Brunico Communications Ltd. held the 12th annual Canadian Innovation Exchange (CIX) at the Marriott Hotel Eaton’s Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on October 16 & 17, 2019. CIX was a two day technology conference where investors, innovative companies, entrepreneurs and facilitators meet to discuss the financing, the development and the implementation of new technologies. Attendees included technology start-ups, entrepreneurs, investors, advisors and enterprise and media representatives. They learned from each other, meet and pursued partnerships and investment deals.
The agenda included: CIX Top 20 Showcases – presentations by innovation startups as selected by CIX’s Top 20 Selection Committee; Lunch and Learn / Workshops – new strategies to help companies grow; Tracks – Fintech, Cleantech – the latest trends and opportunities; Canadian Success Stories – with founders and their investors; Meeting Exchanges – pre-arranged face-to- face meetings between entrepreneurs and investors; ‘Conversations with’ sessions – more intimate conversations with top tech investors; Networking- opportunities for delegates to connect with other delegates at breakfast, coffee, lunch, cocktail or in the lounge.
Torontoartsandevents Reports on the following Sessions at CIX 2019:
Rocket Growth Stage Companies
The founders of ten Canadian growth-stage companies rocket pitched for 4-5 minutes among those pitching were:
Daniel Eberhard
CEO
Koho Financial
Boyko Kabakchiev
CTO
GeneYouIn, Inc.
Probal Lala
CEO
Fluent.ai
Insurtech
In this session, disruption in the insurance field was discussed – it is mainly the agents that are being disrupted while large insurance companies are able to adjust. It was moderated by Aram Melkoumov, Co-Founder & CEO, Crowdlinker and the speakers included, Xavier Debane
Head of Innovation & Agile, Manulife; Aly Dhalla, CEO and Co-Founder, Finaeo Inc. ; Breanna Hughes, AVP Product, League Inc. ; Christian Lassonde, Founder & Managing Partner, Impression Ventures ; Ian MacDonald, AVP, CXO Data and Analytics, SUN LIFE FINANCIAL and Laura McKay, COO & Co-Founder, PolicyMe .
Growth Showcases
Executives from ten innovative growth stage presented for 6 minutes each, followed by questions and comments from Expert Commentators (leading investors and company heads). Among those presenting were: Yvan Boisjoli, Co-founder and CEO, Bold Commerce , Corey Gross, Founder and CEO, Sensibill Inc. ; Darrell Heaps, Founder & CEO, Q4 Inc. ; Eran Henig
Co-founder & CEO, Platterz Inc ; Hossein Rahnama, Founder and CEO, Flybits ; Yishay Waxman, Co-founder & President, Platterz Inc
Canadian Success Stories
Internationally successful, innovative Canadian companies that grew from startups were interviewed by a respective partner:
WATTPAD: Meagan Simpson, Associate Editor, BetaKit was interviewed by Seema Lakhani, Chief of Product at Wattpad and GM of Wattpad Labs.
RITUAL: Steve Leightell, Partner at Georgian Partners was interviewed by Ray Reddy, Co-Founder & CEO of Ritual.
INTEGRATE AI: Pamela Snively, VP, Chief Data & Trust Officer at TELUS interviewed Megan Anderson, Head of The Trusted Signals Exchange at Integrate.ai
Canadian Innovation Exchange Top 20
The jewel of the event is the CIX Top 20, a showcase that celebrates Canada’s best innovations and the people behind them.
CIX 2019 Innovator of the Year: Startup World Cup Canadian Cup Presentation
Ontario-based start-up, Sheertex won the Startup World Cup 2020 Canada Regional Winner trophy, on October 17, 2019 at CIX 2019. Sheertex created the first unbreakable sheer knit which is used to make the world’s toughest pair of sheer pantyhose. www.sheertex.com
About Canadian Innovation Exchange:
The Canadian Innovation Exchange (CIX) is a showcase for great Canadian innovation while catalyzing strategic relationships and transactions across this dynamic sector. CIX is attended by the people behind the innovative technologies: entrepreneurs, investors, corporations, service providers, government and media. Its objective is to bring together the key leaders and protagonists of technology-based innovation in order to learn from each other and to showcase and celebrate the tremendous innovative products, services and technologies that exist today and are providing the fuel for our economy to grow.
Canadian Innovation Exchange 2019 was an interesting event that did bring together important players in technology from across Canada. Investors, innovative companies, entrepreneurs and facilitators meet to discuss deals and companies were looking for financing. Look back here for next year’s CIX!
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