Canadian innovators, entrepreneurs urged to participate in Global Impact Challenge

Have you got any BIG ideas? Well, if so – and they are considered impressive enough, your idea may be showcased at a new tech event being hosted in British Columbia this spring. 

Refined Manufacturing Acceleration Process (ReMAP) and  i-onCONNECT Technologies, together with Singularity University (SingularityU), announced the start of the 2019 SingularityU Canada Global Impact Challenge (GIC), a Pan-Canadian challenge to identify and showcase breakthrough ideas developed in Canada. Open to all Canadian innovators, entrepreneurs, scientists and technologists, the GIC will search for moonshot innovations to improve the lives of 1 million Canadians and beyond.

“Canada has a celebrated history of world-changing innovations in medicine, energy, transportation, food, technology and more. Canadians have the talent, drive, dedication, and opportunity to succeed,” says Irene Sterian, head of the Canada GIC and president & CEO of ReMAP. “Creativity and resourcefulness define Canadians and innovation is a core Canadian value. Let’s rise to the occasion and showcase Canada’s innovative solutions to humanity’s biggest challenges and create solutions for millions of people across Canada and beyond.”

SingularityU is a global community with a mission to educate, inspire, and empower leaders to apply exponential technologies to address humanity’s grand challenges.

“There is so much incredible research and innovation happening in every corner of the country. The SingularityU Canada GIC will highlight many of these breakthroughs and provide an opportunity to showcase and support outstanding Canadian entrepreneurs,” adds Oren Berkovich, CEO of SingularityU Canada.

Tell us your BIG idea Canada

What is your BIG idea to improve the standard of living of a million Canadians using exponential technology? Finalists will be judged on their expertise and experience, as well as the sustainability, scalability, and potential impact of their proposed solutions at the Live Pitch Event on May 29, 2019, hosted by i-onCONNECT Technologies in Burnaby, BC.

The winner will be selected by an esteemed panel of judges consisting of representatives from communities across Canada including SingularityU, senior business leaders and global entrepreneurs.  This year’s winner will secure a full scholarship to attend Singularity University Global Startup Program (GSP) valued at $40k CAD.

What innovation would you develop to solve a global grand challenge (environment, energy, water, food, health, disaster resilience, governance, learning, space, security, prosperity, and shelter) using exponential technologies that would impact the lives of Canadians and a billion people around the world in the next 10 years?

“Singularity really helped me think on a different scale. How do you impact the lives of a billion people? That’s a scale I’ve never thought of before.” —Andrea Palmer, CEO of Awake Labs, and Winner of the 2015 SU Canada GIC.

Submission deadline is March 1, 2019.  For more information, and to enter the 2019 SU Canada Global Impact Challenge in Canada, go to https://su.org/gic/canada-2019/.