WINNING INNOVATION

Tracking health records

Lakeshore-based Embrace Health Tracking has earned $15,000 for winning the fourth edition of the Scaleup Tech Accelerator competition.

The company was selected for creating a digital record-keeping site allowing families to store and track their illnesses, injuries, appointment and shots records.

The Wetech Alliance program aims to support tech startup companies in Essex and Kent counties and is backed by Libro Credit Union.

“I feel genuinely humbled to have been selected as this year's winner of the Scale (back) up Pitch Competition,” said Brandon Pottie, founder of Embrace Health Tracking.

“My fellow cohort members represent incredibly talented entrepreneurs and I am honoured to have gone through this program with them.”

This year's Scaleup programming targeted bringing new products to market, the creation of new revenue streams and growth opportunities.

Embrace Health Tracking (embracehealthtracking.com) offers both a basic free service as well as a more premium version for those who wish to pay to have more specialized and in-depth records. The premium service is $9.99 per month or $99 per year.

“I think the importance of this is it allows you to stay organized,” said Pottie, who credited Scaleup for advancing his company.

“That can be difficult when you're getting information from different sources. Having your health information organized facilitates better communication with health-care professionals.

“Better conversations lead to better outcomes.”

Pottie edged out four other competitors to take top prize.

The other finalists included Red Piston, Fetch Moto, idream Interactive and Mentur.

Fetch Moto has developed a reverse-auction concept for purchasing vehicles. That earned Fetch Moto the People's Choice Award worth $500 from online viewers of the pitch contest.

Red Piston was pitching software aimed at aiding traceability and quality in agricultural sector.

Mentur designed an online career coaching and self-development platform aimed at international students and recent graduates.

idream Interactive redeveloped and relaunched its Recipe Rescue.

The finalists all got to make Dragon's Den style pitches to judges after having gone through four months of support in an accelerator program.

The accelerator program provides one-on-one mentoring, cohort sessions and access to provincial, national and global networks of programs and mentors valued at $15,000.

Since its inception, the Scaleup program has resulted in the creation of 14 companies, operating on six continents in 23 countries.