The University of Calgary’s Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking is bringing eight emerging innovation teams to Platform Calgary next month for the Start Something Summit.
Taking place June 5th, the event will feature top teams from four Hunter Hub programs competing live for a share of $40,000 in prizes. The summit brings together finalists from the Hunter Hub Business Playbook, Launchpad, Evolve to Innovate, and Map the System programs.
Billed as part live competition, part innovation showcase, and part community gathering, Start Something Summit is designed to move ideas beyond the University of Calgary campus and into the broader Calgary innovation ecosystem.
The Launchpad program will be represented by Apex Systems and Agrivanna. Apex Systems is developing FuelEye, a service that uses drones and machine learning to estimate forest fuel density for wildfire mitigation. Agrivanna is building a precision ranching platform that combines smart GPS collars with satellite-driven pasture analytics to support virtual fencing and rotational grazing for beef producers.
Business Playbook finalists include ExTel Solutions and ProTek Sportswear. ExTel Solutions is a Calgary-based exterior window washing company serving residential and low-rise commercial properties. ProTek Sportswear is a custom sports equipment and apparel company backed by more than 80 years of family manufacturing experience.
Map the System will feature two research projects: “Social Media as a De Facto Governance Structure” and “Lifting the Standard, Together: The System of Rigging, Hoisting, and Lifting Safety in Alberta.” The former examines how social media platforms concentrate power and shape public discourse, while the latter explores safety challenges tied to rigging, hoisting, and lifting activities in Alberta workplaces.
Evolve to Innovate finalists include Novel Psychobiotic for Perinatal Mental Health and Adaptive Smart Lens. The psychobiotic project is focused on developing and clinically validating a gut-bacteria-derived treatment for perinatal depression symptoms, while Adaptive Smart Lens addresses light sensitivity through lenses designed to respond to changing lighting conditions.
Each program will see its top two innovators compete head-to-head for a $10,000 prize. The afternoon will also include the Hunter Hub Resiliency Award, the Legacy in Action Innovation Prize, an innovation showcase featuring startups from the UCalgary and Hunter Hub ecosystem, and a networking mixer for founders, mentors, investors, industry leaders, and community partners.
The summit welcomes the broader Calgary community, from UCalgary students, staff and alumni to post-secondary partners, investors, industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and anyone interested in early-stage innovation.
Start Something Summit will take place on the KPMG Stage at Platform Calgary. Attendance is free, but registration is required.
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