C8

Brendan Pan, a fourth-year electrical engineering student from the University of Calgary, presented on behalf of his team asking for $20,000 for 40% of their project called the Future of Shopping. The pitch was a checkout system using RFID technology, where a shopper's basket of items would be scanned automatically at a checkout station without a traditional cashier or self-checkout. The team had built a demo system with three infrared scanners tested on about 20 items, and had spoken with the Co-op grocery chain about the security benefits, but had not costed implementation for a full grocery store and had not secured any contracts. The requested funds were intended to help apply for a patent on the system.

Joe Mimran went out, saying RFID is expensive to implement across a whole store and calling the project more of a research exercise than a business. Michele Romanow went out, saying she would rather back a more next-generation innovation. Manjit Minhas went out because the project was still in the research phase. Michael Wekerle went out, calling it still theoretical and too cost-prohibitive for grocers. Jim Treliving went out, saying the team was too early-stage and needed more concrete numbers. There was no deal.

We haven’t confirmed whether C8 is still operating.