Where there’s Lion’s Lair, there is pride

I’ve been involved in Lion’s Lair since its inception in 2011, and have twice served on the panel of five “Lions.” The Lions decide which of the 10 finalists are the most deserving of the $100,000 in prizes. In 2011, the winners were Weever Apps, Anivac and Gorilla Cheese, while Tidy Feeder, REfficient and Nervu were named winners in 2012.

Of all of the great events that happen in Hamilton, I have to say Lion’s Lair is one of my favourites. It not only showcases some of the great startups in our community, but also awards the best of the best in much-needed investment and in-kind services. Lion’s Lair is an event you walk away from feeling proud to be a Hamiltonian.

The time has come to start Season 3.

As the submission deadline for this year’s competition approaches, I have been thinking about what the past winners are doing now and how the competition has impacted their businesses.

If you haven’t already heard of them, Weever Apps (weeverapps.com) is a software service that converts existing websites into mobile apps that can be viewed on any smartphone. Since winning in 2011, Weever has used its prize money to expand to a team of 12 employees, hiring both Mohawk and McMaster students and other local talent. Weever now has users in more than 60 countries around the world, and has recently created appBuilder, which allows marketers and corporations to build and launch HTML5 mobile web apps through an easy online tool — no programming skills needed.

The second-place winner in 2012 was REfficient (refficient.com), an online marketplace that enables customers to shop for surplus telecom and audiovisual equipment inventories at significant discounts. REfficient now has customers in nine countries and counts some of Canada’s largest telecom companies as clients. They’ve helped divert more than 450 tonnes from landfill. With its cash prize, the REfficient team was able to attend a trade show in the United States that allowed it to foster connections with companies and gain new clients. The in-kind prizes from Gowlings and KPMG helped the company update some of its policies and has given it great credibility and advantages for future growth.

The 2012 grand prize winner, Tidy Feeder (tidyfeeder.com), was developed by the Trauttmansdorff family, who have been growing top-quality hay on the family farm in Hamilton for more than 30 years. Since Lion’s Lair, Tidy Feeder has scored a major contract with Petco Animal Supplies, and is now sold in more than 1,000 Petco stores in the U.S. They have also expanded with dealers in Taiwan, Thailand and England to bring their premium hay to pet stores around the world. Tidy Feeder has also developed a way to reach out to more Canadian pet lovers with their annual Cleverest Critter in Canada Photo Contest.

There are various other success stories from the Lion’s Lair, including Ontario Bamboo, which is ready to launch their Bamboo Beer this summer; Quant Interpretations, which has received angel investment; Playlab, which tripled their business; Nervu, which is actively signing up retailers for its mobile couponing service; and VIDA Holdings, which is currently closing on an angel investment round, and many others.

Dr. Nick Bontis (NickBontis.com, Twitter@NickBontis) is a professional speaker, management consultant, business adviser, professor at McMaster University, and author of the book Information Bombardment: Rising above the digital onslaught.

Want to face the Lions?

Are you an inventor, innovator or entrepreneur in the Hamilton region? Do you want to join Hamilton’s illustrious list of startup superstars?

Innovation Factory (175 Longwood Rd. South) is hosting a pre-submission workshop and Q&A session for Lion’s Lair 2013 on Thursday, April 11, from 6-9 p.m. The deadline for this year’s submissions is April 30 at noon. For information and to register, visit pitch-it.ca.