Waterloo-based RideCo Inc. has announced a Series A raise of CDN$20 million that will help the company further develop its rideshare transit software, enhance customer support and enter new markets. The investment round was led by Eclipse Ventures of Palo…
News from across the Regional Innovation Centres
We have gathered news from all the regional innovation centres (RICs) in Ontario. Be sure to connect with your local RIC to be a part of your local ecosystem.
ventureLAB is building a diverse, equitable tech ecosystem
- 18 February 2022
- by VentureLAB
Building a diverse, equitable tech ecosystem.Diversity, equity, and inclusion must be ingrained in every tech company's values, and it's important to understand that the three values mean different things. It's not just important that we have a diverse pipeline of…
ventureLAB is proud to announce the incoming Tech Undivided cohort! Launched in 2019 with support of a $1.7-million investment through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), Tech Undivided bridges gender and diversity gaps in the tech…
How Mintier became a breath of fresh air in the mint market
- 17 February 2022
- by Innovation Factory
Coming up with an idea to make a great product is one thing. Making it a reality is another. Jessica Sheppard and Rhaelyn Gillespie knew their idea had potential. But over the past two years, they had to contend with…
The Goodness Wave With Jessica Lunshof of Tamvoes Health
- 17 February 2022
- by Innovation Factory
RAW Podcast The Goodness Wave With Jessica Lunshof – February 16, 2022 LISTEN HERE Hi hi, Rad Active Women (RAW) On this episode of RAW Podcast, Sarah sits down with Jessica Lunshof. Jessica shares her wishes for other women and…
How ventureLAB’s Community Helped Foxquilt Disrupt the Insurance Industry
- 17 February 2022
- by VentureLAB
“We’re proud alumni of ventureLAB,” Mark Morrisette, Foxquilt CEO. “When you’re a startup, you risk everything to build the infrastructure of a business. You need support. Innovation spaces are great for building necessary community and collaboration among entrepreneurs.”Conceptualized as an…
Minister Fedeli tours MMRI with demonstration from award-winning Mac Eng student
- 17 February 2022
- by Innovation Factory
Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, visited the McMaster Manufacturing Research Institute (MMRI) to explore the cutting-edge innovation in advanced manufacturing at the university. Fedeli toured the MMRI laboratories on tue alongside Stephen Veldhuis, MMRI director,…
Northern, an integrated digital solutions agency for brands navigating digital transformation, has been recognized as one of the 2022 Best Workplaces™ for Hybrid Work. Northern received this honour based on its overall Trust Index score through an independent analysis conducted…
Intellizence data products now available through AWS Data Exchange for APIs
- 17 February 2022
- by Communitech
TORONTO, February 17, 2022 – Intellizence, Inc, a leading artificial intelligence (AI)-powered market intelligence platform, is excited to announce that Intellizence data products are now available through AWS Data Exchange for APIs. During the recently concluded Amazon Web Services (AWS) re:…
At ventureLAB, we are driven by our culture. We are relentless, innovative, visionary, inclusive, and results-oriented. And we lead by example. We are proud of our diverse, merit-based organization; we are diverse in gender, ethnicity, age, experience, education, and beyond.…
How immigrant tech founders boost Canadian innovation
- 17 February 2022
- by MaRS Discovery District
Research shows that immigrant-owned businesses tend to grow faster and have higher rates of job creation. Given their disproportionate economic potential, we need to work to attract and retain the most promising immigrant entrepreneurs and their ventures. The following is…
A seat at the table: Shifting innovation towards an inclusive future
- 17 February 2022
- by VentureLAB
COVID-19 has revealed society-wide inequities. As challenges for under-served communities come to light, we must use an inclusive lens to build a stronger, more resilient tomorrow. Innovative solutions have the power to make that happen. Hardware technology enables groundbreaking solutions…
Technology Leaders Launch Canada’s Semiconductor Council: An Industry-Led Coalition to Address the Global Chip Shortage
- 17 February 2022
- by VentureLAB
