Tag: AC graduate

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Intellijoint Surgical Wins 2015 Frost & Sullivan Award for Enabling Technology Leadership

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Frost & Sullivan Commends Intellijoint Surgical for the Success of intellijoint HIP™

Intellijoint Surgical’s core technology represents the latest in miniature 3D surgical measurement within the sterile field — intellijoint HIP can improve accuracy in achieving preoperative planned targets, ultimately improving patient satisfaction and healthcare economics

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Jan. 12, 2016 /PRNewswire/ — Based on its recent analysis of the hip replacement market, Frost & Sullivan recognizes Intellijoint Surgical with the 2015 North American Frost & Sullivan Award for Enabling Technology Leadership. Intellijoint Surgical’s flagship product, intellijoint HIP™, can greatly increase the success rates of hip replacement procedures by providing orthopedic surgeons with real-time data measurements of cup position, leg length, and offset intraoperatively. Accurate implant selection and alignment improves patients’ outcomes and reduces overall treatment costs.

“intellijoint HIP™, incorporates Intellijoint Surgical’s proprietary core technology, a miniaturized 3D surgical measurement system placed within the sterile field that provides surgeons with accurate measurements in real-time,” said Frost & Sullivan Best Practices Director,Tonya Fowler. “The data assists surgeons in selecting the best-fitting implant for the patient and helps align the implant in the desired location that is critical for a successful surgical outcome.”

Orthopedic surgeons are equipped with preoperative images of the patient’s hip, but these images are only useful in helping the surgeon create a preoperative plan, not execute it. intellijoint HIP™ provides surgeons with 3D information intraoperatively, helping them with proper implant selection, positioning, and alignment that ultimately improves accuracy in achieving preoperative targets.

Aided by intellijoint HIP™, orthopedic surgeons no longer have to ‘eye ball’ or manually position hip implants, as the device enhances placement precision and minimizes the risk of joint instability, which can lead to additional negative consequences for the patient such as dislocation and leg length discrepancy.  intellijoint HIP is safe, fast, accurate and seamlessly integrates with surgeons’ workflows. It is affordable and does not impact operating room time. Additionally, intellijoint HIP™ gives surgeons greater confidence to recommend hip replacement surgery, as the risk for revision hip surgery may be lowered.

Intellijoint Surgical is aware of the huge capital expenses hospitals incur in surgical procedures and, as such, the company does not demand a large upfront capital investment for intellijoint HIP™. Intellijoint Surgical has a pay-per-use model, with manageable fees that do not require C-level executive approvals. The approvals can be obtained from the Operating Room Manager.

“Intellijoint Surgical has demonstrated the long-term viability and impact of its core technology through its innovative new product in hip replacement. It is a great pleasure to recognize Intellijoint Surgical for developing a technology that allows all orthopedic surgeons to benefit from computer-assisted surgery and deliver improved outcomes for their patients,” said Krishna Srinivasan, global president and managing partner, Frost & Sullivan.

For its utility in enhancing the efficiency of orthopedic surgeries and reducing hospital costs, Frost & Sullivan is pleased to present Intellijoint Surgical with the 2015 North American Frost & Sullivan Award for Enabling Technology Leadership.

Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents this award to a company that has developed a pioneering technology that not only enhances current products but also enables the development of newer products and applications. The award recognizes the high market acceptance potential of the recipient’s technology.

Frost & Sullivan Best Practices awards recognize companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis and extensive secondary research to identify best practices in the industry.

About Intellijoint Surgical

Intellijoint Surgical is a Waterloo-based innovative medical technology company. Founded in 2010, they develop and commercialize miniaturized surgical smart tools that enhance surgeon accuracy, increase hospital economic efficiencies, and improve patient outcomes. The company’s R&D team is led by the former co-founder of Medtronic’s computer assisted surgery division, and driven by a team of renowned orthopedic surgeons:  Drs. Allan Gross and David Backstein in Toronto, Dr. Wayne Paprosky in Chicago, Dr. Javad Parvizi in Philadelphia and Drs. Michael Cross and Ran Schwarzkopf in New York.

About Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, works in collaboration with clients to leverage visionary innovation that addresses the global challenges and related growth opportunities that will make or break today’s market participants.

Our “Growth Partnership” supports clients by addressing these opportunities and incorporating two key elements driving visionary innovation: The Integrated Value Proposition and The Partnership Infrastructure.

  • The Integrated Value Proposition provides support to our clients throughout all phases of their journey to visionary innovation including: research, analysis, strategy, vision, innovation and implementation.
  • The Partnership Infrastructure is entirely unique as it constructs the foundation upon which visionary innovation becomes possible. This includes our 360 degree research, comprehensive industry coverage, career best practices as well as our global footprint of more than 40 offices.

