Across the country, organizations are pushing for greater gender diversity to support women’s participation in the tech sector. VentureLAB’s Tech Undivided program and the federal government’s Women Entrepreneurship Strategy (WES) are among the initiatives helping women entrepreneurs grow and scale their businesses.
“On behalf of the Board of Directors, it is our pleasure to welcome Hugh to the dynamic ventureLAB team,” said Yalda Riahi, Chair of ventureLAB’s Board of Directors. “We believe that Hugh’s unique expertise in many of the technology-centric sectors will help move us to the next chapter of helping Canadian companies succeed globally. We also believe his leadership will contribute significantly to Canada’s goal of solidifying our position in key high-value industries, including semiconductors, AI and medtech.”
The network, the organization said in a release issued at Collision 2023 in Toronto, “catalyzes investments in the Canadian hardware and deep-tech sectors,” through the raising of capital and development of third-party partnerships for startups.
This announcement signals a momentous milestone in Canada’s commitment to attracting top global talent and solidifying its position as a leader in research, development, and innovation.
ventureLAB announced the launch of the Hardware Angel Network (HAN), the only hardware and deep-tech focused investor network supporting pre-seed and seed stage startups in the country.
The province’s $107 million Critical Technology Initiatives funding supports programs led by not-for-profit organizations that will accelerate the use of critical technology by Ontario companies and enable the development of innovative made-in-Ontario solutions. Full news release: news.ontario.ca
The semiconductor industry supports a variety of products since the semiconductors, or tiny chips, can be found in thousands of products such as computers, smartphones, appliances, gaming hardware and medical equipment like ventilators. This has been an important initiative through the pandemic given the global shortage of supplies, the region stated.
“I have lived in York Region for over 30 years, and have worked here for half that time. Contributing to the continual growth and success of our Region is truly important to me,” says Loo. “York Region has a phenomenal history of innovation and entrepreneurship – and it’s important that we continue to build on this…”
ELLA, run by York University’s innovation hub, YSpace, has received $3 million from a federal government program called Women Entrepreneurship Strategy (WES) to expand support for woman entrepreneurs across the country.
On March 29, women entrepreneurs, founders from ventureLAB’s Tech Undivided initiative and senior leaders in the hardware and semiconductor industry came together from across the province to celebrate and recognize women in the tech sector.
ventureLAB’s Accelerate AI company, Cyberworks Robotics, is a one-of-a-kind startup that’s making it easy for companies to use autonomous machinery. A real-time example can be seen in ventureLAB’s Innovation Space where Cyberworks Robotics’ sensor technology is actively used on the floor cleaning machines, keeping the space tidy using a fully autonomous vehicle.
“Thanks to our partnership with ventureLAB, more Canadian entrepreneurs will learn how they can take advantage of government tax credits to secure a more predictable cash flow and access capital sooner,” said Alastair Nimmons, Executive Vice President at Easly.
The collaboration aims to bring together the knowledge and experience of individuals and organizations with a strong background in cutting edge hardware development and medical technology, in order to create an environment that will attract MedTech startups to York Region and Ontario, and ultimately benefit patients and healthcare providers alike.
ventureLAB’s President and CEO, Melissa Chee, was recently featured by CTV News to discuss the importance of boosting semiconductor output to remain competitive.
Melati’s latest venture, QEA Tech, focuses on energy loss in buildings. As much as 51 per cent of heating and air conditioning escapes through poorly sealed or insulated areas on a building’s exterior.
The Regional Municipality of York conducts an annual Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (HIRA) to identify the top 10 threats facing our communities and York Region businesses. Use it to inform your business continuity plans so your business can be as effective as possible during a service disruption and quickly recover afterwards.
By the end of the next cohort in March 2023, the Treefrog Accelerator will have supported 300 founders and wants to expand this to help 400 more individuals in the next two years.
“I like the idea of a small town when you’re starting … a small town nobody making it and staying in a small town,” McKinnon said. “I like being able to inspire a younger generation everywhere that there are lots of people around the world that live in small towns like this.”
The day was filled with presentations from different key speakers, including Lewis, York University, and local businesses. The summit also featured breakout groups and presentations by students pitching businesses to the gathered crowd.
It’s been two years since Frank Stronach started work on his micro-mobility electric vehicle and while it will still take more time before the SARIT (‘Safe Affordable Reliable Innovative Transport’) is out of the prototype phase, that did not stop the Canadian billionaire from showing off two early models at Parliament Hill on Wednesday.
Canada is facing a digital skills shortage that, if left unaddressed, will present a major barrier to business growth across all sectors and industries. As corporate leaders continue facing difficulties recruiting and retaining tech talent, universities in Canada can play a vital role in leading the development and implementation of innovative post-secondary solutions that address existing human resources gaps.
In 2021, as a participant of the Markham Small Business Centre’s Summer Company program, where youth get up to $3,000 to start a business and hands-on training and mentorship, Wong started Shoops & Letters, which provides unique customer lettering and artwork services.
Earlier this year, Telus conducted a study on ransomware attacks with a staggering finding that 83% of Canadian businesses surveyed reported attempted attacks and 64% indicated they had experienced one. Read these useful digital security tips from ESET’s Chief Security Evangelist, Tony Anscombe in our latest #YRtech Blog in support of Canada’s Cybersecurity Month.
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