Call for Companies: One More Week to Apply for AccelerateAB Roundtables

Want to accelerate your startup during the largest tech gathering in Alberta this July? 

The deadline for the AccelerateAB Call for Companies is one week away! (May 21)

The companies selected through this process become part of AccelerateAB’s Entrepreneur Roundtable event taking place on Wednesday, July 10th (the day before AccelerateAB.)

This is likely one of the best mentorship opportunities as AccelerateAB’s entire network of C100 Charter members, A100 members and event partners will be mentoring, assisting and connecting with YOU over a 4 hour period. 

Some of the confirmed C100 mentors includes: 

• Gary Kovacs, CEO of Mozilla/Firefox
• Chris Albinson, Founder of the C100 and Managing Director of Panorama Capital
• Michael Buhr, CEO at StumbleUpon through their exit to eBay
• Geoff Lewis, Prinipal at Founders Fund. Founders Fund is invested in SpaceX, Facebook, Twilio, Spotify and dozens of other leading tech firms

AccelerateAB Has Launched its Call for Companies

AccelerateAB is bringing the tech world to Calgary on July 10th and 11th, 2013. It’s goal is to put Alberta’s leading tech entrepreneurs front and centre and turn as much of the program time as possible over to our startups. 

This is your chance to apply to be one of the startups included in their Entrepreneur Roundtables and the pitch events running during the program. 

The Entrepreneur Roundtables take place on Wednesday, July 10th from 11:30 am - 4:00 pm The applicants of this form are curated into the top 25 up and coming tech CEO’s in the province, pairing them with leading mentors, investors and thinkers from The C100, The A100 and event partners. You won’t get a better chance to accelerate your business all year. 

Those who are applying for the Entrepreneur Roundtables through this form may also be selected for one of two pitch events taking place during the AccelerateAB Conference day on July 11th. The PR Dragon’s Den will be an event where 3-4 Founders will pitch their “PR Story” to a panel of media properties who will “invest” in the best pitches by guaranteeing coverage of the winner in their next media cycle.

The Suitcase Pitch Competition is designed for entrepreneurs that are ready to raise a financing round. Pitch your company/funding story on stage with a suitcase in hand. If our panel of judges thinks you have the highest potential, you jet off to San Francisco on the spot for a weeks worth of meetings that have been pre-booked by The C100, Plug and Play, the Canadian Consulate and other event partners.

Applications close May 21st, 2013. Register now!

For any more information on the event, contact Sean Collins at accelerateAB@gmail.com or call him at 780.232.0339

Startup Stories; DJ Sures of EZ-Robot Makes Sci-fi Dreams into Realities

Have you ever dreamed of having your very own robot? A robot who would play music when you ask, dance for your entertainment and bring you a beer? It may seem like something from a futuristic science fiction movie, but those dreams are becoming realities thanks to EZ-Robot!

Founded by DJ Sures, EZ-Robot is a company that creates a platform for regular people to build their dream robot using their unified hardware and software.  Users can program their creations to do almost anything they imagine. How did this amazing company with an amazing product come into being? DJ credits a moment with his grandfather as the starting point for the company.

“I started building robots for fun,” DJ explained. “I was sitting with my grandfather one day at the beach. I was working on a robot and he said, ‘would you teach me how to build one of those?’ I replied ‘that’s impossible; you can’t just teach someone how to build a robot.’ Then he said, ‘If you want to change the world, that’s what you should do, make it so everybody can build a robot,’ and I said ‘Alright, I’ll try it!’ A year later, I came up with the technical foundation of [EZ-Robot]’s product line.”

EZ-Robot has grown into a company that has allowed people to create robots that can walk, dance, fly, listen to speech commands, and visually track and detect objects. It’s not just regular people who are fans too, but also many universities and even NASA, are using EZ-Robot products to develop some incredible machines.

DJ describes his experience as an entrepreneur as a ‘personal evolution.’

“I’ve always worked for startups,” says DJ. “I’ve been a co-founder but never a creator from ground up. It was a personal evolution that was bound to happen.”

DJ also notes that as an entrepreneur, he learned that it could get lonely at times and that it’s important to assemble a trusting support team. However, this yearning for others to see what you’re doing and get a little help could also lead to mistakes while hunting for the right team.

“[Looking] for support from others can distract you from the work you need to do. I spent a lot of time meeting with people and companies that I thought wanted to help, but really they just wanted money or equity, or didn’t even know what the [heck] they wanted. My suggestion to early entrepreneurs is to believe and trust your gut… That’s one of the advantages of being human – intuition.”

But leaving the past behind, DJ says the future is looking bright for EZ-Robot, thanks to his amazing team.

“People have come and gone over the past year and a half, and those who stuck around are truly remarkable people. There’s no real hierarchy, everybody participates in the same level playing field. It’s what I’m most proud of.”

Throughout the process of growing his company, DJ says that AcceleratorYYC has been a resource that he utilized many times and is proud to be a virtual member of the co-working space.

“AcceleratorYYC has been able to offer a wide variety of informative programs, speakers and events,” says DJ. “These were huge assets to supporting the early growth of EZ-Robot.”

So what does EZ-Robot have in store for 2013? DJ says there will be an unveiling of a new product called “EZ-Robot Revolution.” He describes it as a lifestyle product that will produce a Lego-type robot platform. The new product will be accompanied by an app store where users can make apps for robot functionality to share with other users. EZ-Robot will also be jumping on the 3D printer bandwagon, utilizing the technology as a part of the robot building process. Of course, the company is also growing and DJ is looking to double or even triple the team this summer of 2013.

When it comes down to it, DJ truly wants the world to understand what “robot” really means. It could be an EZ-Robot companion that brings you coffee, something that dances to Rihanna’s music, can act as a security system, or aid disabilities. The possibilities are endless. When you think about it, it only took a bit of imagination and an entrepreneur that listened to his grandfather to make people’s sci-fi dreams into realities.

Connect with DJ Sures and EZ-Robot at www.ez-robot.com.

Also like EZ-Robot Inc. on Facebook and follow them on Twitter @EZ_Robot