And then there were 15. Of 125 apps built from open government data for CODE 2015, fifteen are still in the hunt for a $15,000 grand prize.

XMG Studio, the private sector host of CODE 2015, announced the 15 finalists this week. Over 300 teams featuring more than 1,300 partcipants participated in the 48-hour appathon. Billed as Canada’s largest such event, the competition drew developers, graphic designers, students and a host of first-time coders to try their hand at designing an application from the federal government’s open data to address one of three development themes: healthy living, business opportunities, and youth employment.

XMG Studio screened the long list of apps to a short list of the most promising 15. Criteria included user experience, potential of the app, and use of open data. The final teams will pitch their apps to a panel of judges on March 16. In addition to the $15,000 grand prize, there is a $5,000 student prize, and $5,000 prizes for each of the development themes.

There is also a Fan Favourite award worth $5,000. Voting is open to the public and the full collection of 125 apps is available on the XMG CODE website. Voting closes at 5:00 p.m. EST on March 26. The prize will be based on the highest count of votes on a team’s profile and the highest count of social shares and likes on their community networks.

CODE 2015 Top 15 Apps
(Listed in no particular order)

Youth: Youth Employment

  • Team SFU Data Crunchers with High School Down, Where Next? app. Helps Canadians find out how much a degree will cost them. Team consists of Jonathan Bhaskar, Bradley Ellert, Jasneet Sabharwal and Maryam Siabani of Burnaby and Coquitlam, BC.
  • Team Canada2020 with Yes You Can! app. The app allows Canadians to determine how far a specific career path can take them. Team consists of Rati Mehrotra and Vikas Nath of Toronto, ON. 
  • Team Niew Labs with Career Path by Niew Labs app. The application is aimed at helping Canadian youth discover, research and choose future career paths. Team consists of Jigdel Kuyee, Rob McDiarmid, Daniil Shevelev and Lev Perelman, of Toronto and Vaughan, ON. 
  • Team Challengers with Canada Careers Finder app. Web portal giving information about plenty of careers available in Canada. Team consists of Alexandre Mathon Roy, of Montreal, QC.
  • Team Blazer with Blazer app. Matches Canadians to job offers in their area. Team consists of Majd Hussini, of Bedford, NS.

Commerce: Business Opportunities

  • Team Farm Canada with Farm Canada app. Farm Canada contains the historical data you need to make informed decisions and to keep you current. Team consists of Adam Michaleski and Steven Michaleski, of Calgary, AB and Winnipeg, MB.
  • Team datum with Todaytum app. Canadians can find all coverage on specific trending topics. Team consists of King Huang, Ezequiel Perdomo and Stephanie Stobart, of Calgary, AB.
  • Team IPPETAD with constellation app. Makes conference planning and joining a breeze using intuitive design and open government data. Team consists of Mariana Finlay, Andrew Fontaine, Ranek Kiil and Jacob Viau, of Edmonton, AB.
  • Team DATA ELEPHANT with wanderfull app. Gives you all the information you need while you travel around each city day to day. Team consists of Rudy Desjardins, Francis Jeanson, Jean-Christophe Pilaprat and Marcus Williams, of Toronto and Inisfil, ON.
  • Team CFJS with Research.ME app. Canadians can search for academics who received awards by Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. Team consists of Christian Béland, Frédéric Morin and Jean-Sébastien Thivierge, of Quebec and Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures, QC.

Quality of Life: Healthy Living

  • Team YPP with BeeHappy app. Let’s you calculate how happy you are! Get your Happy Score and compare it to others in your area and across the country. Team consists of James Filippelli, Anna Moorhouse and Ken Yong, of Vancouver, BC.
  • Team Neighbourfood with Neighbourfood app. Empowers Canadians to make healthy food choices as part of a healthy lifestyle, while encouraging them to engage with their local community. Team consists of Neil Gentleman, Amelia Hardjasa, Fergus Kung and Ivan Zverev, of Vancouver, BC.
  • Team Ecotrust Canada with HypochondriApp app. Compares local risks with public perceptions. Team consists of Jim McDiarmid, Charles Fritz, Andrea Robertston and Clark Van Oyen, of Vancouver and Victoria, BC.
  • Team Exacto Systems with Prophesy app. Helps Canadians plan finances through post-secondary education and into their careers. Team consists of Alfred Yang, of Richmond Hill, ON.
  • Team Padawans with My Canadian Lifestyle app. Helps Canadians determine which city suits best with their lifestyle. Team consists of Johnny Ji, Mariana D’Ornellas, Elle Kasai and John Vidal, of Vancouver and Burnaby, BC.