By bringing together these agencies the project envisions not only to establish the first innovative center, but also to build a place that will become the reference figure of entrepreneurial support in the region. Our model is based on the power of collaboration as a source of innovation for future ventures.

1st Place co-winner: LawFleet

LawFleet is Canada鈥檚 first free online legal information clinic where the public logs on to ask their legal question(s). Our service empowers Canadians by providing legal information to inform them of their rights and by recommending a lawyer for their case.

For Profit Track

1st Place: HypeJar

Hypejar is an online social platform powered by those passionate about the future. Users on theplatform discover and track mass consumer products from the future. It is the place where consumers, and not brands, dictate the level of anticipation for products before they hit the market. In the process, through user activity, Hypejar compiles market intelligence by aggregating demand levels for the future.

Social Enterprise Track

1st Place co-winner: Decode Global

Decode Global specializes in mobile games for social impact. It develops games for the North American and Indian markets, and also provides international fellowships to young technologists to work on innovative mobile games projects. Its first game, Get Water! was launched in March 2013, and is a winner of the United Nations UNAOC competition.

1st Place co-winner: Sanitru

Sanitru is a social enterprise dedicated to reducing the incidence of wrong drug errors. Sanitru鈥檚 products allow health care practitioners to accurately and efficiently identify pharmaceutical packages by both sight and touch.

For Profit Track

1st Place: Prin-Vert

Biodegradable plastics are widely used in packaging, medical, and electronic industries and are gaining market share over conventional plastics. However, biodegradable plastics currently in use have various disadvantages and barriers to development. Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) and its analogs are ideal replacement for the petroleum-derived plastics. Prin-Vert describes a novel approach to produce PHA from activated sludge, which is more environmentally friendly and has a lower production cost. According to the lab-scale and pilot-scale experiments, extracting PHA from bacteria in the activated sludge provides a potential sustainable method to produce biodegradable plastics.

Social Enterprise Track

1st Place: Hearing Express

Hearing Express is a model to quickly fit and deliver affordable, high-quality hearing aids in developing countries. By using rapid-fitting hearing aids, mobile diagnostics, and an entrepreneurial distribution system, it is a sustainable and scalable way of addressing hearing loss on a global scale.

For Profit Track

1st Place: Moral Fibers

Moral Fibers is a for-profit clothing retailer with a charitable focus on the developing world. Their clothing is painted by artists in the developing world who are given the opportunity to pull themselves out of poverty through a stable job creating art for fashion.

Social Enterprise Track

1st Place: Street Suds

StreetSuds is a social enterprise that offers a quality laundry service to local Montreal businesses. They also operate as a transitional employment program for individuals living with mental health issues, a previous alcohol or drug addiction, or who have a history of homelessness.

For Profit Track

1st Place: The Hot Plate

The Hot Plate is a free online cooking resource and community for food lovers who want to make great food and eat well. The website features weekly recipes, 5-minute cooking shows, 30-second how-to videos, a community and more! The Hot Plate is a community by Food Lovers for Food Lovers.

For Profit Track

1st Place: Sentrig

Sentrig听sells 鈥渟ensory triggered鈥� advertising posters for use in malls, stores and movie theatres, whose featured product is a听backlit visual display that morphs into a mirror as observers approach it.听