For more than 50 years, we have been developing growth strategies for the global 1000, emerging businesses, the public sector and the investment community. Is your organization prepared for the next profound wave of industry convergence, disruptive technologies, increasing competitive intensity, Mega Trends, breakthrough best practices, changing customer dynamics and emerging economies?

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Miovision Celebrates 10 Years of Innovation and Success

Looking back at the success of the AC’s first Graduate

McBrideIt’s been almost 7 years since Miovision became the Accelerator Centre’s first graduate and started down the path of defining what the next generation of tech companies looked like in Waterloo Region.

The company came into the AC when three students were looking to commercialize an idea that would change how cities think about tracking and managing traffic flow. CEO, Kurtis McBride had spent one too many days sitting in a chair at an intersection with a clipboard counting cars – he knew it could be done better.

Since then Miovision has evolved as a pioneer in city planning technologies, allowing planners to map the flow of traffic at key intersections and make better decisions about how to create smart cities.

The AC is extremely proud to see our first Graduate celebrate their 10th anniversary, marking them as a leader in smart city engineering and a pillar in the Waterloo Region tech community.

“I knew when Kurtis and his Co-Founders first applied they were ideal candidates for the AC,” said Gary Pooley, CFO and initial board member of the Accelerator Centre. “They were truly engaged with the program and showed tremendous focus and dedication to building a great business. It is a great pleasure to see how far they have come and an honour to celebrate their success.”

“The Accelerator Centre has played a huge role in Miovision’s success,” said McBride. “They provided us with the mentorship, guidance and resources that have helped us build the company we are today.”

Miovision has also played a tremendous role in the success of the AC. During their time here the founders were always focused on giving back, sharing knowledge and acting as advisors to other AC Clients. Today that tradition continues with McBride sitting as member of the AC Board helping to guide the success of the AC itself.

The AC Staff and Mentors congratulate the team at Miovision on continuing to raise the bar and define success for Waterloo Region!

 

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Plum announced as 2015 43North Finalist

AC Graduate to compete for $1 million grand prize

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New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced the 11 finalists for 43North, the world’s largest business idea competition, which included AC Graduate Plum. The finalists will now compete in front of a panel of expert judges on October 29 at Shea’s Performing Arts Center in Buffalo to win 43North’s top cash prize of $1 million, one of six $500,000 prizes, or four $250,000 prizes.

“This year, 43North attracted more than 11,000 registrants from 117 countries, all 50 U.S. states and nine of ten Canadian provinces, said  43North Board Chair Jordan Levy said. “Now these 11 talented finalists will pitch before a world class panel of judges for the chance to win the competition’s top prize of $1 million.”

The public is invited to attend the 43North finals pitches and awards ceremony on Thursday, October 29 at Shea’s Performing Arts Center in Buffalo. Tickets are free but registration is required at www.43north.org.

Supporters can also vote for Plum online to help them win this year’s People’s Choice Award. The finalist with the most votes via http://vote.43north.org on October 29 will receive an additional $10,000 on top of their $250,000, $500,000 or $1 million prize. 43North’s People’s Choice Award is sponsored by Larkin Development Group.

The 11 finalists for 2015 are:

 

Plum
Hometown: Waterloo, ON, Canada
Plum is a turnkey cloud software solution using modern behavioral science and predictive analytics to instantly identify high potential job applicants for success and fit. The results are scientifically matched up to an employer’s needs, for each role, creating an invaluable shortlist.

ACV Auctions
Hometown: Buffalo, NY, USA
ACV Auctions is a live wholesale marketplace for dealer-only automobile auctions. Conducted via a smartphone application, ACV Auctions creates liquidity for wholesale inventory (trade-ins and aged automobiles) 24-hours-a-day. An intuitive five-minute process of snapping pictures and drafting a vehicle description launches an auction to hundreds of registered buyers.

CoachMePlus
Hometown: Buffalo, NY, USA
CoachMePlus manages data that coaches and athletes use to optimize athletic performance. Athletic teams at all levels use the system to track athlete health, manage workouts, and improve game day readiness. Its NFL, NHL, MLB, NBA and NCAA clients illustrate its ability to support athletes, coaches and front office personnel.

Cytocybernetics
Hometown: North Tonawanda, NY, USA
Cytocybernetics has developed novel technology to improve drug safety screening. It will ensure that new drugs brought to market do not cause cardiac arrhythmias as a side effect. This technology will increase the speed and reliability with which pharmaceutical companies can navigate the FDA approval process for all new drugs.

