The fight against skin cancer is enlisting the help of smartphones to monitor suspicious moles thanks to a Simon Fraser University grad's venture idea.
The Coast Capital Savings Venture Prize Competition awarded Maryam Sadeghi, creator of the MoleScope technology, the top prize of $3,000 on February 12 after she pitched judges her business plan.
Her venture company, MetaOptima, is developing a tiny microscope that can attach to smartphones and allow people to keep an eye on potentially cancerous moles.
"Coast Capital is extremely proud to collaborate with SFU on the Venture Connection Coast Capital Savings Venture Prize competition," said Pehlaj Malhotra, chief risk officer at Coast Capital.
"This event provides a platform to showcase some very impressive young people with great ideas, and then gives those young people the opportunity to take their ideas and make them real."
The judging panel, which included Business In Vancouver online editor Joannah Connolly, gave the runner-up prize of $1,000 to Enhanced Scientifics.
The company produces high-tech laboratory and medical devices, including UV-visible spectrophotometers used for research and quality control in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.
The three other finalists include:
- VeloMetro, which is developing a three-wheeled vehicle meant for car-sharing networks like Car2Go.
- SynAesthetix, which created an integrated home system and mobile app allowing users to control lighting, sounds and smells in their living spaces.
- IE-9 Technology Corp., which is developing a new technique using nanotechnology and software to store information for security, authentication and advertising.
