University of Toronto
Zucara Therapeutics Inc. developing drug to prevent hypoglycemic episodes for people with diabetes
TORONTO and VANCOUVER, CANADA (January 12, 2016) — A novel drug therapy to reduce the severity and frequency of hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) episodes in people with diabetes is being developed by Zucara Therapeutics Inc.
This new start-up company, created by MaRS Innovation and The Centre for Drug Research and Development (CDRD) is based on decades of diabetes research by renowned University of Toronto (U of T) professor, Dr. Mladen Vranic.
Zucara Therapeutics will attend Does of the Valley in February 2016. The ...
Read more
MLA48 Angel Investment Fund Completes Third Investment in UTEST Company
MLA48 leads ConferenceCloud pre-seed round in cooperation with UTEST
TORONTO, CANADA (January 11, 2016) — MLA48, Canada’s first angel investment fund committed to providing a 48-hour turnaround on investment decisions, has announced its third investment in ConferenceCloud, an innovative digital platform that provides a virtual solution for the next generation of hybrid conference events.
TechVibes and BetaKit covered this announcement. The University of Toronto also published a web story on Olivia and John-Alan Simmons and their start-up journey.
Founded in 2014 by siblings Olivia ...
Read more
Top 10 Portfolio Stories for 2015
2015 created a flurry of activity for MaRS Innovation and our portfolio. As the holidays begin, here are our picks for the top 10 news stories from MI's portfolio in 2015. We look forward to more exciting developments in 2016.
You may also have noticed we've refreshed our website and re-organized how we communicate about our work and services. We'd love to hear your thoughts: contact Elizabeth Monier-Williams.
Top 10 MI Portfolio Stories for 2015
1. ChipCare Corporation, a University of Toronto start-up company ...
Read more
UTEST grad eQOL receives $350,000 for remote patient monitoring program
UTEST graduate eQOL has received $350,000 from the Ontario Government to support patients managing their kidney dialysis at home. eQOL's solutions use mobile tablets technology to support patients in managing independent care at home.
The funding, part of an Ontario Centres of Excellence program to support technology used to remotely monitor and care for Ontario patients, was announced December 1, 2015 and covered in Canadian Healthcare Technology.
eQOL has partnered with London Health Sciences Centre, Ontario Telemedicine Network and the Kidney Foundation of Canada ...
Read more
University of Toronto sperm selection technology featured in the Toronto Star
"In a project spearheaded by PhD candidate Reza Nosrati, U of T researchers are trying to learn more about the way sperm cells move — something that could benefit those using in vitro fertilization (IVF)," writes Daniel Otis in "Sperm show U of T researchers a new trick: slithering" published in the Toronto Star on November 13, 2015.
MaRS Innovation is working with Professor David Sinton, Nosrati and the university's Innovations and Partnerships Office to commercialize the technology for the human sperm ...
Read more
UTEST cited among Toronto’s top 10 tech accelerators
UTEST, the tech accelerator co-directed by MaRS Innovation and the University of Toronto, was named to BlogTO's Top 10 list of technology accelerators on November 8, 2015.
The list was published just weeks before the announcement of the fourth UTEST cohort, and included recognition of TrendMD and Whirlscape as notable startups among the graduated UTEST companies.
Here's the excerpt:
UTEST, a collaboration between U of T and MaRs Innovation, is in its fourth year of operation with 15 teams. The program is one year ...
Read more
TrendMD’s recommendation engine now reaches 70 STEM publishers, 12 million readers
TrendMD's content recommendation engine, an innovative content marketing solution, delivered 450,000 article readers last month
Faced with the challenge of finding research they need across a staggering and ever-growing number of articles online, researchers and clinicians are clicking on personalized article recommendations delivered by TrendMD’s recommendation widget.
TrendMD is a graduate of the UTEST program's third cohort.
Using sophisticated algorithms across millions of articles served each month, recommended articles are identified based on keywords and user behaviour, such as click behaviour (“people that read ...
Read more
Crowdmark successfully pilots two-stage exams in North America
TORONTO, Oct. 21, 2015 - Working with five leading universities in North America during 2014-15, Crowdmark Inc., a collaborative online grading and analytics platform, has demonstrated the benefits and advantages of using two-stage examinations in a number of undergraduate programs in post-secondary institutions across the world.
Crowdmark has worked with universities to introduce two-stage exams as a way to integrate collaborative learning and assessment into the traditional exam format. In a two-stage exam, students individually complete the exam and then, working in ...
Read more
Encycle Therapeutics raises $2.85 million to advance macrocycle platform and pipeline
TORONTO, ON (September 30, 2015) — Encycle Therapeutics, Inc., a University of Toronto spin-off company created in partnership with MaRS Innovation, announced today that it has completed a $2.85 million (CAD) financing led by Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Ltd. through its venture capital arm, Takeda Ventures, Inc., with Accel-Rx Health Sciences Accelerator, BDC Capital and MaRS Investment Accelerator Fund.
This news was covered in PEHub, BetaKit and TechVibes.
The funding will support ongoing development of Encycle’s unique nacellin platform chemistry and advance the company’s ...
Read more
Financial Post covers Onyx Motion’s Swish app, scheduled to launch in November
Company plans future sports applications for tennis and golf for its Motion Marketplace
Swish by Onyx Motion "takes advantage of motion sensors to provide accurate tips and feedback to improve play," wrote Robert Liwanag in "App for smartwatches helps users become better basketball players" for the Financial Post's "Entrepreneur" section on September 28, 2015.
"Using it is simple — you turn it on, press calibrate and lift your arms and hands as you would to shoot a basket," wrote Liwanag. "The objective is to ...
Read more