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Assunta Krehl

Jolt accelerator startups to get $30K in initial funding - IT Business.ca - April 30, 2012 - 0 views

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    JOLT was created by MaRS and is a new technology accelerator dedicated to building high-growth web and mobile companies that promise to transform the way consumers and enterprises connect, work and play. Applications for the JOLT program are being accepted until May 30. JOLT also announced that the program has joined the U.S.-based Global Accelerator Network, a group of accelerators from around the world which was founded in 2010.
Assunta Krehl

Jumping on the accelerator bandwagon - The Globe and Mail - June 7, 2012 - 0 views

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    Tracy Hanes, reporter from the Globe and Mail, states that "accelerator programs ... are fast becoming a hot phenomenon, offering advice, support, mentoring and seed capital to emerging tech companies in a quick fashion." "The level of disruption and rapid transformation of the tech sector are another reason more accelerators are entering the market, says Susan McGill, executive director of JOLT, a newly launched spin-off from the MaRS Discovery District."
Assunta Krehl

JOLT Accelerator Program - Financial Post - August 14, 2012 - 0 views

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    "JOLT is MaRS Discovery District's first early-stage accelerator program dedicated to building high-growth web and mobile startups that promise to transform the way consumers and businesses interact with technology."
Assunta Krehl

MedEdge 2012, York Region's Life Sciences Business Summit for the Bio-Medical Industry,... - 0 views

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    The MedEdge Life Sciences Business Summit will be taking place on June 14th, 2012 at the Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts which will take a look at how to enter the healthcare market and understand the procurement process. Dr Usha Srinivasan, Program Director, Business Acceleration Program (BAP), MaRS Discovery District will be speaking at the event.
Assunta Krehl

MaRS gives entrepreneurs JOLT to aid startup - Financial Post - April 24, 2012 - 1 views

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    Technology innovators will have an opportunity to jump start their ideas with a new accelerator program from MaRS Discovery District. Called JOLT, the program is focused on building high-growth Web and mobile companies in the information, communications and entertainment sectors.
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    Technology innovators will have an opportunity to jump start their ideas with a new accelerator program from MaRS Discovery District. Called JOLT, the program is focused on building high-growth Web and mobile companies in the information, communications and entertainment sectors.
Assunta Krehl

Go to MaRS - Canadian Newcomers Magazine - 0 views

  • nd development of new ideas. It provides not only office and lab space but also free mentoring assistance to new businesses in science, technology and social innovation. While there are probably no chickens hatching at MaRS, it wouldn't be at all surprising to find a company working on, say, a vaccine for bird flu. Approximately 20 incubator companies are currently housed at MaRS, including Clera Inc. - which is developing treatments for schizophrenia and depression; AXS Biomedical Animations Studio - a company that creates 3D medical animation for biomedical research and other applications; and Kanata Chemical Technologies (KCT), which has had great success developing catalysts for the chemical industry (catalysts speed up chemical reactions without being changed or consumed in those reactions
  • All of the above definitions could apply to the wider innovation community connected with the MaRS Centre. Located in the heart of Toronto's Discovery District - a 2.5 sq. kilometre downtown research district, MaRS is a non-profit environment for the birt
  • KCT founder and president Kamal Abdur-Rashid came to Canada in 1997 with a degree from the University of the West Indies
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  • With support from the Mississauga Technology Business Accelerator (MTBA) he started his business, which grew to occupy some state-of-the-art labs at MaRS and is about to take the next step forward by moving its business outside of the protecting and nurturing environment of MaRS. This is the entire purpose of MaRS, which says on its website (www.marsdd.com), "We measure our success through the companies that emerge after receiving help from MaRS." "The resources, the facilities, the training and everything else that MaRS is bringing to the table - we're able to capitalize on that and get off on a very solid footing," says Kamal. Inside the Incubato
  • Whether you're looking for work - or you want to start your own business, MaRS is one of the best places to start your search.
  • Everybody you talk to in the elevator, the hall, the cafeteria - they are all in the science field - so you can network with one another," says Ratheesh. "MaRS does not just provide research space, they are bringing business people, people with money." These are the connections that can turn your idea into a profit-making business that employs many people. This is exactly what MaRS is all about. As they say on their website, "MaRS connects the communities of science, business and capital and fosters collaboration among them." MaRS advisors are able to connect entrepreneurs with private funding opportunities as well as free educational programming and hands-on advisory services. Corporate sponsor CIBC funds an entrepreneurship lecture series, for example. Ratheesh adds, "Patent people are here as well, so if you have patentable technology, you can talk to them." Once you start your business, MaRS offers many supports. "When we had the lab space we had the chemical hood that had to be set up so MaRS came and provided people to set up our hood," explains Ratheesh. "They help us dispose of chemical waste, provide water service, fridge and freezer service - so these are all important. "For smaller companies that have problem buying fridges and freezers, they can use common equipment." MaRS facilities also include lecture theatres, meeting rooms and an auditorium. Growing Cultures Bacteria and tissue cultures aren't the only cultures that thrive in the MaRS environment. It's also a great place for newcomers from every culture to
  • Clera, one of many emerging companies housed in the MaRS incubator.
  • He says, "MaRS is a one-stop shop for job and information seekers. Here we have many companies - so quite a few job opportunities
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    A look at Canadian immigrants who started a business and are incubating at the MaRS Centre. KCT and Clera, MaRS Tenants tell their stories. Jan/Feb 2009
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    A look at Canadian immigrants who started a business and are incubating at the MaRS Centre. KCT and Clera, MaRS Tenants tell their stories.
Assunta Krehl

