Finalists in the competition to be named among Canada’s Hottest Innovation Companies have less than a month to prepare.

Folks from the companies listed below will deliver live presentations to an influential crowd of major corporate leaders, entrepreneurs and investors in early December.

They want to be named as winners in this year’s Hottest Innovation competition, sure, but they may also get valuable business mentorship and commercialization support — if not outright funding and financial assistance.

Each year, the Canadian Innovation Exchange (CIX) searches for Canada’s most innovative technology-based companies in Information and Communications Technologies (ICT), Clean Technology and Digital Media.

CIX is seen as a platform for these companies to showcase their great home-grown Canadian innovation while developing strategic relationships across industry sectors and national borders.

Winners in each category will be announced at the Canadian Innovation Exchange on December 7, 2010 at the MaRS Discovery Centre in Toronto – after they’ve made their pitch.

The Canadian Innovation Exchange is supported by an Advisory Board made up of leaders in the innovation and investment community.

“Congratulations to all our nominees for showing the best that Canada has to offer the world,” said Rick Nathan, Co-Chair of the Canadian Innovation Exchange. “These companies truly reflect what Canadian business innovation means,” added Robert Montgomery, Co-Chair of the Canadian Innovation Exchange, in introducing the 2010 list of finalists:

360 Replays Ltd  (Brandon, MB)

Created 360-degree live-action image capture system for TV sports broadcasts

Adenyo (Ottawa, ON)

Provides mobile marketing software solutions for delivering interactive content

BlueCat Networks (Toronto)

Develops IP address and network management tools

Calisolar/N6 Silicon (Vaughan, ON)

Metallurgic fabrication of solar silicon power cells

cfactor Works Inc. (Saskatoon, SK)

Develops social media and business communication solutions

Chango (Toronto)

Offers search retargeting platform specifically designed for marketers and ad agencies

Chaordix (Calgary, AB)

Develops crowd-sourcing solutions

ENBALA Power Networks (Toronto)

Manufactures clean power technology

Ethoca (Toronto)

Provides anti-fraud technologies for e-commerce

GestureTek Inc. (Toronto)

Developes gesture-recognition and motion sensing technology

Global Emissions Systems Inc. (Whitby, ON)

Develops emission control technology

Global Wind Group Inc. (Winnipeg, MB)

Design wind turbines and clean technology

GreenMantra Recycling Technologies (Toronto)

Recycling for plastic waste

gShift Labs (Barrie, ON)

Develops web presence and SEO solutions

Kobo Books Inc. (Toronto)

Develops and markets e-book readers and software

Locationary (Toronto)

Creates business directories and listings tools

Nemalux LED Lighting (Calgary, AB)

Manufactures industrial LED lighting products

Psyko Audio Labs (Calgary, AB)

Develops PC gaming headphones and digital audio technologies

Social Game Universe (Toronto)

Develops inter-connected social games

Teldio (Kanata, ON)

Develops communication systems for small and medium business

Trend Hunter (Toronto)

Publishes Web 2.0 crowd-sourced social network and media portal

Tungle Corp. (Montreal, QC)

Develops online scheduling and connectivity tools

Vineyard Networks (Kelowna, BC)

Develops solutions for network monitoring and reporting

Wantsa (Vancouver, BC)

Builds platforms for mobile and online coupon and incentive distribution

Xtreme Labs (Toronto)

Offers mobile application consulting and development