View the original article on Canada's Semiconductor Council's website.MARKHAM, ON, May 5, 2021 - Today, a select group of globally recognized Canadian founders, business leaders, chip manufacturers, and investors announce Canada’s Semiconductor Council. With a mandate to build and lead…
Axonify celebrates record 2021 milestones, doubles down on accelerated growth in 2022
- 17 February 2022
- by Communitech
WATERLOO, ONTARIO, February 16, 2022 – Reflecting on strong performance in 2021, including record revenue growth and marquee client additions, Axonify, a leader in frontline employee training and communications, today reaffirmed its commitment to the global frontline workforce as the company anticipates…
ventureLAB announces new participants, broadening Canada’s Hardware Catalyst Initiative
- 16 February 2022
- by VentureLAB
MARKHAM, Ontario - May 11, 2021 — Today, ventureLAB announced new participants in its Hardware Catalyst Initiative, Canada’s only lab and incubator for hardware and semiconductor companies. The announcement comes on the heels of an additional $4.7 million investment made…
ventureLAB welcomes David Agnew to its Board of Directors
- 16 February 2022
- by VentureLAB
ventureLAB is pleased to announce Seneca President David Agnew is joining its Board of Directors. David will replace outgoing board member, Laurel Schollen, Seneca’s Vice-President, Academic, who is retiring after more than 35 years of teaching and administrative experience in…
Intellectual Property 101: Filing for a Patent or Trademark: What Can I Expect?
- 16 February 2022
- by VentureLAB
This article is the last in a 5-part series on protecting your intellectual property. ventureLAB’s experts cover everything you need to know before you file for IP protection. Check out other parts in the series: Timing your patent or trademark…
10 Approaches to Digital Storytelling that will WOW Investors, Stakeholders & Consumers
- 16 February 2022
- by Invest Ottawa
Posted in Blog, Entrepreneurial Insight Feb 16, 2022 966 words | 3 minutesBy: Petr Maur The ancient art of storytelling has been proven to be an effective way to capture the imagination of an audience for hundreds of years. But…
Long before COVID-19, traditional healthcare infrastructures across North America were struggling to find a place for the “digital world” within their systems. The idea of digitizing health records stirred up a variety of opinions from health care professionals to government…
2020 was an extraordinary, yet unprecedented year. Through the challenges of the year, ventureLAB remained deeply committed to our mission to grow globally competitive tech titans that build to scale — from Canada, for global markets. We made our mark…
Spark Centre is a proud member of the Innovation Economy Council (IEC) which brings together Canadian innovation hubs, academic institutions, entrepreneurs, corporate partners and investors to create data-driven reports that can address key issues facing the innovation community.We sat down with…
Supercharging Canada’s Hardware Innovation | ventureLAB
- 15 February 2022
- by VentureLAB
The global semiconductor industry generates $7 trillion in economic activity, creates almost 5 new jobs for every 1 semiconductor job, and enables the development of breakthrough products like smart energy, autonomous vehicles, and innovative healthcare solutions. Hardware and semiconductors are…
ventureLAB and Siemens partner to broaden Canada’s Hardware Catalyst Initiative
- 15 February 2022
- by VentureLAB
MARKHAM, Ontario - June 21, 2021 — Today, ventureLAB and Siemens Digital Industries Software announced today a new partnership to expand its reach for the Hardware Catalyst Initiative, Canada’s only lab and incubator for hardware and semiconductor-focused products. Siemens Digital…
Celebrating the Winners of the 2021 HardTech Pitch Competition
- 15 February 2022
- by VentureLAB
This week, eight finalists battled it out in front of a live audience and an incredible judges panel for over $100,000 in cash and in-kind prizing. In partnership with the Regional Municipality of York, the pitch competition invited small businesses…
Over the past two days, the sold out HardTech Conference brought together industry leaders, tech founders, expert panelists, audiences from coast-to-coast, media personnel, government stakeholders and more. The inspiring and innovative virtual environment generated countless connections and new ideas that…