Uma Bioseed 
Hometown: Ithaca, NY, USA
Uma Bioseed has developed a patented, enzyme-based, organic seed-treatment solution. This solution protects agricultural seeds from pathogens (virus, bacteria and fungus) both on and around the seed throughout the critical germination phase, enabling the possibility of significantly enhanced crop yields and greater food security.

CleanSlate
Hometown: Toronto, ON, Canada
The “CleanSlate” Ultra Violet (UV) system is a tabletop rapid device sanitizer for improved infection control. It sanitizes smartphones, tablets, glucometers, thermometers and a range of other portable electronics using UV light. Using RFID tags, the “CleanSlate” provides infection control staff with accurate compliance data on device sanitization reports.

Disease Diagnostic Group (DDG)
Hometown: Boston, MA, USA
DDG is focused on screening, tracking and diagnosing highly infectious diseases that benefit from ultra-low cost and rapid early-stage diagnosis, potentially saving millions. Its platform technology has yielded portable and reusable devices capable of quantitatively assessing diseases from a drop of blood—in one-minute—at ultra-low costs.

GetGems
Hometown – Tel Aviv, Israel
GetGems is the first digital currency startup to link mobile payments on the blockchain with a social networking platform. Unlike other messaging apps that offer payment functionality, GetGems reaches beyond those currently banked to those without a bank account or debit card. Blockchain technology enables this transfer of value.

Painless1099
Hometown: Richmond, VA, USA
Painless1099 opens “smart bank accounts” for freelance professionals to automate withholding, saving for, and paying state and federal taxes.

Qoints 
Hometown: Toronto, ON, Canada
Qoints aggregates digital marketing data. As less than 25 percent of brand marketers use data to justify decision making; Qoints helps brands and agencies evaluate the performance of their digital campaigns by comparing against industry benchmarks.

Voiceitt
Hometown: Jerusalem, Israel
Voiceitt’s product, Talkitt, aims to revolutionize the way people who have speech disabilities due to various motor, speech and language disabilities communicate, enabling them to use the most natural means there is, their own voice.

 

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Sober Steering named as Top Ten Startup of the New Automotive Industry

AC Client, and soon to be Graduate, Sober Steering was named one of the Top Ten Startups of the New Automotive Industry today by the LA Auto Show’s Connected Car Expo Advisory Board.homepage-hero-bg

Sober Steering, the world’s only touch based alcohol interlock, has developed groundbreaking technology to prevent drunk driving. Its sensors, inserted directly into a steering wheel of a vehicle, have proven that alcohol can be detected at the palm of the hand in less than five minutes after initial ingestion. If alcohol is detected above a preset limit, the vehicle is immobilized. Random retests ensure the driver maintains sobriety while en route. Its Zero Tolerance System is designed for fleets like school buses, coaches, hazmat, and construction vehicles.

Sober Steering is set to Graduate from the Accelerator program at the AC Client Showcase this week.

Also named as a Top Ten startup were:

  • Driversiti
  • Capio
  • Elio Motors
  • Getaround
  • High Mobility
  • HopSkipDrive
  • Nebula Sytems
  • TriLumina
  • Quanergy
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Kik’s new QR codes can do more than just add friends

Even though QR codes never really took off in the United States, they’re overwhelmingly popular in Asia.

kiksMessaging apps like Snapchat have made them ‘cool’ again and Kik wants a piece of the action.

Today it’s announcing Kik codes, which are a new way to add friends, get straight into group conversations and talk to brands.

Kik’s new codes can be scanned by quickly pulling down on the friends list in the app, which opens the built-in scanner — when you add someone using their code, they automatically add you back too.

It’s even more useful for getting you straight into a group conversation without the hassle of needing to be added by someone else. All you need to do is scan the code and you’re in.

Those QR codes are smarter than most, though, when it comes to working with businesses.

Each code can have data embedded in it, such as the location it was scanned at, which is passed along to the business at the other end. That allows a bot to quickly message the person back with a relevant deal, like a pizza coupon, based on their location.

Businesses can customize the data stored in each code, but Kik codes can’t be visually customized like Snapchat’s because the company believes they need to be recognizable and functional before it explores that.

The company announced earlier this year that it has 200 million active users but has now grown to 240 million and more than half a billion messages have been sent to bots. These new QR codes are an enticing way to extend that network further.

Kik codes are available today in the company’s updated apps.

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Why Kik's Users Have Swapped 350 Million Texts – With Bots

When you’re one of the most popular messaging apps among teens in the United States, you can’t resort to traditional banner ads.

You probably can’t use cutting-edge, programmatic advertising techniques that track, divvy up and target your users with just the right personalised ad, either.

