Spectra Plasmonics Wins Pitch to the Chief™ 2026
The V13 Policetech Accelerator is pleased to announce Spectra Plasmonics as the first-place winner of Pitch to the Chief™ 2026, following a multi-stage policetech competition that began at SPUR Innovation Centre and concluded with the Finals on March 4 at Venture13 Innovation Centre in Cobourg.
Spectra Plasmonics was selected by a panel of police chiefs from across Ontario, including Chief Paul VandeGraaf (Cobourg Police Service), Chief Derek Davis (Sarnia Police Service) and Chief Tim Farquharson (Port Hope Police Service), after presenting Amplifi ID™, a portable drug analysis device designed to identify illicit substances onsite in as little as 60 seconds.
The Pitch to the Chief™ 2026 Finals brought together innovators, police leaders and community partners for a day focused on advancing policetech innovation and collaboration. Opening remarks were delivered by The Honourable Philip Lawrence, Member of Parliament for Northumberland–Clarke, alongside Wendy Curtis, CEO of Nventure, Chief Paul VandeGraaf of the Cobourg Police Service, and Adam Bureau, Chair of the Cobourg Police Service Board.
The program also featured a keynote from Ashwini Gamage and Hemali Chudasama, winners of the Pitch to the Chief™ Youth Competition 2025 and founders of Sorora Safety, a company developing technology focused on personal safety for women and teens.
Six companies advanced to the Finals, each presenting innovative solutions designed to support modern policing challenges: Spectra Plasmonics, InvisiGuard, SafeBuildings, Rubicon, Loom Analytics and Honour System. Judges evaluated the finalists based on operational relevance, feasibility of deployment and potential impact for police services.
As the winning team, Spectra Plasmonics receives $5,000 in cash, the opportunity to pursue up to $25,000 in investment from Nventure, one year of office space at Venture13, and the opportunity to advance toward a pilot through the V13 Policetech Accelerator.
Cobourg Chief Paul VandeGraaf stated:
“Pitch to the Chief demonstrates what’s possible when police services, entrepreneurs, and partners come together with a shared focus on innovation and public safety. The opportunity to expand this program into additional regions allows more services to access new ideas earlier and work collaboratively toward better outcomes. We sincerely thank the Government of Ontario for its support in enabling this program to grow and reach more communities.”
“Pitch to the Chief is designed to strengthen the connection between innovation and the operational realities of policing,” said Wendy Curtis, CEO of Nventure. “With support from the Government of Ontario, this collaboration helps advance responsible, test-ready policetech innovation. Spectra Plasmonics presented a practical solution aligned with the complexities faced by police services today.”
Pitch to the Chief™ is delivered through the V13 Policetech Accelerator, a joint initiative of Nventure and the Cobourg Police Service, and is funded in part by the Government of Ontario.
