Companies claim innovation prizes

A new software analytics company in Sydney is among five Cape Breton regional winners in Innovacorp’s Spark Innovation Challenge.

Talem Health Analytics will receive $50,000 in funding and business guidance through Innovacorp.

The company’s co-founders, Paul Travis and Matthew Kay, are developing software to help physiotherapists and orthopedic specialists track, analyze and predict treatment regimens.

Their software will analyze patient data and predict treatment timeframes, helping to standardize financial expenditures in private-sector insurance.

“With the Spark funding we will be able to bring our prototype to commercialization,” Travis said in a news release. “We have the team, technology and innovation to make this a success and we’re excited to get started.”

The challenge expanded across the province this year, with winners in each of the four competition regions receiving up to $50,000 in funding and mentorship from business professionals.

The first provincewide Spark Innovation Challenge attracted 136 submissions. Eleven finalists in the Spark Cape Breton region pitched their ideas to a panel of judges. Finalists also participated in several business workshops and were mentored by seasoned business professionals.

The other $50,000 winners in the Spark Cape Breton region are Campaign EA, a municipal election campaign management software company founded by Todd Graham of Sydney, and EasyGolfTour.com, a golf tournament management platform company founded by Kevin Chant and Todd Chant of Sydney.

Receiving $25,000 was Full Plate, originally named GoGo Groceries, a personalized grocery shopping and delivery service company founded by Jay McNeil of Glace Bay and Hydrotroniks, a carbon neutral boat engine company founded by Scott Aucoin, Stephane Sogne and Joel Lefort of Cheticamp.