VAUGHAN, ON(July 14, 2021) – Today, the City of Vaughan, in partnership with Vaughan Public Libraries (VPL) and ventureLAB, hosted a virtual ribbon-cutting event to celebrate the official opening of a new innovation space in Vaughan. ventureLAB’s new satellite location…
Now, more than ever, both business and society recognize the need for real, disruptive innovations to update our health care processes. The pandemic has revealed just how far global systems - including Canada’s - are from the rapidly changing world…
For me, the proverb "It takes a village ..." applies as much to entrepreneurship as it does to the other pursuits, and there is no better time to find your village than now - in the time of COVID-19. When…
Waterloo, Canada, Feb. 4, 2022 – Maplesoft today announced they are expanding their direct operations in China by establishing a wholly owned subsidiary in Shanghai. With this expansion, Maplesoft has gone from sharing operations in China with their partner company,…
Startups battle for the best employees as the war for talent heats up
- 14 February 2022
- by MaRS Discovery District
Despite high levels of investment, startups are facing challenges in attracting great-quality talent. The following is excerpted from the new Innovation Economy Council report Ninjas Wanted: What Canadian Startups Need to Win the War for Talent. Read the full report…
ventureLAB Announces Third Hardware Catalyst Initiative Cohort
- 14 February 2022
- by VentureLAB
Today, ventureLAB is proud to announce the latest cohort of companies joining the Hardware Catalyst Initiative, Canada’s only lab and incubator for founders building hardware and semiconductor-focused products. These companies span the width and breadth of some of the most…
“Innovation stems from the diversity of thought” – Denise Williams, First Nation…
- 14 February 2022
- by NOIC
Original Article on Northwestern Ontario Innovation Centre
ventureLAB’s Innovation Space includes 50+ tech startups building successful national and international businesses that specialize in solving global problems with innovative technologies. We host regular workshops and events on business and skill development for founders and their teams. Learn more…
Episode 9 – Brickeye: A leading Company of Digitalization Service in Construction Industry
- 14 February 2022
- by Altitude Accelerator
Patrick McGuire (00:00)Hey, it’s Patrick. Before we start, at the time of this recording, we went through a bit of a name rebranding from Ric Centre to Altitude Accelerator. With that in mind, we hope you enjoy the following interview.…
Creating Sustainable AI: An Interview with Blumind’s Niraj Mathur
- 14 February 2022
- by VentureLAB
Tell us about what Blumind seeks to accomplish. Artificial intelligence has made rapid advances in recent years to improve our lives. Entire industries are being transformed by replacing and enhancing legacy processes with neural network-based algorithms. From natural language processing…
Talent Recruitment and Retention Strategies: Make Your Employee Benefits Package Stand Out with These 3 Key Considerations
- 14 February 2022
- by Invest Ottawa
Posted in Blog, Thrive in Ottawa Feb 14, 20221,013 words | 3.5 minutesAs Canada’s workforce ages and population growth slows, employment growth becomes increasingly constrained. Amid COVID-19, businesses also had to transition to digitalizing services and offerings, adding to labour…
Great discussion (…and great food!) at the #CDMNHubMeet in Vancouver. …
- 14 February 2022
- by NOIC
Original Article on Northwestern Ontario Innovation Centre
Intellectual Property 101 | ventureLAB
- 14 February 2022
- by VentureLAB
This 5-part series is an introduction to IP. ventureLAB’s experts cover everything you need to know before you file for IP protection, including: Identifying your business’ IP Why to protect your IP How to apply for IP protection Filing for…
Thanks to @Communitech @CDMN for allowing me to participate in the #CDMNHubMeet …
- 14 February 2022
- by NOIC
Original Article on Northwestern Ontario Innovation Centre
Intellectual Property 101: Filing for a Patent in Canada and Beyond
- 14 February 2022
- by VentureLAB
This article is the last in a 5-part series on protecting your intellectual property. ventureLAB’s experts cover everything you need to know before you file for IP protection. Check out other parts in the series: Patent protection is jurisdictional, which…