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OTTAWA (February 23, 2012) – Exploriem today announced the winners of the 2012 Bootstrap Awards which celebrates local self capitalized entrepreneurs. Winners in the 11 categories were narrowed down from a record pool of 93 nominations received in the last six weeks.

“The quality of this year’s winners is an inspiration to all local entrepreneurs” says Bryan Haralovich of Welch Chartered Accountants LLP, “the 2012 winners demonstrate the diversity of Ottawa talent that continues to grow” added Andrew Arnott of Royal Bank of Canada who are co-title sponsors of the awards.

Winners of the 2012 Bootstrap Awards:

Best Business Model (sponsored by Nitro IT Business Solutions)

1- CanaFlora

2- Dual Code

3- LoonieGames

Innovation in Engineering and Technology (sponsored by Babcock Canada)

1- Crack Semiconductor

2- V+I Composites

3- Giatec Scientific

Lead to Win for Women (sponsored by Lead to Win for Women)

1- Amanda R A Lunan | Auntie Loo’s Treats

2- Elizabeth Lance | InGenuity Group

3- Hana Abaza | Wedding Republic

Bootstrap Capital (sponsored by FaveQuest)

1- Apption Corporation

2- OPIN Software

3- Nuvyyo

Best Guerilla Marketing (sponsored by Business Development Bank of Canada)

1- Toletta

2- Mold Busters

3- Openera

Community Impact (sponsored by Canadian Youth Business Foundation)

1- Shepherds of Good Hope

2- HUB Ottawa

3- First Place Options

Green Award (sponsored by Telfer School of Management)

1- Rumidifier Home Comforts Inc.

2- CarbonSolve Inc.

3- RIPP

Best Mobile App/Website (sponsored by Select Start Studios/Shopify)

1- Spoonity Inc.

2- DawnSuite Communications Inc.

3- iPricedit.com

Best Customer Service (sponsored by Babcock Canada)

1- Blue Rabbit Machines

2- Movingboxes.ca

3- Reno Rescue

Best Sales/Value Proposition (sponsored by The Connelly Group)

1- LavaBlast

2- Chide.it

3- Tindr

People’s Choice (sponsored by IronGate Server Management & Consulting)

1- Dermis Advanced Skin Care

2- GremlinsGold.com Inc.

3- Major Craig’s Chutney

 

The finalists for the Fastest Growing Start-Up Award (sponsored by Ginsberg Gluzman Fage & Levitz, LLP) were announced. In alphabetical order, they are: Renaissance Repair and Supply, StoneShare and YOUiLabs. The winner of this event will be announced at the Ottawa Business Journal event, later this year.

Mayor Jim Watson and local businesses were led through the event by MC and Ottawa entrepreneur Rob Woodbridge of Untether.tv.

“It takes a unique mindset and determination to succeed as an entrepreneur – self capitalization is a tough journey. These awards were created to showcase those businesses who took the leap and now inspire others considering entrepreneurship” says Dr Bruce Firestone, Executive Director of Exploriem and business mentor.

Winners left the event with tools to promote their win – Ottawa based Liverpool Court who manage all of the audio visual for Bluesfest – will be providing all winners with a video vignette about their company, including footage of their win and acceptance speech.

Exploriem would like to thank all event and category sponsors for supporting local entrepreneurs and growing the mentor and business support network.

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Notes to Editors (synopsis on winners follows)

Please email kennedy.alana@gmail.comor call 613 315 4537 to obtain a quote from or an interview from Exploriem/sponsors or the winners.

About the Winners:

Best Business Model – CanaFlora

Canaflora started with the vision of one man. The owner moved here from his home country of Ukraine and looked for a new start, and what better way to start something than with flowers. At first he began contacting local flower shops, explaining his vision, and getting them on board. A few years later, he opened some of his own flower shops while still working with local businesses. He didn’t want to become another Teleflora or FTD, he wanted to preserve the high quality local florists bring, but to spread it out on a national level. This is exactly what he’s done. After 3 short years, his vision is becoming clearer and clearer. Now able to deliver flowers almost anywhere in Canada, Canaflora makes joy bloom on people’s faces when they receive one of our bouquets.

Innovation in Engineering and Technology – Crack Semiconductor

Crack Semiconductor develops advanced Silicon Intellectual Property for Public Key security. Founded in 2002, Crack Semiconductor is privately owned and is committed to the development of the optimal RSA, ECC and PKA processors in Silicon IP.

Lead to Win for Women – Amanda R A Lunan | Auntie Loo’s Treats

Auntie Loo’s Treats made its debut in 2004 at Ottawa’s infamous Ladyfest “Not your Grandma’s” Craftsale. The profit that Mandi Loo turned that day rivalled the 2-week pay check she was about to receive from her barista job. She quit, and enrolled full-time at Algonquin College’s School of Business to begin developing the idea and dream of baking for a living.

