Ryerson University

What does MaRS Innovation’s funding extension mean for Toronto’s academic entrepreneurs?

Every six weeks, MaRS Innovation’s marketing and communications manager writes a guest post for the MaRS Discovery District blog profiling MI’s activities or one of our start-up companies. You can read the original post on the MaRS blog.

Created in 2008, MaRS Innovation (MI) bridges the chasm between the early-stage technologies emerging from its 16 member institutions and successful startup companies and licensable technologies.

By offering early-stage funding in tandem with hands-on management, business development, mentorship and intellectual property protection strategy, MI acts as a commercialization agent for its members and researchers.

Earlier this year, the Networks of Centres of Excellence of Canada awarded MI $14.95 million to continue its mandate as a Centre of Excellence for Commercialization and Research (CECR), matched by $25 million from membership fees and private sector investments.

So what does that success mean for MI’s ability to serve the needs of academic entrepreneurs based in Toronto?

Flybits founder Dr. Hossein Rahnama appointed to NSERC

February 25, 2013
Susanne Staer
Flybits

Hossein Rahnama on Lang & O'Leary — **Hossein Rahnama** (left), CEO of Flybits Inc., on CBC’s *Lang & O’Leary Exchange* in 2012. Rahnama is also a professor at Ryerson University.

Dr. Hossein Rahnama is one of three new members of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. The Honourable Christian Paradis, Minister of Industry, announced the appointments on Feb. 22, 2013.

Rahnama is founder and CEO of Flybits Inc., Research and Innovation director at Ryerson University’s Digital Media Zone, co-founder of Ryerson’s Ubiquitous and Pervasive Computing Lab.

Rahnama is currently in Barcelona to launch Flybits LITE at Mobile World Congress 2013.

In 2012, he was named to MIT Technology Review‘s prestigious 35 Inventors Under 35 list. He also met with and demonstrated Flybits’ technology for His Royal Highness Prince Charles during the prince’s state visit to Canada.

Flybits to exhibit at Mobile World Congress 2013, officially launch Flybits LITE

February 21, 2013
Susanne Staer
Flybits

Flybits’ Context-Aware and Intelligent Mobility Solutions on exhibit Feb. 25 to 28, Canadian Pavilion, Stand 7F50, Booth 14

TORONTO, Canada (Feb. 14, 2013) – Flybits, a start-up company that develops context-aware and intelligent mobility solutions, today announced that they will be exhibiting at Mobile World Congress 2013 to launch a revolutionary mobile product called Flybits LITE.

Flybits LITE, an innovative Platform as a Service (PaaS), enables the quick creation and deployment of context-aware mobile computing applications for enterprises without the dependency of dedicated infrastructure. This unified and scalable platform, which provides personalized and relevant content to mobile users, will be officially launched and showcased throughout the Mobile World Congress event.

MaRS Innovation awarded $15 million to further commercialize world-leading Canadian innovations

February 6, 2013
Susanne Staer
Awards

Networks of Centres of Excellence recognizes strength of partnership between MI and its 16 member institutions

TORONTO, February 5, 2013 — How do you make sure the brilliant ideas emerging from Toronto’s academic research community get the best possible chance to succeed?

MaRS Innovation (MI), created in 2008, bridges the chasm between these early-stage technologies and successful start-up companies and licensable technologies. By offering early-stage funding in tandem with hands-on management, mentorship and IP strategy protection, MI acts as a commercialization agent for its 16 member institutions.

This announcement was covered by TechVibes, Yonge Street Media and CanTech Letter.

The Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCE) has recognized the increasing strength of this novel partnership by awarding MI $14.95 million in funding through the Centres of Excellence for Commercialization and Research (CECR) program.

MI Inventors Poon and Rahnama Pitch EMTech 2012 (Videos Online)

November 26, 2012
Susanne Staer
Awards

Being named to the MIT Technology Review's 35 Inventors Under 35 list is a prestigious honour, but one of its best perks is the subsequent invitation to attend the Emerging…

Hossein Rahnama, CEO of Flybits, on CBC’s Lang & O’Leary Exchange

August 29, 2012
Susanne Staer
Flybits

Hossein Rahnama, CEO of Flybits, a MaRS Innovation spin-off company, appeared on CBC’s Lang and O’Leary Exchange on August 24, 2012.

Watch Rahnama’s interview on CBC’s Media Player. The interview begins at the 13:40 mark and runs to 19:30.

Rahnama, who is also a professor at Ryerson University and and research director at Ryerson’s Digital Media Zone, was recently named to the MIT Technology Review’s prestigious 35 Inventors Under 35 list for 2012 along with fellow MaRS Innovation inventor Joyce Poon.

He describes his context-aware mobile technology, the importance of adapting research to solve real-world problems, the advantages to running a start-up in Toronto, and growing Flybits while keeping the business in Canada.

Two MI inventors named to MIT’s 35 inventors under 35 list

August 24, 2012
Susanne Staer
Awards

Professors Joyce Poon and Hossein Rahnama, who each have inventions within MaRS Innovation’s portfolio of spin-off companies and licenseable technologies, have been named to the MIT Technology Review‘s prestigious 35 Inventors Under 35 list for 2012.

Poon, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Toronto, was recognized for, according to MIT’s Technology Review, “creating new optical modulators with microscopic loop-the-loops through which light can shuttle data between servers and even from chip to chip within a single server.” She is working with MaRS Innovation to license her technology.

Los Angeles Times covers Dr. Gregory Czarnota’s cancer therapy technology

The Los Angeles Times featured Dr. Gregory Czarnota’s research in their Science Now section on July 10, 2012, which reports on discoveries from the world of science and medicine (update: the article is no longer available online).

Czarnota, a researcher at the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, is working with MaRS Innovation to license his patented technology: radiosensitization of tumour cells using a combination of microbubbles and targeted, high-intensity, focused ultrasound.

Flybits featured as Canadian tech export in UKTI Youtube video

June 26, 2012
Susanne Staer
Flybits

U.K. Trade and Investment (UKTI) has posted a Youtube video featuring Canadian companies looking to expand their operations to Britain.

Flybits, a Mars Innovation spin-off company, was among three companies to be profiled:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VrtJuSkYqY

Flybits is launching a corporate presence in East London’s Tech City, which is also known as the Silicon Roundabout.

National Post, Financial Post spotlight Flybits’ expansion to Tech City, London (U. K.)

June 18, 2012
Susanne Staer
Flybits

The Financial Post and the National Post each ran a feature article June 18, 2012 concerning the United Kingdom’s efforts to attract Canadian-based technology start-ups seeking entrance into European markets.

Flybits, a Mars Innovation spin-off company based on the research of Ryerson University professor Hossein Rahnama, was among those profiled.

What does MaRS Innovation’s funding extension mean for Toronto’s academic entrepreneurs?

Flybits founder Dr. Hossein Rahnama appointed to NSERC

MI Inventors Poon and Rahnama Pitch EMTech 2012 (Videos Online)

Hossein Rahnama, CEO of Flybits, on CBC’s Lang & O’Leary Exchange

Two MI inventors named to MIT’s 35 inventors under 35 list

Los Angeles Times covers Dr. Gregory Czarnota’s cancer therapy technology

Flybits featured as Canadian tech export in UKTI Youtube video

National Post, Financial Post spotlight Flybits’ expansion to Tech City, London (U. K.)

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