As in the previous post, read from the bottom up if you care about chronological order.
This time, I've added a few comments, to provide follow-up or correct the occasional error.
Final note from #CollisionConf: Attendees have very little fear that artificial intelligence will supplant individual creativity.— Rick Spence (@rickspence) May 22, 2019
Instead, it gives us new frontiers of knowledge and experience to explore. pic.twitter.com/dFriExBAsH
As #CollisionConf empties out, I've met a lot of people who say Calgary and Edmonton stole the show. Through creative promotion and bringing lots of entrepreneurs - as well as Calgary mayor Nenshi, who spent a whole day schmoozing.— Rick Spence (@rickspence) May 22, 2019
By contrast, Waterloo Region had scant presence. pic.twitter.com/GayMLuj6h9
(This tweet got under the skin of a few Nenshi haters. I'd prefer it got under people's skin in Waterloo, which missed a great chance to formally showcase its incredible tech community. Of course, individual tech entrepreneurs from K-W were found throughout Collision, but randomness is not the best branding.)
#CollisionConf announces the three finalists in the Pitch 2019 competition who will come back tomorrow to pitch for the grand prize. Congrats to Loliware, Korapay and Spero Foods.— Rick Spence (@rickspence) May 22, 2019
Of course, everyone who pitched today was a winner. Great presentations and the ideal audience. pic.twitter.com/HWfhi30xXf
I missed tweeting two of the three semi-finalists (each pitch was just 3 minutes long - barely enough time for a meaningful tweet). New York-based Loliware uses leading seaweed technology to replace single-use plastics such as straws ("Designed to disappear.") Los Angeles-based Spero Foods produces plant-based substitutes for eggs and dairy products. Dum spiro spero!
Addendum: The winner was Loliware. Canadian connection: Loliware is a SheEO-backed company.
Congrats to founders Chelsea Briganti and Leigh Ann Tucker!
Addendum: The winner was Loliware. Canadian connection: Loliware is a SheEO-backed company.
Congrats to founders Chelsea Briganti and Leigh Ann Tucker!
& eggs
As the ballots are counted at #CollisionConf, the VC judges say they're impressed with the quality of pitches, and the representation of female founders. To be helpful, Kim Furlong, head of the Cdn VC Assoc, noted the descriptions of market opportunity "could have been sharper." pic.twitter.com/xQICnaHy1h— Rick Spence (@rickspence) May 22, 2019
Furlong's point was valid, and I'm glad she had the courage to point that out after so many VCs were gushing over the quality of the pitches. You can't learn much from genial praise.
Final presenter at #CollisionConf is Julie Angus, CEO of OpenOcean Robotics, which gathers ocean environment data through solar- and wind-powered drone boats. She and her husband/partner sailed across the Atlantic. Now running "Canada's only autonomous boat company." pic.twitter.com/uXYCuqzelc— Rick Spence (@rickspence) May 22, 2019
A real crowd-pleaser at #CollisionConf: Dickson Nsofor of Nigeria-based KoraPay. It provides cross border payments for Africans - 800 million of whom have no access to financial services. Nsofor reminds us: "Africa is becoming China's China." (ie, a blue-ocean market). pic.twitter.com/rdOuRxsoSz— Rick Spence (@rickspence) May 22, 2019
Korapay is actually based in Toronto. Read more;
At #CollisionConf, Kevin Adekayode of https://t.co/onUmwbMBjI pitches to 20 VCs. His platform offers easy, cheap, secure access to Bitcoin payments. pic.twitter.com/dQRtE3XAXX— Rick Spence (@rickspence) May 22, 2019
At #CollisionConf, Hassan Murad pitches for Vancouver-based https://t.co/J09HrwtibV. Its smart garbage/recycling system, Oscar, gets very grouchy when you put your trash in the wrong bin. Intuitive plans to use its data to become "the Google of garbage." pic.twitter.com/0E8KsK1uAa— Rick Spence (@rickspence) May 22, 2019
Great pitch at #CollisionConf from Lisa Tarayo of Calif-based Scollar. They produce an all-in-one connectivity collar for pets, monitoring pet health, activity and location. Mashable says it "makes pet care a walk in the park." pic.twitter.com/UTH1b753WD— Rick Spence (@rickspence) May 22, 2019
#Collision closes today with a pitch competition. First of seven founders pitching to 20 VCs is Kristen Langenfeld, CEO of Good Buy Gear, platform for reselling kids' stuff. They encourage use of quality products that can be sold and resold, saving on landfill space. pic.twitter.com/Vb4Xlij2Cc— Rick Spence (@rickspence) May 22, 2019
There were actually 14 pitches, divided into two sessions of seven. Sorry for the error. Listening is harder than it sounds.
At #Collision, Anduril CEO Palmer Luckey (founder of Oculus) is a strong proponent of developing AI-powered weaponry for the U.S. and allied militaries. He makes no apologies for working in defence. If you don't like the U.S. army, he says, you'll like the Russians a lot less. pic.twitter.com/ZJiL6D08ip— Rick Spence (@rickspence) May 22, 2019
This tweet was especially popular in the Second Amendment community. That doesn't make it wrong.
For more about Anduril Industries, visit https://www.anduril.com/.
In elvish, "Anduril" (the name of Aragorn's sword) means "Flame of the West."* Which bothers me a little bit. Tolkien's hoary Nordicness is a bit out of place in our globalized world, where India and China are not Mordor.
* (Yes, I did have to look that up.)
For more about Anduril Industries, visit https://www.anduril.com/.
In elvish, "Anduril" (the name of Aragorn's sword) means "Flame of the West."* Which bothers me a little bit. Tolkien's hoary Nordicness is a bit out of place in our globalized world, where India and China are not Mordor.
* (Yes, I did have to look that up.)
At #Collision, Stephen Lake of Kitchener-based North talks about the his breakthrough computer interface -- glasses with virtual display that keep you in touch without disconnecting you from your environment. They even shut off notifications when you're talking face-to-face. pic.twitter.com/tGj01WQsBb— Rick Spence (@rickspence) May 22, 2019
Amazing new product from the company formerly known as Thalmic Labs. Read a review here.
Speaking about the Ford cuts, Bains also noted, "We would not be here today (ie, in a leadership position in AI-related technologies) if we had not invested in the past... When it comes to AI and innovation, we will continue to invest."At impromptu press conference at #Collision, science minister Navdeep Bains is asked about development of an innovation centre in Toronto. Bains turns it into a shot against Doug Ford's Ontario govt, which cut funding for AI and other innovation. "We think it's wrongheaded." pic.twitter.com/IsJmsL32bn— Rick Spence (@rickspence) May 22, 2019
At a #CollisionConf session on automation, some panelists seem afraid of tech from certain countries (eg China, Russia).— Rick Spence (@rickspence) May 22, 2019
Science minister Navdeep Bains sums it up positively: "We are in a global innovation race. Progress is not something we have a choice about." pic.twitter.com/YlusgPsppK
Seriously. The paranoia about Chinese and Russian tech from some American speakers was almost tangible.
At #Collision, science and innovation minister Navdeep Bains says the Canadian government sees technology, especially AI, as mainly positive. But then explains how expansion of skills training is key to mitigating tech's most malignant side-effects. pic.twitter.com/uoYzIeS62u— Rick Spence (@rickspence) May 22, 2019
Lovely gesture. #Collision founder Paddy Cosgrave thanks the conference's volunteers by inviting a host of them on-stage. pic.twitter.com/mKi5sEdMpr— Rick Spence (@rickspence) May 22, 2019
Always thank the volunteers.
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