You need the next big thing in mobile advertising, and right now that just might be brand bots.

Brand bots are automated accounts that run on messaging services like Kik that “chat” one-on-one with thousands of human users. The bot marketing phenomenon has been gaining strength on messaging apps that skew towards younger users, like Kik and Tinder, which has an estimated 50 million monthly active users.

Kik has 200 million registered users, more than a third of whom are aged between 16 and 24, and it’s taking on 250,000 new users each day. More than 10 million of them have already chatted with brand bots since Kik introduced Promoted Chats in November 2014. (Unsanctioned bots, typically porn bots run by spammers, had been running rampant on the mobile chatting platform for years.)

In the seven months since Kik launched Promoted Chats, more than 350 million messages have been sent and received between human users and promoted chat accounts. That’s a lot of chatting with completely artificial entities. Many of the brands behind these bots are media companies like Funny or Die, Moviefone, or content platform Massively.

One example of the brand bots at play: Massively recently launched a campaign to promote horror flick Insidious 3. Instead of the usual static or video ads, it created a bot that represented the movie’s heroine Quinn Brenner. The Brenner bot can hold a stilted conversation with a Kik user, telling them things like, “Some weird stuff has been going on.”

For movie studios the marketing potential here must be tantalizing. If they can program their bots to be moderately realistic, chat app users can feel as though they’re chatting with fictional characters and develop a stronger bond with a movie or TV show.

DNA Studios, the producers of sci-fi film Ex-Machina, set up a clever marketing stunt on Tinder earlier this year in which a chat bot played the role of their main female character, an android in the film. During chats with other Tinder users, the bot would eventually sent a link to the film’s website, revealing her artificial origins.
More 60 companies have Promoted Chat accounts on Kik. Funny or Die’s bot has chatted with an astonishing 1.5 million users, while accessories retailer Skull Candy’s had chatted with 300,000 within the first three months of its launch. “That surpassed their Twitter TWTR -1.52% following, which took two or three years to build,” says Kik press office Rod McLeod.

Waterloo, Canada-based Kik uses something like a freemium business model with its promoted chats. Brands like Skull Candy can set up their accounts for free, but if they want to acquire more users they have to pay Kik for the access. Nearly all 60 brands on the platform have gone on to pay for access to more users.

Kik CEO Ted Livingston believes this is the future of how companies will engage with their customers. Nobody is downloading apps anymore, he says. “This is why official accounts are doing so well in China. You don’t have to download a new app. You just chat with new friends.”

Livinston is referring to China’s most popular messaging app WeChat, which has more than 500 million monthly active users and is on the forefront of the trend for messaging apps to become fully-fledged hubs for communication, entertainment and commerce — a modern-day portal to the web.

The closely-watched Internet Trends report from Mary Meeker, a partner at venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins, said this week that messaging platforms like Kik, WeChat, Facebook Messenger, LINE and Snapchat were “aiming to create cross-platform operating systems…. for more and more services.”

On WeChat, you can order food, play games, send money and order a taxi among other things. Increasingly, WeChat is replacing the browser as a means to access websites for companies and organisations too.

“There are more official accounts created on WeChat than there are websites put on the internet in China,” Livingston says, citing direct sources at WeChat.

Call them official accounts, promoted chats, or brand bots, they’re already an established business model among chat apps in Asia. Livingston claims the model is helping his bottom line, though at this point he’ll only hint about their impact on revenue.

“I can’t give numbers,” he says, “but it’s working quite well.”

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AC Grad Kik Messenger reaches 700,000 five star ratings

Kik Messenger is a fairly new free messaging app that allows smartphone users to easily communicate with each other. As of September 2014, there are over 150 million people using Kik Messenger.

Kik Messenger’s appeal is derived from its ability to allow users to effortlessly communicate with people from a variety of backgrounds and all walks of life. It integrates individuals from work, school, and social interaction. Users who want to use the application simply have to download the app, sign up for an account, create a username, and get to messaging. Best of all, a personal cell phone number is not required.

A significant advantage to using Kik Messenger is that it allows users of the application to interact with people worldwide without giving away personal phone numbers.

The application also allows users to do much more than simply chat with each each other. Kik users are able to play a wide variety of games with each other, share music, discuss relevant news topics, among many other practical features. As previously stated, with over 150 million currently using the app, Kik Messanger is already one of the most popular social applications available for mobile devices.

Besides simple interaction, a large number of users employ Kik to attempt to connect with one another, whether it be for social, romantic, or business reasons.

The Kik Messenger application has over 700,000 5 star reviews, and an overall rating of 4.3 stars.

