Archived News Releases

Manitoba Promotes Innovation, Business Development with Techfutures Grants

Twenty Manitobans who created technology-driven businesses have been awarded financial and educational support to develop their ideas, Jobs and the Economy Minister Kevin Chief announced today.

“Young Manitobans are creating innovative businesses that will be key to growing and maintaining a strong, competitive economy,” said Minister Chief.  “We know the path of a new entrepreneur is not an easy one.  Programs like TechFutures are there to help cultivate fresh ideas and invest in our young people, supporting them as they make their new idea a reality.”

Manitobans from across the province, including Brandon, Morris, Winnipeg and Stony Mountain, have been selected to benefit from the TechFutures program.  Applicants must be between the ages of 18 and 34, and trying to commercialize a technology-driven business idea.  In June, 10 recipients were selected to be part of TechFutures, and in November, 10 more recipients were chosen.

The program offers $3,000 in financial assistance, as well as startup training at an Innovate Manitoba LaunchPad Startup skills workshop and business counselling from Entrepreneurship Manitoba.

This year’s winners are:

• Daniel Blair, PanoPlay – An affordable hosting platform for interactive 360-degree panoramas and the tools to view and manipulate them.  (Winnipeg)
• Luc Bohunicky, Nestlean – A platform that helps mobile developers to test, distribute and analyze their applications through automated testing and rich user feedback.  (Winnipeg)
• Travis Dreger, Passages Media – A platform that integrates creative social tools to allow people to create unique online memorials for their loved ones.  (Morris)
• Neil Evenson, Unity Robotoics – Design, sale and rental of smart equipment to contractors so they can improve efficiency and safety on job sites.  (Stony Mountain)
• Scott Hayward, MyFuneralDecision.Com – An online platform that connects people with funeral homes, allowing people to plan funerals online from their own home and connecting funeral homes to new markets.  (Brandon)
• Ben Myers, Cake Walk – A mobile fitness application that caters to an underserved market of people who need constant reminders to stay active using friendly competition and witty reminders.  (Winnipeg)
• Johnathon Nixon, Innovative Investment Casting Solution – Affordable, additive manufacturing solution that will provide rapid turnaround, prototyping ease and made-to-order investment casting for businesses.  (Winnipeg)
• Jason Sandhu, LINE Hub – A mobile device service that helps people consolidate and manage all of their phone lines onto one device.  (Winnipeg)
• Farhad Sheikh Hosseini Lori, Breast Cancer Early Detection Device – A cost-effective, home-use breast imaging device for monitoring breast health in women and men. This device is used for risk assessment and early detection of tumors including breast cancer. (Winnipeg)
• Reid Valmestad, the Rover Motorized Camera – An all-in-one, motorized camera slider that specializes in time-lapse and hyper-lapse shots with smart phones and GoPro cameras. (Winnipeg)
• Ben Barkman, Date-IT – An efficient, electronic labeling device that magnetically mounts to your fridge to better track food items and reduce waste over time.  (Winnipeg)
• Kyla Donkersgoed, BOOKA – An online, searchable solution to improve usage rates and ease of scheduling at community sport, meeting and event facilities.  (Winnipeg)
• Jesse Marr, Lift Innovations – An innovative design for traditional herb grinders that is improved and easy to clean.  (Winnipeg)
• Mackenzie Murray, Sumo Technology – A one-stop, web-based subscription management service that allows a person to add, delete and pay for online subscriptions, while integrating smart suggestions based on lifestyle preferences.  (Winnipeg)
• Johnathan Niziol, MedEquipDB –The first online seating and mobility platform that links prescribers, suppliers and manufacturers together, significantly reducing the time it takes to deliver the perfect product to the consumer.  (Winnipeg)  
• David Noel, low-power radio networks for sensors management – An economic and efficient sensor-based communication network for private and public infrastructure management.  (Winnipeg)
• Alyson Shane, Puffin Chat – An online platform that provides content marketers with a new way of hosting, managing and visualizing their Twitter chats so they can more effectively understand, grow and engage with their audiences.  (Winnipeg)
• Blake Sabeski, Trukmate – A platform that connects people to truck owners willing to move items for a fee.  (Winnipeg)
• Adam Tsouras, TrapTap– A community-based, hands-free driving aid that provides real-time alerts to drivers for a variety of road hazards and speed zones.  (Winnipeg)
• Xue Yao, Transcend Data – A secure platform that provides timely and safe access to personal health-care information and empowers patients to better manage their health and communicate with health professionals.  (Winnipeg)