“Helping local businesses grow and keeping things buzzing in our city is what keeps us going. It’s fantastic to have programs like this one that really fuel the economic growth we’re seeing.”

Four scaling businesses, within a diverse cross-section of regional sectors, got the chance to pitch in front of a group of seasoned investors and industry experts for a top prize of $20,000.

The scaleups are part of the seventh cohort to graduate from the award-winning ScaleUP Accelerator program launched by WEtech Alliance and generously powered by Libro Credit Union and Invest WindsorEssex.

“Helping local businesses grow and keeping things buzzing in our city is what keeps us going. It’s fantastic to have programs like this one that really fuel the economic growth we’re seeing,” says Kassem Nizam, Technical Program Manager at Invest WindsorEssex. “With our region becoming a global leader in the automobility sector, having these kinds of initiatives helps spark fresh ideas in all sorts of industries. Here’s to more innovation and success in our city!”

This year, the theme of the program has been ScaleUP (and out.) This cohort’s focus has been on exploring new markets by leveraging WEtech’s global network of innovation partners. Participants have done deep dives into the markets and industries they wished to explore and received invaluable mentorship and guidance from experts that moves participants beyond borders.

“Over the last 7 cohorts of this program, Libro has been delighted to be part of the journey of over 30 founders in our community, many of whom continue to thrive and drive prosperity and employment in Southwestern Ontario,” says Lori Atkinson, Regional Manager (Windsor-Essex) at Libro Credit Union. “We are excited to see the ways this program continues to address the needs of companies with the desire to scale beyond our region’s borders.”

In addition to the formal program, WEtech Alliance partnered with the Canadian Intellectual Properties Office (CIPO), the Government of Ontario, MARS Discovery, the Windsor Essex Capital Angel Network (WECAN), Export Development Canada, Spoken Artists, Intellectual Property Ontario, the Ontario Trade Commission, and FedDev Ontario to host the pitch competition.

This year keynote speaker for the virtual event was Torin Regier, Co-Founder of Kegshoe Inc., a former ScaleUP winner.

Following a virtual “Dragons’ Den” style pitch that measured the cohort company’s growth over the course of the program, the winner of the top prize was Picsume.

“Tonight we as a team at Picsume took home the win of the 7th Cohort of ScaleUP, but we couldn’t have done it without the tireless support the WEtech team provides all entrepreneurs like us in this region. Time to scratch winning a really big cheque (literally) off the bucket list.” said Jordan Goure, Co-Founder, CEO.

To date, ScaleUP has seen over 30 graduates, 26 million dollars in revenue earned, 147 new products and services brought to market, and 184 jobs created.

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