Ford Fusion Startup Lab Toronto: Watch Us Crown the Winners

Anticipation ran high at The Addisons Residence on Tuesday, November 24.

It’s not every day that we give out a cheque for $10,000, after all.

But that’s exactly what went down at our party for the Toronto edition of the Ford Fusion Startup Lab.

It didn’t matter that it was a Tuesday night right before the start of holiday party season; the drinks were flowing and the energy was more than a little infectious.

As an added bonus, guests were treated to dinner thanks to a fully stocked food station from the beloved Food Dudes.

The highlight of the evening, of course, was the announcement of the Ford Fusion Startup Lab winner. In a daylong challenge that can only be described as The Amazing Race meets Dragons’ Den, the finalists – which included some of the city’s most promising start-ups – went head-to-head for the top honours. Naturally, we caught it all on video, and broadcasted it all evening throughout the venue.

Of course, there could only be one winner.

If you were there, you know that the winner was Yes, Peas! organic, gluten-free, nut-free, vegan friendly snacks. The first of its kind on the market, products include three chickpea trail mixes (chocolate banana, tropical, and apple raisin) and three chickpea bites (chocolate & quinoa, maple cinnamon granola, and honey, seed & fruit).

After the presentation of the $10,000 cheque by Peter Jansen, Director of Marketing Communications at Ford Canada and Notable.ca Founder Julian Brass, the guests said “yes, peas” to more cocktails, photo-ops, and taking advantage of the ample networking opportunities.

Though we didn’t all leave $10,000 richer, it’s safe to say that every guest left with a new personal or professional contact and a night full of great memories.