Top 15 Apps from the Canadian Open Data Experience Revealed

The top CODE entries will go on to compete for $40,000 in prizes

TORONTO, March 6, 2015 /CNW/ - Today, the hosts of the Canadian Open Data Experience (CODE) XMG Studio Inc., and the Government of Canada, announced the 15 finalists in the second Canadian Open Data Experience hackathon, which was held across the country during the weekend of International Open Data Day, February 21-22^nd.

A record-breaking 1303 participants competed in the 48 hour event, making this Canada's largest-ever hackathon.  They created 125 submissions, another record.  Submissions were selected for the top 15 based on the following criteria: user experience, use of open data and market potential. The 15 entries, listed in no particular order, are the top-rated applications in their categories.

Youth: Youth Employment

• Team SFU Data Crunchers with High School Down, Where Next? app. Helps Canadians find out how much a degree will cost them. Team consists of Jonathan Bhaskar, Bradley Ellert, Jasneet Sabharwal and Maryam Siabani of Burnaby and Coquitlam, BC.
• Team Canada2020 with Yes You Can! app. The app allows Canadians to determine how far a specific career path can take them. Team consists of Rati Mehrotra and Vikas Nath of Toronto, ON.
• Team Niew Labs with Career Path by Niew Labs app. The application is aimed at helping Canadian youth discover, research and choose future career paths. Team consists of Jigdel Kuyee, Rob McDiarmid, Daniil Shevelev and Lev Perelman, of Toronto and Vaughan, ON.
• Team Challengers with Canada Careers Finder app. Web portal giving information about plenty of careers available in Canada. Team consists of Alexandre Mathon Roy, of Montreal, QC.
• Team Blazer with Blazer app. Matches Canadians to job offers in their area. Team consists of Majd Hussini, of Bedford, NS.

Commerce: Business Opportunities

• Team Farm Canada with Farm Canada app. Farm Canada contains the historical data you need to make informed decisions and to keep you current. Team consists of Adam Michaleski and Steven Michaleski, of Calgary, AB and Winnipeg, MB.
• Team datum with Todaytum app. Canadians can find all coverage on specific trending topics. Team consists of King Huang, Ezequiel Perdomo and Stephanie Stobart, of Calgary, AB.
• Team IPPETAD with constellation app. Makes conference planning and joining a breeze using intuitive design and open government data. Team consists of Mariana Finlay, Andrew Fontaine, Ranek Kiil and Jacob Viau, of Edmonton, AB.
• Team DATA ELEPHANT with wanderfull app. Gives you all the information you need while you travel around each city day to day. Team consists of Rudy Desjardins, Francis Jeanson, Jean-Christophe Pilaprat and Marcus Williams, of Toronto and Inisfil, ON.
• Team CFJS with Research.ME app. Canadians can search for academics who received awards by NSERC & SSHRC institutions. Team consists of Christian Béland, Frédéric Morin and Jean-Sébastien Thivierge, of Quebec and Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures, QC.

Quality of Life: Healthy Living

• Team YPP with BeeHappy app. Let's you calculate how happy you are! Get your Happy Score and compare it to others in your area and across the country. Team consists of James Filippelli, Anna Moorhouse and Ken Yong, of Vancouver, BC.
• Team Neighbourfood with Neighbourfood app. Empowers Canadians to make healthy food choices as part of a healthy lifestyle, while encouraging them to engage with their local community. Team consists of Neil Gentleman, Amelia Hardjasa, Fergus Kung and Ivan Zverev, of Vancouver, BC.
• Team Ecotrust Canada with HypochondriApp app. Compares local risks with public perceptions. Team consists of Jim McDiarmid, Charles Fritz, Andrea Robertston and Clark Van Oyen, of Vancouver and Victoria, BC.
• Team Exacto Systems with Prophesy app. Helps Canadians plan finances through post-secondary education and into their careers. Team consists of Alfred Yang, of Richmond Hill, ON.
• Team Padawans with My Canadian Lifestyle app. Helps Canadians determine which city suits best with their lifestyle. Team consists of Johnny Ji, Mariana D'Ornellas, Elle Kasai and John Vidal, of Vancouver and Burnaby, BC.

Representatives from the top 15 teams are invited to pitch their apps on March 16^th, 2015 during the CODE Pitch Day event, in front of a panel of industry experts who will determine the grand prize winners. These submissions will also be shared in video format with potential investors with the goal of helping to bring contestants' apps to market.  The top 15 are competing for the $15,000 Grand Prize, three $5,000 Category Prizes, as well as a $5,000 prize for the best submission from a student team.

Canadians can also have their say by voting for the Fan Favourite via CanadianOpenDataExperience.ca who will also receive $5,000.

Prize winners will be announced March 26^th, 2015 with winners accepting their prizes at the CODE Grand Finale.  All submitted applications may go on to be released commercially, either independently by the participants, or in co-operation with a third party.

CODE 2015 would not be possible without the support of sponsors and like-minded organizations: the Government of Canada, IBM, Cognition LLP, Communitech, Digital Ocean and Namecheap, as well as the CODE VIP HUB Location Sponsors BCTIA, Notman House, and OneEleven.

For more information please visit www.canadianopendataexperience.ca

About XMG Studio:
XMG Studio Inc. is an award-winning developer and publisher of mobile games. Founded in late 2009, XMG has developed a track record for innovation excellence in mobile gaming including the release of critically acclaimed games downloadable on your iOS, Android, and Windows Phone devices. Based in Toronto, XMG is one of the largest indie mobile game studios in Canada. Named as one of the top global mobile games developers to watch by popular media, XMG is focused on providing creative expression through gameplay for all fans of fun.

SOURCE CODE 2015: Canadian Open Data Experience

Lydia Schaele - XMG Studio Inc. - [email protected] - [phone]; Samantha Tam - High Road - [email protected] - [phone]