Ontario Community Newspapers

Waterloo Chronicle (Waterloo, On1868), 25 Jul 2012, p. 15

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WATERIDO amnion; ’Mdncldly, July 25. 2012 - is VeloCity Demo Day showcases fresh ideas from U W student incubator Bit (titanium Puma Minn first prize. Followup is an app that will help 7» .. > For the Chronicle Q“...â€" . Gnuâ€"win...â€" BlackBerry users manage their texts & I ' ‘ . Yevgeny Cherrov, a second-year comput~ e've all dotie it. Scrambling around M, mm... ’ , - er science student, teamed up with third Will the morning. collecting keys ' ‘i' “ *’*f*""»'i'" ' year accounting and finance student Eliza- and sunglasses. we jump in the car beth Mok to develop and pitch the product. and on the way to work suddenly wonder Followup sends unanswered texts to 3 “Did I lock my door?" separate queue to be answered later. ' It's a problem everyone can relate to. and . “It will make sure you respond to every- is probably the reason Unlockly took home _‘ ”haw“ " ~ - one who's important to you,” Chenov said. the People's Choice award at last Thursday's “s n' zfi Molt said she receives more than 1.000 Vt-IuCity Demo Day at the University of i ’ "' text messages inamonth, and some ofthose Waterloo. ‘. -" a 9 texts could drop off her radar and go unan- liive fourth-year electrical engineering 7 swered. students came up with a business idea that - ' “One of our friends had the same prob- l'()ll|d mean you never lock yourself out of ’ . Iem, so we thought, 'let's fix it." she said. the house again. “This is an easy problem to fix." Unlot-ldy is a lock that installs on your Chenov and Molt said the prize money is door in the same way as any other â€" with . ' not enough to get a patent. but is enough to one special twist: an app on your smart- get it on to BIackBerry App World and, hope- phone enables you to lock or unlock your fully. attract some investors. door lrom anywhere in the world. with a It was Doran's first appearance on the simple tap on the screen. judge's panel, but he's a frequent attendee at “ [his is sotnelhing we need Everyone VeloCity Demo Day. forgets their keys." said Unlockly team “They keep getting better and better," he member Matthew Niewcms. said. NICWL‘Iils. along with Alexei Schiopu. "(The judges) were looking for innovative Art-n Patel, Mark Motto anti ‘l'olga Text-I, technology and viable business models ~ started developing the lock anti app in whether they can actually sell this and make March and pitched it to a crowd gathered at money on it." the lllllVl'rSll). Doran said the quality of the ideas and [hen simple tdeu appealed to a crowd of pitches are excellent. voters at the demonstration day and the “Some of these companies have only team won SLOW) to further develop its prod been together for a few weeks. Most are in net the early prototype stage. but can demon» “it needs to be secure and seamless." strate the value of their business and how level said. they'll continue to develop.” he said. VeloCity Demo Day is held three times a Doran also said young people working in year and offers any student at UW the digital media fields today have a distinct opportunity to pitch an idea or business. advantage. Not only have they grown up l-‘ach team has three minutes to sell their with the devices they're working with. but- idea and then a panel of judges selects a they're working from existing operating syss winning team. which also receives $1,000. terns for BIackBerry. Apple and Android. Students and members of the public are ”They know where the opportunities encouraged to attend and vote for the Foo are.” he said. ple's(1hoice award. “VeloCity is a great program and it shows "lite idea of demo (la is twofold." said the University of Waterloo is leading the Mike Kirkup. director of s dent innovation Elizabeth Molt and Yevgeny Chenov‘s business idea won the judge's award at VeloCity Demo world in innovative programs” and Velo( Lit_v at the tiniversi . Day last Thursday. Meir app, Followup, allows users to manage texts on their BlackBerry. ln October, students will vie for the “One is to share the innovation and MW““““”“ VeloCity Adventure Fund â€" a $25,000 grant excitement of students and their businesses immediate feedback The judging panel was made up of Dave awarded to each of fourteams with the broader community. The other side The last demo day event included 22 Doran. business development manager at It's a similar but more detailed process is being able to pitch is an essential part of a pitches. Last week. for the first time, stu- Ontario Centres of Excellence. Nabil FaheI, a that requires a written business plan, pitch successful slanupf dents were required to go through a pre- senior analyst at Communitech. and Ian and demonstradon. i‘he demo day gives students the chance qualifying round, which narrowed the field McDonald. vicepresflent at Aeryon labs. “That‘s the grant they really chase.” to pitch and demonstrate their idea and get to to solid ideas They selected Followup to win the $1,000 Klrkup said. "m.“ lllWllVS THE BEST SERVICE a KNflWl HIIiUlBl! SAKS SH!" 4 W H .“ can MMJMM tom ‘4 ' ' ‘1 61 AWLINSTllll .- i , ‘ ' among; Ts..- m--......-...._- “I‘M“ 1mmnmmmm51fl-57fl-3m ~ _' .. ' “ ‘ m . . -- - MWMMMMAaIMSWJMHW ‘ ‘ " .«._

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