Collision 2019 was a well-attended event featuring a full-spectrum of emerging and existing technologies.
Super-nerdy and ultra-geeky, the three-day tech-fest featured speakers, networking and numerous exhibitors. Justin Trudeau, Seth Rogen, Ev Williams, Kara Swisher, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Steve Aoki, John Tory, and Ryan Holmes were among the roster of politicians, technologists, CEOs and entertainers that made an appearance at the event.
I was there, too, along with Grit Daily Sr. Editor, Stewart Rogers, and Executive Editor, Jordan French, who hosted some well-reviewed panels and joined me at Grit Daily’s speaker’s dinner on Toronto’s beach front. (Didn’t make it? Get in on that next year.)
Collision did not disappoint
Of course, it wasn’t unusual to see major corporations on the show floor to share their latest developments. Microsoft, SendGrid, Amazon, HP, AirBnB and Air Canada were all on hand to distribute swag and tell their story.
But there were also dozens of smaller exhibitors that are often overshadowed by the larger booths. However, for those willing to take the time, a bevy of interesting and potentially game-changing startups can be found at the event.
I seized the opportunity specifically to seek out these companies and interview them for the latest episode of The Bad Boys of Tech. After all, everyone deserves their two minutes of fame.
What I encountered was exciting, informative and entertaining. A colorful gadget from Olliwatch appeared to be an intelligent, interactive and proactive companion designed to help children on the autism spectrum.
A dentist robot was hard at work, demonstrating how it could fit implants in a human’s mouth without any human involvement.
A monitor featuring the words “F*ck AI” pulled me in like a magnet and I learned that HaliSBack.com wants to bring the human element back to voice assistance. After all, Siri and Alexa often get it wrong.
Uber’s stock fell but its name still reigns
With the rise of the service economy, there were a number of companies that claimed to be “the Uber of —“, and a few of them actually appear promising. Take Mechanicly, for example. Need your automobile repaired on location? Call a mechanic and they will be there to change your oil or make any repairs that don’t require your vehicle to be hoisted.
Need your cattle relocated? Muub.co is the Uber for cattle! (True story.)
I managed to spend a couple minutes with twelve startups that really caught my attention and I think you’ll enjoy hearing from them in episode #16 of The Bad Boys of Tech. Click below to listen.