When the physical location at 507 Bronson opened its doors in October of 2009, it became Eastern Ontario’s first 100% vegan bakery. Over the holiday season of 2011, the space was renovated to accommodate a modest seating area and coffee and tea to patrons.

Bootstrap Capital – Apption Corporation

Since 2005, Apption has helped large organizations by creating high-value application modernization solutions that streamline their businesses and better prepare them for the future. Their innovative frameworks and client collaborative approach results in the optimal blend of existing systems and new development.

Over the years, Apption has received numerous industry awardsincluding ranking on the Profit Hot 50 List in both 2008 and 2009, winning the coveted 2008 Microsoft Code Award for Top Development Team in Canada, and recognition for the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2009 award.

Best Guerilla Marketing – Toletta

Founded in 2009 by a husband and wife team, Toletta is a premium brand of paper seat covers. They now have a strong network of distributors and have been featured in many magazines including Cosmopolitan, Glamour and Vogue.

Community Impact – Shepherds of Good Hope

The Shepherds of Good Hope community strives to create an environment which fosters equal treatment for all clients, residents, staff, volunteers and board members. Inclusion and openness to all faiths is an important element of their philosophy.

Green Award – Rumidifier Home Comforts Inc.

Inventors of a brand new, unique, patented product line of Room humidifier – Rumidifier.

Best Mobile App/Website – Spoonity Inc.

Spoonity isa locally focused online loyalty platform that allows restaurants to implement and manage a customer rewards system easily and quickly. Spoonity gives restaurants a way to engage and retain customers in a meaningful way after they have left the restaurant. Customers are able to sign up for Spoonity once and earn rewards to build status based on the amount they spend at any restaurant in the Spoonity community. Restaurants have full control over the status rewards and have the ability to offer groups of customers exclusive rewards.

Spoonity is poised to flip the recent shift of power in local commerce and empower small businesses with the technology necessary to reach the modern consumer. Spoonity is a compelling business model which promises to fundamentally change the relationship between restaurants and patrons.

Best Customer Service – Blue Rabbit Machines

A small engine maintenance, service and repair shop with a big difference. The team are a bunch of ex-Tech’s who have come together to create a “working” machine repair shop that appreciates that time is of the essence for weekend warriors and hobby farmers. They also run a residential rescue in the Ottawa area if you have a large machine or just can’t get your machine to the depot.

Best Sales/Value Proposition – LavaBlast

LavaBlast develops software for the franchise industry. Their product, FranchiseBlast, empowers owners to run a successful franchise business with easy-to-use operational software. Manage day-to-day issues with franchisees, see everything happening in real-time, and increase the level of control they have over their franchise business.

People’s Choice – Dermis Advanced Skin Care

Dermis is the only skin centre in Ottawa to carry a variety to top tier, globally recognized and proven skin care lines. It is a skin health concept clinic that works with clients to achieve long term skin health.

Dermis provides non-surgical cosmetic skincare procedures, like laser hair removal and clinical microdermabrasion, as well as therapeutic face treatments – all under one roof. It is led by female entrepreneur Alifiya Sadikali.

THREE FINALISTS: Fastest Growing Start-Up (Last 3 years) – winners to be announced at the Ottawa Business Journal event.–

Renaissance Repair and Supply

In today’s competitive environment, business and infrastructure costs are critical and re-used assets are an obvious option to increase return on investment. Network quality and reliability are paramount to the success of a business. Renaissance Repair and Supply strives to provide quality remanufactured assets that allow increased profitability and reliability to its customers.

StoneShare

StoneShare is the preferred destination in the Ottawa-Gatineau and Toronto regions for SharePoint specific products and services.

Founded in 2007, they are a Microsoft Gold certified partner and specialize in the planning, development and implementation of SharePoint-specific business solutions. Collectively, their team provides decades of experience in Enterprise Content Management Solutions, Collaboration Solutions, and Enterprise and Self-Service Social Applications.

YOUi Labs

YOUi Labs next-generation user interface technology and services enable tablet, smart phone and personal electronics manufacturers to differentiate their products by offering a fresh and compelling user experience. The YOUi Labs platform provides industry-leading graphics performance that significantly reduces time to market and makes devices fun and easy to use.

About Exploriem

Exploriem is a registered Canadian not-for-profit organization. It provides mentorship, conducts events, creates networking opportunities and provides early stage funding and office incubator space to assist young entrepreneurs in Eastern Ontario and West Quebec.

Today Exploriem is led by its Executive Director, Professor Bruce Firestone who is best known as the Founder of the Ottawa Senators. He is also Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the Telfer School of Management, University of Ottawa and Real Estate and Mortgage Broker with Century 21 Explorer Realty Inc.

About the Bootstrap Awards

The Bootstrap Awards and Adawe Trade Show is an annual event hosted by Exploriem to honour entrepreneurs in the city of Ottawa. The Bootstrap Awards are unique in that they focus on businesses that use self-capitalization techniques to fund their enterprise.

For more information contact:

Alana Kennedy

Marketing & Communications

613 315 4537

kennedy.alana@gmail.com

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