Test-tube industry - Canadian Business - 0 views

  • For Dr. John Evans, growing a strong biotechnology industry is much the same: cities must provide a nurturing environment where science and business can thrive together.
  • That's why Evans, former president of the University of Toronto and current chairman of Torstar Corp., is spearheading the $345-million Medical and Related Science initiative, or MaRS--a petri dish of sorts for commercializing science research. "A lot of intellectual property is being commercialized outside Canada," says Evans. "I think we've been slow in realizing just how important technology developments are to the economic future of the country. MaRS is an attempt to give this a kick into a higher gear." The centrepiece of the MaRS plan, which will officially launch May 12, is a 1.3-million-square-foot, five-building complex in downtown Toronto that will provide office and lab space for small and medium-size companies and incubators, including the not-for-profit Toronto Biotechnology Commercialization Centre. While Evans is reluctant to limit its scope, MaRS will generally focus on health-related technologies, from new drugs and genetic treatments to medical devices and imaging software. Branded a "convergence centre," it will also house a careful mix of support services: intellectual property lawyers, accountants, marketing experts, government funding organizations and venture capital financiers. Plus, start-ups will have access to all the latest equipment on site. For instance, MaRS is in talks with MDS Sciex to supply mass spectrometers, used in proteomics research.
  • But MaRS will be more than just a New Economy real estate development. Evans's intention is to funnel tenants' rent money into services--such as entrepreneurship seminars and angel-matching programs--that MaRS will offer to the broader biotech community. That's why MaRS's location is key: the centre will be built in the heart of what Toronto has dubbed the "Discovery District," a two-square-kilometre chunk of the downtown core, encompassing U of T and four major hospitals. From there, MaRS hopes to act as a network hub across Ontario, with links to research-intensive universities. "None of them," says Evans, "have the critical mass to put it all together on their own."
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  • MaRS's primary goal is to get Toronto and the rest of Ontario on the global biotech map. Evans came up with the concept in the late 1990s with Dr. Calvin Stiller, CEO of the labor-sponsored Canadian Medical Discoveries Fund, and Kenneth Knox, a former deputy minister for the Ontario government who's now CEO of MaRS
  • As far as schemes to support fledgling industries go, MaRS is refreshing. To start, it's a nonprofit corporation, not a government program, which will hopefully ensure that it runs more efficiently. The feds and the province of Ontario have each doled out $20 million for MaRS, and Toronto has donated in-kind $4.5 million. More than $12 million has come from a small pool of corporations, including Eli Lilly Canada and MDS, as well as individual donors like Joseph Rotman and Lawrence Bloomberg (who both sit on the MaRS board). U of T pitched in $5 million, and MaRS also did some innovative bond financing to round off the $165 million needed to build Phase I. "It was very important for us to not belong to anybody," says Evans.
  • Now MaRS's challenge is to get the word out. Its posted rate of $26 per square foot is very competitive for prime downtown real estate and is sure to attract attention, especially considering its customized lab space. But MaRS's success won't be measured by a low vacancy rate; getting the right mix of scientists, entrepreneurs and professionals is critical if it plans to commercialize some sustainable businesses. It won't happen overnight--in fact, it may be 10 years before anyone can gauge MaRS's impact. Seems growing a biotech industry isn't quite as easy as growing E. coli in a petri dish.
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    John Evans spearheads the MaRS project which will help to accelerate commercialization for scientific research. The official launch of the MaRS plan will happen on May 12, 2003.
Cathy Bogaart

