Ontario Pitch Competition – Deadline May 30

Canada’s brightest young innovators will converge in The Garage over three days  (August 17 – 19) to pitch their cutting edge inventions, as they compete for prize money and in-kind services.

The Pitch Competition Categories

1. Health and Wellness: In this category competitors will present solutions to everyday health and wellness concerns of the general public. There will be a focus on the aging population and accessibility
2. Women Entrepreneurs: This category will feature start-ups that are created and/or owned by women. The scope of the companies is diverse and not restricted to a specific theme.
3. Indigenous Entrepreneurs: This category will feature start-ups and early stage companies that are created and/or owned by members of the Indigenous community. The scope of the companies is diverse and not restricted to a specific theme.
4. Travel and Leisure: This category will feature start-ups that focus on the travel, leisure, and tourism fields including but not limited to apps related to food and social interaction to products or services linked to travel or entertainment.
5. Home and Everyday Life: In this category, start-ups that focus on innovations in the home and day-to-day living will be featured. Everything from mechanics to a connected home and app-based learning can be included.
6. Kids Technology: This category will feature companies focussed on the health/education/entertainment of children. It can include everything from physical commodities to app-based learning, to coding, to emotional wellness.
7. Agriculture and Urban Farming: In this category, start-ups focused on agriculture and food technology will be featured. This category could include both commercial and home solutions.

Top winners of each category will win a $5000.00 cash prize and will go on to compete in the Ontario Semi-Finals on August 19.
Top two winners of the Ontario and Alberta Semi-Finals will compete in the National Finals on August 19, 2018 for the top prize of $25,000.00!
Pitch Competition Terms & Conditions can be found here.
How to Enter:

1. Complete the entry form found here
2. To be eligible for the competition all applications are due by 11:59pm on Sunday, May 20, 2018.
3. All contestants will be responsible for their own transportation and accommodation to participate in this event.
4. Edmonton contestants must be available to pitch at K-Days on July 20, 2018 and winners must be available to compete in Toronto, Ontario August 17-19, 2018.
5. The administrator, at its sole discretion, may accept or refuse entry forms that are late, incomplete or illegible.
6. Along with your entry form, a YouTube video link must be submitted at the same time as your entry. When preparing your YouTube video, make sure to insert “CNE Emerging Innovators Pitch Competition 2018” in the title of the video as well as your name. Videos not properly labelled may not be considered. Details of what to include in your video are found in the Entry Form.
   1. Contestants acknowledge that the CNE is not affiliated in any way with YouTube and a submissions made by a contestant via YouTube is the sole responsibility of the contestant, including the ability of the CNE to access the submission. Any YouTube submissions that cannot be accessed by the CNE for any reason whatsoever will be deemed not to have been received. Contestants are responsible for compliance with YouTube’s Terms of Use.
7. The judges will consist of a panel appointed by the administrator. The judges will review all video entries and entry forms and score them according to our judging criteria.
8. Questions can be directed to CNEInnovation@theex.co