Judges Choice Winner:
Waive the Wait

WaiveTheWait is a Sudbury-based startup that supports clinics all across Canada by automating routine administrative tasks. Services include automatically labelling inbound faxes, filing them to the appropriate physician, and completing routine multi-step patient communications. These services help partner clinics save 100s of hours every month in staff time.

People's Choice Winner:
WEST Inc.

WEST is the exclusive North American distributor of an innovative technology that will revolutionize the legacy collect it, dump it, and plow it under or burn it waste processing model. WEST’s proprietary thermal dissociation anoxic (“TDA”) technology uses shredded waste feedstock (of virtually any composition), places it in a zero pressure, zero oxygen, sealed chamber electrically heated at up to 1000C, and converts solid waste matter into a synthetic gas which extracted to produce energy, heat, or cooling. WEST’s TDA technology cleanly and efficiently converts solid waste into clean consumable synthetic gas while providing for the recovery of any recycled metals and de minimis inert carbon black and fly ash. A circular upcycling solution to North America’s waste crisis.

“It was a fun, and was able to introduce us to investors who have helped us. Subsequently the investors were extremely helpful. Today we are in the final process large scale clinical trial at 40 centers across NA and Europe. It is a difficult task to bring an invention to market but we had a lot of help from people in Sudbury, now 6 years later you can see how far we grown” great practice and networking. Sudbury has been very helpful.”

John Connolly, EVP Corporate Development, PITCH 2014

“What do you do when you are a bunch of scientists with a great idea wanting to create a business but you don't know how? Fortunately, NORCAT was there. It's entrepreneurship 101 course was perfect for us to understand all the facets of starting a business. As we encountered typical startup hurdles, the NORCAT team was always there to provide insight and advice.

I believe we were one of the first startups to be in the inaugural NORCAT PITCH. The assistance in preparation for this was so helpful and that experience has been utilized constantly over the last few years in our numerous pitches - many successful.

Verv is still in the startup mode, still moving forward and raising capital for our venture. We are now in the commercialization phase of getting our Biochemistry analyzer into consumer hands. Optimizing our system, getting ready for certifications, mass manufacturing, marketing and sales, there is a lot to creating a successful business and NORCAT has been helping us all the way.

As a northerner, the only way to have our community grow and diversify is to develop a class or entrepreneurs who will create business here. To do that, entrepreneurial mentorship, advice, and fostering angel investment is necessary and NORCAT has helped lead this.”

Jeff Sutton, Founder & President, PITCH 2014

“Since PITCH 2019, we have been able to create relationships and access funding, which allowed us to make big moves in product development and beta testing. We are now at full scale and have the product in use.”

Kari Juuti, OQPY CEO, PITCH 2019

Vineet: I was living in Toronto at that time, and Peter Del Bianco- an amazingly gentle, gracious, intellectual guy, was consistent; he was able to review the PITCH and send great remarks and feedback. When we came to Sudbury, every person in NORCAT came and introduced themselves, I still remember before the PITCH came backstage, and an event volunteer reassured us, “Don’t be nervous, you guys are going to rock” PITCH 2019 was the unique pitch experiences we had.

Vineet: We now have moved to Sudbury; we have made connections with universities and colleges. We have had Sudbury students working with us for Co-Ops, internships, and their thesis. We have made collaborations with HSN doctors. We have research grant collaborations with Laurentian University, and graduate students work with us through those grants. With many more that we have applied to!

Samir: It was just fascinating; the welcoming nature of people, NORCAT, the investors; the stage set up the host was engaging. The overall ambiance was fantastic. We didn’t expect to win, but to leave with an award was very memorable.

PITCH 2019