Jet Cooper launches Design in Residence program - Financial Post - Nov 7, 2011 - 0 views

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    Jet Cooper announces the launch of the Design in Residence program with Montreal's FounderFuel, Waterloo's VeloCity and Toronto's MaRS Commons. The new program - slated to start in January - will provide early stage companies at some of Canada's top startup accelerators with user experience design mentorship, resources and education.
Assunta Krehl

Mensante named one of Top 10 Healthcare Companies to Watch | Markets | CNW GROUP | Cana... - 0 views

  • Market research leader IDC Canada has featured MaRS client Mensante as one of its "Ten Canadian Health Companies to Watch" in 2009.
  • Leading international psychiatrists, family physicians, psychologists, work place mental health experts and mental health economists developed an innovative web-based mental healthcare system called FeelingBetterNow(R).
  • Dr. Ozersky, Mensante's CEO, was selected by the Canadian Association of Health Informatics as recipient of the 2008 Community Physician Leader and Innovator of the Year Award.
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  • About Mensante Corporation Mensante Corporation (www.feelingbetternow.com) is a privately owned Canadian corporation, founded in 2003. The Toronto-based company developed FeelingBetterNow(R) with the assistance of leading Canadian and American psychiatrists, psychologists, family physicians, a mental health economist, and work place mental health-care experts. FeelingBetterNow(R) is a valuable benefit for many, including insurance companies, employers, government agencies, professional associations, family physicians, patients and their families.
  • About MaRS MaRS (www.marsdd.com) is a non-profit innovation centre connecting science, technology and social entrepreneurs with business skills, networks and capital to stimulate innovation and accelerate the creation and growth of successful Canadian enterprises.
  • Mensante named one of Top 10 Healthcare Companies to Watch
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    As stated in MaRS Press release "IDC Canada has featured MaRS client Mensante as one of its "Ten Canadian Health Companies to Watch" in 2009. Leading international psychiatrists, family physicians, psychologists, work place mental health experts and mental health economists developed an innovative web-based mental healthcare system called FeelingBetterNow(R).The College of Family Physicians of Canada has reviewed and approved FeelingBetterNow(R) as a practice management tool available to assist family physicians in patient care. The Ontario Medical Association approved the program for its members' personal use."
Assunta Krehl

Toronto's $25 million commercialization "engine" celebrates the appointment of its Boar... - 0 views

