To enter the pitching competition at Invest Atlantic this year, entrepreneurs must submit a one-minute video introducing their business, and they can highlight the most enticing 10 seconds using an exciting piece of technology being developed in Halifax.

VidSnippets is preparing to launch its new product at a few events this September after incubating the product for almost a year in the Masters of Technology, Entrepreneurship and Innovation program at Saint Mary’s University.

The product is designed to solve a problem common to people who post or send digital video online — usually you have to wade through minutes of footage to see a really good part. Or just as often the viewer doesn’t bother watching an entire video because it takes too long to see the highlights.

VidSnippets’ technology allows users to create and share highlight clips of up to 10 seconds from their video. If viewers are impressed by the preview clip, they can go to the VidSnippets site to see the full video.

That means that you can post the 10 seconds from a youth soccer game when your child scored a goal, or the 10 seconds of a 15-minute corporate presentation that highlights your main point.

“Every person who sees this can find their own way to use it,” said Josh Galloway, the company’s head of technology. “There are almost too many applications. It’s a good problem to have.”

Co-founder Paul Farmer came up with the idea before joining the program last year, and fellow students Suman Pettem and Kevin Gallant soon joined him as co-founders and began working on the product. Galloway, a veteran of Dartmouth multi-channel marketing firm SimplyCast, joined earlier this year. Over the summer, the team has included two interns from Dalhousie University’s computer science faculty, Scott Theriault and Brian Yip.

The team members are now preparing for a launch of a prototype website and Android-based mobile application in September, and have a few projects under consideration.

VidSnippets is hoping to launch a product in time for university frosh weeks so students can post and send the highlights of the videos they take.

The group is looking at a LinkedIn product, so people can video a description of themselves and post the 10-second highlight of the talk on the social networking platform.

Organizers also plan a launch of the product for the startup pitching competition at Invest Atlantic, the regional startup conference taking place in Halifax from Sept. 29 to 30.

Delegates and the public will be able to view the pitches and vote for their favourites; they’ll have a chance to see a 10-second highlight and, if that intrigues, to see the full-length version.

They also hope to get involved with online video contests that allow registered members to submit and vote on videos. Whoever submits and votes for a video will receive SnipCoins (a form of loyalty points).

Right now, VidSnippets is working to get a product out as the universities welcome students back to their campuses.

“We thought it might work well to roll it out though the universities, maybe through frosh week or maybe some of the sports teams,” said Farmer. “It will give us a chance to see how it goes.”