Eye3 Wins Pitch to the Chief™ Competition
After an exceptional morning of pitches from Ontario entrepreneurs, eye3 was named the winner of the 2024 edition of the Pitch to the Chief™.
The competition, part of the V13 Policetech Accelerator (a joint initiative of Nventure and the Cobourg Police Service), offers police services the chance to connect and engage with early-stage ventures in developing novel approaches to crime prevention and community safety innovation.
Police services across Canada face increased accountability metrics, which have directly impacted officer workload through heightened documentation requirements. Therefore, Pitch to the Chief™ 2024 called for solutions to enhance policing efficiency.
Applications were prequalified by Cobourg Police Service Deputy Chief Jeff Haskins and his committee. On stage, each selected Finalist had 10 minutes to pitch their company and technology before a live studio audience, followed by a 10-minute Q&A.
Interacting with a panel of judges comprised of three Ontario Police Chiefs, the six Finalists showcased home-grown Canadian technologies that aim to decrease complexities and streamline policing operations, allowing more time for patrol:
Eye3: A breakthrough roadside oral fluid drug-testing solution that will deliver quantitative, accurate results from a handheld device in minutes.
Spectra Plasmonics: accurately determining the composition of illicit drug mixtures in minutes, with no scientific background required.
Hover: a ‘Drone-in-the-Box’ solution, designed for police services to provide real-time aerial surveillance.
Rubicon: a Community Canvassing System tool designed to revolutionize how police services conduct canvassing operations during major crime investigations.
IFTech: technology that features multisensory simulation capabilities that can significantly enhance police operational efficiency by providing a platform for realistic, immersive training in a controlled environment.
Pegasus Aeronautics: A gas-electric, multi-fuel, rugged UAV designed for use in harsh environments capable of multi-hour flights easily deployed and operated by small teams in remote environments.
The winning pitch was delivered by eye3 CEO Kate Riley and was selected by the judges for the immediate benefit her cutting edge diagnostics technology would bring to combatting driver intoxication. Riley’s company captured the opportunity for a $30,000 Grand Prize Package including cash, investment consideration, space at Venture13 and a pilot project collaboration through the V13 Policetech Accelerator.
Paul VandeGraaf, Chief of Police, Cobourg Police Service was joined by fellow judges Chief Shawna Spowart (Cornwall Police Service) and Chief Tim Farquharson (Port Hope Police Service). They remarked on the challenge of selecting a winner from such a competitive and inspiring field of candidates.
“Pitch to the Chief™ is not just a competition; it's an opportunity to drive innovation that directly impacts the future of policing,” said Chief VandeGraaf. “The solutions presented here today, have the potential to enhance our ability to serve and protect our communities, using new technologies to address the evolving challenges we face. Eye3 has developed a truly novel technology that will contribute to shaping a safer, more efficient, and more responsive law enforcement landscape—ultimately making a lasting difference for community safety.”
“The Policetech Accelerator is an exceptional platform for bridging the gap between innovative start-ups and the needs of law enforcement,” said Nventure CEO, Wendy Curtis. “Our mission is to empower innovators to make a real-world and collaborative impact, and we thank every entrepreneur who applied to Pitch to the Chief™ and to those who presented at Venture13 today. It was inspiring to have you with us, and we wish you every continued success.”
About the V13 Policetech Accelerator
The V13 Policetech Accelerator is a joint initiative of the Cobourg Police Service and Nventure, committed to excellence in policing operations and leadership in community safety innovation. Located at Venture13, this unique collaboration offers competitively selected researchers, entrepreneurs, and innovators the opportunity to validate new approaches to twenty-first century policing in a controlled and defined small-town, pilot-scale environment.
About Nventure
Nventure is an innovation organization based at Venture13, focused on funding, financing, and strategy services for entrepreneurs. Nventure drives economic advancement by investing in entrepreneur and industry-led growth in Northumberland, southern Ontario, and across the country, through numerous initiatives such as the Community Futures Program (CFP), thriveFORWARD, DELIA, and StrikeUP Canada. With funding from the Government of Canada, through FedDev Ontario and ISED Canada.
About the Cobourg Police Service
Formed in 1834, the Cobourg Police Service (CPS) is an innovative force committed to community safety and operational excellence. CPS Corporate Services division (located at Venture13 in Cobourg) is Canada’s leading national wholesale provider of online criminal records checks. Under the leadership of Paul VandeGraaf, Cobourg’s thirteenth Chief of Police, CPS is at the forefront of creative and collaborative approaches, from tiered policing to HARP to the Venture13 Policetech Accelerator initiative with Nventure.
For more information, please contact:
Daniela Scoppa, Marketing and Communications Coordinator. Nventure (514-929-7322).
