TELUS Pitch awards $100,000 to startup that develops wearable mobility tools for the blind

Bin Liu, CEO and co-founder of iMerciv, delivering his final pitch as the grand prize $100,000 winner of the TELUS Pitch small business competition in Toronto. Photo credit: Gray Aletter

The winner of the TELUS Pitch is doing good for both the blind and the partially-sighted. iMerciv Inc. emerged the grand prize winner and was selected from nearly 3,000 entries. The company works to improve the mobility, confidence, and quality of life of individuals who suffer vision loss. The company’s CEO and co-founder Bin Liu has personal experience with the matter as his father lost his vision and was diagnosed with inoperable glaucoma. The company recently introduced its first product called BuzzClip. It’s a wearable mobility tool to help those with vision loss avoid collisions. The device makes use of ultrasound to detect any obstacles that might be in the way. The wearer will feel intuitive vibrations to help them navigate around any object, especially those that are head level.

iMerciv will be using the $100,000 prize to boost its sales and marketing efforts and help expand their presence in the 11 countries where they are present. They hope to generate more revenue and help built new products. Liu and his team will also be injecting the money into research and development of its second product.