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Commerce students score at QICSI Pitch Competition

Posted on August 23, 2016
The team of RockMass Technologies, winner of $30,000 in seed-funding at this year's QICSI Pitch Competition.
The team of RockMass Technologies, winner of $30,000 in seed-funding at this year's QICSI Pitch Competition.

Kingston, ON – Aug. 23, 2016 — Commerce students Kerry Readwin, Vikram Mechanda and Abhit Sahota were members of winning teams at the Queen’s Innovation Connector Summer Initiative (QICSI) Final Pitch Competition, held Aug. 18 at the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts. 

The team of Matas Sriubiskis, Artsci’17; Boyang Fu, BSc’13 and BCmp’16; Matthew Gubasta, Artsci’17; Rigers Rukaj, Sc’17; Nichola Trinh, Sc’17; and Shelby Yee, BSc’16, had the winning presentation during this year’s competition. Their company, RockMass Technologies, was awarded $30,000 in seed-funding to continue developing its Axis Mapper device, a handheld structural mapping device that is intended to make the geological mapping process in the mining, civil engineering and exploration industries more efficient, accurate and safe. 

Three other teams and their companies were also presented awards totaling $50,000 following the pitch competition, including:

- North Sprout: a gel-based germination medium aimed at increasing the efficiency of the agriculture industry. (Team: Sarah Muma, Artsci’17 and Certificate in Business student; Henry Dossett, BSc’16; Noah Levin, Sc’17; Kerry Readwin, Comm’17; and Isabella Kolcze, Artsci’17)

- Tandem Therapy: a digital software tool that supports the client-therapist relationship (Team: Dominique Flabbi, Sc’17; Vikram Mechanda, Comm’18; Abhit Sahota, Comm’18; Sabrina Quazi, Artsci'17; and Charlotte Ross, Artsci’17)

- Paperweight Technologies: a printer that is innovative, dependable and easy to use, thus making the home-printing experience more efficient. (Team: Nikita Kopotun, BSc’16; Michael Molyneaux, Artsci’17; and Steven Taplin)

This year, a total of eight teams participated in the 2016 QICSI program, a 17-week paid summer internship that offers students funding, training and mentorship to start their own business.