  • MaRS Innovation is honoured to announce its permanent Board of Directors, who brings together a remarkable and broad set of experiences and networks to support the development of this dynamic partnership of Toronto research institutions.  Designed to enhance the commercial output of Toronto’s world-leading research cluster, MaRS Innovation is positioned to make a significant contribution to Canada’s innovation economy and the quality of life for Canadians and others around the world.
  • upported by the Government of Canada through the Centres of Excellence in Research and Commercialization (CECR) program, and its member institutions, MaRS Innovation is focused on converting important discoveries into a new generation of products, services and high value jobs. The newly appointed Board of Directors, which includes academic and business leaders from across Canada and the United States, has the targeted expertise to guide MaRS Innovation to deliver on this critical mission.   MaRS Innovation represents a unique collaborative model, which aggregates the exceptional discovery pipeline of 14 leading Toronto academic institutions to build a diversified portfolio of assets, and harness the economic and job creation potential of the best opportunities for Toronto, Ontario and Canada.
  • “MaRS Innovation is privileged to announce a Board of Directors of this caliber and breadth of skill,” said Mary Jo Haddad, Chair of the MaRS Innovation Board and President and CEO of The Hospital for Sick Children. “The collective experience and guidance of these individuals will be critical to developing a collaborative, integrated and agile approach to this transformational organization that will move Canada into its next phase of economic development.”
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  • W. Geoffrey Beattie – Deputy Chairman & President, Woodbridge Company Limited, Thomson Reuters Corporation, Toronto Christopher C. Capelli – Vice President, Technology Based Ventures, Office of Technology Commercialization, University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX Ron Close – Information technology entrepreneur, Entrepreneur-in-Residence, MaRS, and Executive Entrepreneur-in-Residence, The Richard Ivey School of Business, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON Nicholas Darby – Formerly Director of Physical Sciences, Corporate Venture Capital, Dow Chemical Company, President, Darby & Associates Consulting LLC, Midland, MI  Mary Jo Haddad – President & CEO, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto Jacqueline H.R. Le Saux – Former General Counsel, North America and Corporate Secretary, Patheon, Inc., Toronto David A. Leslie - Chair, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, and Former Chairman & CEO, Ernst & Young, Toronto Michael H. May – President & CEO, Rimon Therapeutics, Toronto Chandra J. Panchal – Founder, President & CEO, Axcelon Biopolymers Corp., Dollard-des-Ormeaux, QC Ilse Treurnicht – CEO, MaRS Discovery District, Toronto Donald A. Wright – President & CEO, The Winnington Capital Group Inc., Toronto
  • MaRS Innovation serves as a business accelerator platform with a single point of entry for industry partners and investors.  It will increase the scale, scope and viability of IP offerings, and the quantity and quality of deal flow from partner institutions.  MaRS Innovation will also facilitate strategic research collaborations with industry partners, strengthen the innovation capacity of Canadian industry through adoption of new technologies from its member institutions, and launch a new generation of robust, high-growth Canadian companies that will become global market leaders.   The quality of the combined discovery pipeline will catalyze and attract sources of risk capital for translational research, market validation, company formation and growth.  “MaRS Innovation represents a unique and timely platform to contribute in a meaningful way to Canada’s knowledge economy, leveraging Toronto’s remarkable research excellence.  The vision and serious commitment of its members to work together to transform our commercialization results, and the support of the Federal Government, made this possible.  The announcement of this outstanding group of leaders to the Board of Directors for MaRS Innovation is an exciting step forward,” said Ilse Treurnicht, MaRS CEO and interim Managing Director of MaRS Innovation.
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    MaRS Innovation announced its permanent Board of Directors. MaRS Innovation is focused on converting important discoveries into a new generation of products, services and high value jobs.
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    MaRS Innovation announced its permanent Board of Directors. MaRS Innovation is focused on converting important discoveries into a new generation of products, services and high value jobs. Feb 6, 2009
Assunta Krehl

Startups: Investors give education technology firms the nod - Financial Post - Septembe... - 0 views

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    Education is one field that is seeing a meteoric growth in the past two years.Trevor Koverko, co-founder of Toronto-based eProf was part of the first co-hort of entrepreneurs in the JOLT program at MaRS Discovery District who are traveling to Silicon Valley in October to meet investors to tell their story.
Assunta Krehl

MaRS Discovery District - News - News Releases - 2009 - Toronto's MaRS Discovery Distri... - 0 views

  • Toronto’s MaRS Discovery District has combined the creative genius of science and technology with the drive of entrepreneurs and capital to create a marriage that will see more Canadian ideas commercialized in this country and for those efforts it has won the Canadian Urban Institute’s 2009 Creative City Award to be granted to MaRS on June 5 at the Urban Leadership Awards in Toronto.
  • “MaRS has found a creative way for science and business to collaborate rather than compete and to help Canada become a knowledge-based economy. This award recognizes them as a leader in stimulating the creative capacity of the city and advancing entrepreneurship, not only in science and technology but also in social ventures. 
  • Located in the Discovery District of Toronto, where billions of dollars of creative capital are created every year, the MaRS Centre first opened in 2005 in two new towers that bookend a heritage building that once housed the Toronto General Hospital. The three buildings, that total 700,000 sq. ft, house labs, companies of all sizes, business advisors and investors. Its professional services include hands-on advisory services, entrepreneurial programming and both structured and electronic networking. A second building phase of the MaRS Centre will add 750,000 sq ft and is planned to open in the next few years. “The underlining reason for creating MaRS is to capture the value of Canadian discoveries and to better commercialize these innovations at home in Canada,” said MaRS CEO Ilse Treurnicht. “Hub cities like Toronto are key drivers in shaping Canada’s innovation economy. MaRS works to strengthen the pull of that hub, acting as an accelerator and building the best ideas into companies that can compete on the world stage but are anchored here,” said Treurnicht.
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    "Mention of the the Canadian Urban Institute's 2009 Creative City Award being granted to MaRS on June 5 at the Urban Leadership Awards in Toronto."
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