MIMETYK large-format interactive advertising solutions allow users to interact "naturally" with the media by making gestures in front of a projected billboard.

• Entrepreneurs:  Nicolas Plouznikoff, doctoral candidate in electrical engineering at École Polytechnique, and Alexandre Plouznikoff, doctoral candidate in computer engineering at École Polytechnique.
• Awards: BMO ($4,000), Bell Canada ($4,000), Friends of Polytechnique ($2,500), Univalor ($2,500), DEC ($1,000), Poly ($1,000), Chamberland Hodge S.E.N.C. mention.
• Contacts: contact@mimetyk.com, www.mimetyk.com

NLP TECHNOLOGIES automatic content-management solutions help North American lawyers, judges and legal specialists manage legal texts.

• Entrepreneurs: Massoud Hosseiny, who completed the research master's in mechanical engineering at École Polytechnique, and Atefeh Farzindar, a Université de Montréal graduate.
• Awards: Réseau Capital ($5,000), Friends of Polytechnique ($2,000), Univalor ($2,000), Bell Canada ($1,000), Chamberland Hodge S.E.N.C. mention.
• Contacts: info@nlptechnologies.ca, www.nlptechnologies.ca

DML INC. - Finding, developing and marketing inventions that are useful, able to be manufactured and profitable in the consumer-goods sector.

• Entrepreneur: Maxime Laporte, a master's student in industrial engineering at École Polytechnique.
• Awards: BMO ($4,000), Friends of Polytechnique ($5,000), Réseau Capital ($1,000), Chamberland Hodge S.E.N.C. mention.
• Contact: maxime.laporte@polymtl.ca 

OPTIPAK PHARMA, a technological pill-filling service aiming to optimize operational systems in the pharmaceutical sector.

• Entrepreneurs: Richard Sefler, bachelor's degree in industrial engineering from École Polytechnique and MBA student at HEC Montréal; Patrice Simard, a Université de Montréal and HEC Montréal graduate; Alexandre Paré, HEC Montréal and Concordia University.
• Awards: Friends of Polytechnique ($2,500), Bell Canada ($2,000), Univalor ($500), Chamberland Hodge S.E.N.C. mention, @ccomplices mention.
• Contact: OptipakPharma@mail.com

ECOTOURS creative adventure and ecotourism trip organizers.

• Entrepreneurs: Karim Haggar, currently working toward a master's degree in technology management at École Polytechnique, and Anthony Chamy, McGill University graduate.
• Award: Friends of Polytechnique ($2,000).
• Contact: www.ecotoursonline.ca

Left to right: Marcel Messier, President, Connexim; Alexandre Plouznikoff, Mimetyk; Massoud Hosseiny, NLP Technologies; Paule Tardif, General Manager, Centre d'entrepreneurship HEC-POLY-UdeM; Richard Sefler, Optipak Pharma; Nicolas Plouznikoff, Mimetyk; Maxime Laporte, DML Inc.; Karim Haggar, ecotours; Danis Prud'homme, General manager, Fondation de Polytechnique; Jean Sylvestre, General Manager, Commercial Specialized Sales, Québec Division, Bank of Montreal.

For eight years, the annual Centre d'entrepreneurship contest has been working hard to stimulate the entrepreneurial spirit on campus. Since 1997, the Centre has evaluated over 350 projects and awarded over half a million dollars in prize money. The Centre has so far provided concrete support for the launch of 78 businesses and the creation of 250 jobs.

For more information on the Centre d'entrepreneurship HEC-Poly-UdeM and the Innovation & Entrepreneurship contest, visit www.hec.ca/entrepreneurship

Our congratulations to all winners!