The following statement was read in the House of Assembly today by the Honourable Andrew Parsons, KC, Minister of Industry, Energy and Technology:

Speaker, I ask all Honourable Members to join me in congratulating Notch Embedded, winner of the 2023 Mel Woodward Cup.

Named in honour of the late Newfoundland and Labrador entrepreneur Mel Woodward, the startup pitch competition is delivered by the Memorial Centre for Entrepreneurship and supported by members of the business community.

The competition helps accelerate the most innovative and high-potential student-led startups at Memorial University.

Notch Embedded founder Shane Williams was tired of using outdated tools and processes during work terms, inspiring the development of a software tool that allows engineers to quickly support new computer chips in electronic designs. Currently completing an entrepreneurial work term at the Memorial Centre for Entrepreneurship, Shane’s idea resulted in the $25,000 first prize.

Speaker, the runner up was SmartBin, a company that has developed a sensor to detect when waste bins are full – helping waste management companies be more environmentally sustainable, while saving money. Founded by Aneesh Raghupathy and Niraj Shukla, the company is running a pilot project with Heave Away Waste Management with plans to launch commercially in July. Enrolled in the Enterprise incubator program at Genesis, SmartBin received the $15,000 runner up prize.

To all the finalists, congratulations! There is no limit to the potential of your growth. Thank you to all of you who work hard to make this annual event a success.