We are thrilled to share the results of the recent Rural Founders in Tech Pitch Competition, held on October 17th at the Garry W. Harris Canada Games Centre in Red Deer. This event was part of the BIPOC and Rural Tech Founders event series, designed to support diverse entrepreneurs by providing resources, coaching, and a platform to showcase their innovative ideas. The competition brought together five talented founders who each had four minutes to pitch their startups, followed by a lively Q&A session.
After an exciting afternoon of pitches, networking, and connecting with community resources, we are proud to announce the winners:
1st Place ($3,000): Damilare O. Odumosu, CEO and Co-Founder of CropMind Inc.
CropMind leverages AI-powered solutions to dramatically improve crop management. This rapid, data-driven approach allows farmers to optimize production, cut costs, and make informed decisions faster, helping them achieve sustainable growth and efficiency.
2nd Place ($2,000): Heba Iftikhar, Co-Founder of Trigger Tracker Tech
Trigger Tracker is a smart food diary app that uses AI and computer vision to make gut-health management accessible and affordable.
3rd Place ($1,000): Styn Nieuwenhuis, Co-Founder of FeedXchange
FeedXchange is a digital marketplace that connects farmers and brokers, providing real-time data and tools to optimize feed procurement.
We also want to acknowledge Annie Ray from Anandi Botanicals Inc. and Tamara Aspeling from Draw a Fence, who each received $500 for their impressive pitches.
A special thank you to our panel of judges who were on hand to not only assess the pitches but also provide valuable feedback and insights:
– Chloe Xing Schimpf, Migr8 Capital
– David Nagy, Ecommerce Canada
– Kara Johnston, TDA Alberta Innovates
– Mitchell Eaton, Prototype Hubs
Thank you to all the founders, attendees, and supporters who helped make this event a success.
We look forward to seeing these startups grow and continue to drive innovation in rural communities. Stay tuned for more updates from the BIPOC and Rural Tech Founders event series!