PETERBOROUGH-The Innovation Cluster Peterborough and the Kawarthas announced the winners of the Cubs’ Lair 2023 entrepreneurial competition. The event was held on March 23rd at One Eighty Sports Pub in Peterborough. Young entrepreneurs from the region pitched their innovative business ideas to a panel of judges.
First place and a cash prize of $3,000 was awarded to Richa Sharma for her unique business idea, TastEATools. TastEATools is an edible cutlery manufacturing business that creates delicious and sustainable utensils made from whole grain flour, natural sweeteners, and flavors. The company offers a variety of sweet and savory spoons, cups, bowls, forks, and straws. They also provide unique dining experiences through their “Joy Boxes” and cooking classes. Richa Sharma committed to donating 20% ($600) of her prize money to the Canadian Council of the Blind’s Peterborough Chapter.
The runner-up, taking home a $1,500 prize, was Sahil Dabgotra and Dev Upadhyay, who presented their business concept, Sustainabite. Sustainabite is a business application that collects surplus food from local grocery stores, fast food chains, and other food outlets to feed the homeless population. By using data analytics and machine learning technologies, they aim to optimize logistics and ensure efficient and effective distribution of food.
Finally, in third place and receiving a $500 cash prize was Maninder Singh, Amandeep Kaur, Amila Peiris, and Haritha Bollepalli for their innovative venture, Titan SmartLock. Titan SmartLock is a reliable, affordable, and highly secure smart lock solution that operates using NFC technology. This smart lock can be controlled by a smartphone application and offers a manual operation mode when the smartphone is not available.
The Cubs’ Lair 2023 competition showcased groups of talented entrepreneurs pitching their businesses in front of a live audience. The panel of expert judges included local business leaders and professionals who provided valuable feedback and guidance to all participants.
“The Innovation Cluster congratulates all Cubs’ Lair 2023 participants for their exceptional creativity, innovation, and dedication. We look forward to witnessing the continued success of these promising entrepreneurs as they work to grow their businesses in the Peterborough community and beyond.” said the group.
