Lab4 and Xena Intelligence Triumph at SAAS NORTH Pitch Competition

The tenth annual SAAS NORTH conference, held in Ottawa on March 7-8, 2024, culminated in a vibrant pitch competition that awarded over $310,000 in funding to innovative startups. Entrepreneurs showcased their ideas to a panel of judges and a captivated audience, celebrating the spirit of innovation within Canada’s software-as-a-service (SaaS) and artificial intelligence (AI) sectors.

Among the highlights of the two-day event at the Rogers Centre was the announcement of the SheBoot Grand Finale, a program dedicated to supporting women-led tech companies. It awarded a total of $300,000 to its sixth annual cohort, underscoring the importance of diversity in technology.

Nifemi Oguntuase, founder and CEO of Lab 4 Inc., secured the top prize of $150,000 for his company’s advanced mineral recovery technology. This innovative solution aims to extract valuable minerals from mining waste that are typically deemed too costly to process. Following closely, Mariia Zhuldybina, CEO and co-founder of Traqc, received a $100,000 investment for her quality control mechanism tailored for electronics manufacturing. The remaining $50,000 prize was awarded to Ania Geerts, CEO and co-founder of Paloma, which specializes in event planning software.

The SheBoot organization praised the event, stating, “The SheBoot Grand Finale was a celebration of these entrepreneurs who are driving innovation and powering our economy.” This sentiment echoed throughout the conference, which attracted thousands of participants eager to network and learn from industry leaders.

Dynamic Pitch Competition Engages Entrepreneurs

In addition to the SheBoot finale, SAAS NORTH featured its PitchFest, where 23 finalists competed for attention from investors and judges. This year’s panel included notable figures such as James Povitz, principal at NAventures, and Isaac Olowolafe, general partner at BKR Capital. The finalists, representing innovative startups like Construction Clock, Resiliocs, and Xena Intelligence, faced off during a high-energy final round.

An audience poll determined the winner of the grand prize of $10,000, which ultimately went to Xena Intelligence. The company provides a unified sales intelligence platform for e-commerce merchants, integrating sales tracking and analytics across multiple platforms, including Walmart and Shopify. Emcee Manuela Bárcenas praised Xena’s presentation, calling it “one of the best pitches I’ve seen.”

Leading the charge at Xena is founder and CEO Akhil Suresh Nair, who has earned a reputation in the startup community, claiming to have won over $1.6 million in various pitch competitions. With this latest win, he adds another $10,000 to his impressive record.

The SAAS NORTH conference not only highlighted the achievements of these startups but also emphasized the growing importance of innovation in driving economic growth. As the event wrapped up, participants left with a renewed sense of purpose, eager to tackle the challenges of tomorrow’s tech landscape.