Demo Day: An Innovation Festival on Zimmerman Avenue

Demo Day is back and bigger than ever — join us for a summer festival & innovation celebration right outside the NFIH. Niagara's Biggest Innovation Celebration is Coming! Celebrate entrepreneurship, innovation, and community as the Niagara Falls Innovation Hub transforms Zimmerman Avenue into an outdoor innovation festival featuring startups, technology, delicious bites from Coal Fire Kitchen, networking, and a live pitch competition, powered by Niagara Economic Development. Event Highlights • Startup and technology exhibitors • Celebration of 55 graduating entrepreneurs • Live Pitch Competition • People's Choice Awards • Food Truck (Coal Fire Kitchen) • Music & Entertainment • Startup Showcase • Networking with founders, investors, mentors, alumni, and community leaders Event Agenda 3:00 PM | Doors Open & Registration Begins Check in, pick up event materials, and start exploring Niagara’s innovation ecosystem through exhibitor booths, startup showcases, and community connections. 3:00 PM – 3:30 PM | Networking & Startup Showcase Meet founders, investors, community organizations, and business leaders while exploring innovative companies and partnership opportunities from across Niagara. 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM | Opening Ceremonies Celebrate innovation in Niagara with welcome remarks, special announcements, sponsor recognition, and highlights from our growing entrepreneurial community. 4:30 PM – 7:00 PM | Networking & Startup Showcase Continue connecting with founders, exhibitors, investors, and ecosystem partners while exploring the products, services, and innovations on display. 4:30 PM – 6:30 PM | Startup Pitch Competition Watch six innovative startups pitch live to judges and attendees for prizes, recognition, and valuable growth opportunities. 6:30 PM | Kids Zone Closes The Kids Zone programming concludes for the evening. 6:30 PM | Pitch Competition Awards & Winner Announcement Join us as we recognize the outstanding pitches of the evening and announce the recipients of this year's awards. Featured Companies: • Pure Botanica Company (Annie Hejripour, Founder): botanical-based functional beverages designed to support wellness through natural ingredients and sustainable sourcing, blending flavour, health benefits, and plant-powered formulations. • ASEL Inc. (Alvaro Benavides, Founder): resuable personal protective equipment for the agriculture sector, engineered to protect workers in demanding environments and support safer, more sustainable farm operations. • Maman Biomedical (Latchmi Raghunanan, Co-Founder): reshaping how hormones are delivered by eliminating needles and enabling stable, sustained dosing. Maman Biomedical reduces the physical and emotional burden of treatment, expanding access for patients who may otherwise avoid or be excluded from care. • L&R Auction (Lori Perri,Co-Founder): secure weekly online auctions with new deals launched every Monday. Customers can bid conveniently online and choose local pickup or shipping, while sellers can access consignment and online fundraising services. • Reverse 1 Percent (RV1%) (Nikko Deschamps, Founder): a purpose-driven clothing brand committed to reversing the imbalance and reducing food insecurity for families across Niagara Falls and the surrounding region. 10% of all proceeds are donated to its charity partner, GROW Community Kitchen, turning every purchase into an opportunity to create meaningful change. • The Courage 2 Be You (Mason Coates, Founder): a specialized coaching company that helps athletes, coaches, teams, and leaders build confidence, strengthen emotional resilience, improve performance, and become their most authentic selves through personalized, data-driven support. Learn about emerging technologies, innovative products, and inspiring entrepreneurial journeys as founders compete for recognition and prizes.