To read the full article click here.

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AC Grad Clearpath Robotics wins People's Choice Award

Clearpath Robotics is voted Favorite Company in International Business Awards

(Kitchener, ON, Canada – September 22, 2014) Clearpath Robotics is named the winner of the People’s Choice Award for Favorite Company, in the category of Manufacturing, in The 11th Annual International Business Awards today.

“We owe thanks to our customers, the global robotics community, and the local technology ecosystem, where we are headquartered, for this award,” said Matt Rendall, Chief Executive Officer at Clearpath Robotics. “The support and the votes we have received is incredibly humbling; we’re very honored.”

More than 23,000 votes were cast in public voting to determine winners across seventeen categories. Among the winner’s circle, Clearpath Robotics is accompanied by the likes of Virgin Group, Union National Bank, and Globe Telecom.

“The People’s Choice Stevie Awards for Favorite Companies are one of the most rewarding features of The International Business Awards. They provide our awards competition with another level of validation by allowing the public to cast their vote for Stevie Award winners,” said Michael Gallagher, president and founder of the Stevie Awards.

Over 3,300 nominations were submitted to this year’s International Business Awards by organizations in more than 60 nations and territories, for consideration in a wide range of categories, including New Product or Service of the Year, Most Innovative Company of the Year, Management Team of the Year, Best New Product or Service of the Year, Corporate Social Responsibility Program of the Year, and Executive of the Year, among others. Clearpath Robotics was also named a 2014 winner in the awards program for Company of the Year – Manufacturing.

About the Stevie Awards Stevie Awards are conferred in six programs: The International Business Awards, The American Business Awards, the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service.  Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide.  Learn more about the Stevie Awards at www.StevieAwards.com.

Read the full press release here.

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AC Grad Clearpath Robotics launches the Jackal Unmanned Ground Vehicle

Jackal UGV is released with world’s leading researchers at IROS 2014 in Chicago

Clearpath Robotics today released Jackal Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) at the International Conference for Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS) in Chicago. Jackal is portable, fully-integrated, and weatherproof, enabling researchers to bring their research to the field faster, and with more flexibility, than ever before.

“We designed Jackal for quick and easy application development,” said Julian Ware, General Manager for Research Products at Clearpath Robotics. “Jackal’s standard accessories come fully integrated with documented libraries and programming examples. Everything about the robot is ready to work out of the box.”

JackalJackal offers end-to-end integration including a built-in GPS, IMU, and computer, and a configurable top-plate. Engineered for ruggedness, Jackal’s sturdy metal chassis, weatherproof design and skid-steer drive enables all-terrain operation, as well as lab experimentation, for a variety of applications. The ROS-ready platform allows users to leverage the open source community, and the complete ROS API provides full visibility into the operation of the system. Jackal automatically detects the standard perception packages at startup, providing necessary ROS driver and simulation integration.

Jackal originated as a contract from US Army Research Labs (ARL) to create an affordable, portable research platform for outdoor use. ARL have been strong partners throughout the development phase by providing feedback for iteration on the platform’s performance and capabilities.

Learn more about Jackal at www.clearpathrobotics.com/jackal.

About Clearpath Robotics

Clearpath Robotics, a global leader in unmanned vehicle robotics for research and development, is dedicated to automating the world’s dullest, dirtiest, and deadliest jobs. The Company serves robotics leaders in over 30 countries worldwide in academic, mining, military, agricultural and industrial markets. Recognizing the value of future innovation, the Company proudly supports programs that facilitate growth within the academic disciplines of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Clearpath Robotics provides robust solutions that are engineered for performance and designed for the customer – we are your unmanned experts. Visit Clearpath Robotics at www.clearpathrobotics.com, follow us on Twitter@clearpathrobots or like us on Facebook.

Visit Clearpath Robotics to find out more.

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AC Grad LoyaltyMatch partners with Etix to improve fan experience

Etix, the largest independent ticketing company in North America, is partnering with LoyaltyMatch Inc., the leading developer of loyalty program platforms for entertainment venues. In addition to providing various benefits to customers, the partnership will allow all of Etix’s client venues to create and manage their own loyalty programs and learn more about their customers.

“Loyalty programs are not just about getting fans to return to a venue by giving them free stuff. A well-designed loyalty program will provide valuable information on what fans really want when they attend a show, buy food and drink, or scoop up merchandise. The ability to gather that information is at the core of our platform,” explains Brad Ball, CEO of LoyaltyMatch.

Etix provides web-based ticketing services for the entertainment, travel, and sports industries, processing more than 50 million tickets per year in 40 countries.

To read the full press release click here.