Innovation + Job News

Vaughan-based TeknoScan Systems Inc. will build a new manufacturing plant in the city to make its developmental technology for quickly scanning cargo containers for explosives at shipping ports. Over the next year, the new plant is expected to create 20 new jobs in engineering, manufacturing and sales.

The new plant will be financed in part with the help of a repayable grant of $1 million from FedDev Ontario, the federal government's local economic development agency. In making the announcement last week, Minister of State for Democratic Reform Steven Fletcher said, "Our investment in TeknoScan Systems Inc. is helping the company to expand its business and market its products around the world... This investment will create approximately 20 new jobs here in our community and commercialize state-of-the-art technology that will benefit world markets."

Sam Hyams, president and co-CEO of TeknoScan, said that global marketing of the GTA-born technology will be a big part of the immediate growth plans.  "Our goal is to develop and deploy a fast, cost effective system for screening the millions of containers that presently go unchecked," he said. "Designed to test for the presence of drugs and explosives in air samples, our technology offers the potential for 100% cargo screening sought after by security forces the world over. This investment will bring us significantly closer to achieving that goal."

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Office of the Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State for FedDev Ontario

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Last month, the provincial government announced almost $7.6 million in research grants to support Toronto hospitals and schools. "I am proud of the tremendous talent we have in Toronto -- a research powerhouse in Ontario," Glen Murrary, minister of research and innovation said in his announcement. "Our government is helping them make discoveries that will lead to new companies and jobs, while ensuring a better quality of life for Ontarians and people around the world."

Twenty-seven different research projects at The University of Toronto and Ryerson University will receive grants under the Research Infrastructure Program. Meanwhile 22 individual researchers at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, St. Michael's Hospital, the Hospital for Sick Children and the University of Toronto will get funding to hire research staff under the Early Researcher Awards program.

Among the Toronto projects in the Research Infrastructure Program (see full list here), Dr. Derick Rousseau will receive $264,401 in support of his research developing "nutraceuticals" -- foods with health or medical benefits -- and a team at U of T led by Dr. Irene Andrulis, Dr. Carol Swallow and Dr. Jay Wunder will get $390,188 in support of research that could lead to cancer diagnostic and therapeutic innovations.

A list of the medical researchers being supported through hospitals is available here.

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Office of Glen Murray, Ontario Minister of Research and Innovation

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Earlier this summer, Markham-based electronic medical records innovator Nightingale was named 10th on PROFIT magazine's annual list of the fastest-growing companies in Canada. Last month, as the company reported its first-quarter results for fiscal 2011, the pace of growth showed no signs of slowing.

"Fiscal 2011 is off to an encouraging start, with more than 200 emergency medical records (EMR) seats sold across Canada in Q1, compared to only eight seats sold in Q1 of last year," said Sam Chebib, President and CEO, Nightingale. He attributed the sales increase to government funding encouraging doctors to adopt the healthcare innovation of EMRs.

The company also recorded its highest quarterly gross profit -- up 80 per cent year-over year since the year before.

Nightingale is hiring for seven positions now in the GTA, in order to achieve Chebibs stated goal for the year ahead of rapidly increasing sales and revenues.

Writer: Edward Keenan    
Source: Michael Ford, CFO, Nightingale Informatix Corporation

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Leaside-based boutique tech advisory firm Project X has announced a partnership with business intelligence software provider Microstrategy that should help the company grow its global business base.

"By working closely with MicroStrategy, we're bringing robust business intelligence technology to our clients of all sizes," said Project X President Stephen Hayward "With our rapid results methodology and the MicroStrategy business intelligence technology, we can deploy business intelligence projects big or small."

Hayward founded Project X in 2005 with Graham Boundy, and has since grown to provide a broad range of business intelligence, data warehousing and other technological and business consulting services.

Last week the company introduced its latest product, a carbon footprint application that allows companies to visualize their carbon data to better analyze their sustainability plans. Hayward says the software represents Project X's core mission. "We turn business intelligence into visuals so that critical information can be translated and actioned by our customers' stakeholders."

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Heather Kenney, Project X

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Last week, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) on Queen Street West announced that its newly renovated facility will be home to a Family Health Team (FHT), a healthcare innovation that brings together physicians, nurses, dieticians, social workers and other medical professions to provide holisitc health services to a community.

FHTs are a concept that the provincial government has focused on -- alongside Nurse Practioner-Led Clinics -- as being a key part of how Ontario will deliver health services in the coming years, and the province has committed to opening 200, including 30 announced last week. The FHT is the first to be housed in a mental health and addiction facility.

"What makes these Family Health Teams so valuable is that each one is developed with the needs of the community in mind," said Deb Matthews, minister of Health and Long-term Care in her announcement.

Dr. Catherine Zahn, president and CEO of CAMH, said it was exactly that community mindset that makes this so fitting, given the facility's overhaul as a central part of the community it sits in. "Locating a FHT here emphasizes the 'urban village' vision of CAMH's Queen Street redevelopment project, strengthening the model of community-based care for everyone in a welcoming and inclusive environment," she said.

Dr. Zahn expects the facility to serve as a model for the rest of the province. "The Queen West Village FHT will break new ground in providing primary health care to the community of which CAMH is so much a part, and will increase access to care for mental illness and addictions, province-wide."

Writer: Edward Keenan
Sources: Michael Torres, CAMH; Office of Deb Matthews, Ontario Minister of Health and Long-Term Care

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On September 21, the first annual Carbon Economy Summit will bring together industry, political and media leaders to discuss the future of sustainable business. The event at the Allstream Centre at Exhibition Place is geared to finance and accounting executives looking for information about compliance and for ideas about growth opportunities in the low-carbon future.

The event is being organized by Rogers publications Canadian Manufacturing.com and Canadian Investment Review, and features a diverse group of speakers, including MaRS cleantech lead Tom Rand, renewable power investment banker Sasha Jacob of Jacob Securities and journalist and author of Climate Wars Gwynne Dyer.

Tickets to the day-long event are $675 (though an early bird discount is still available) and are available here.

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Lisa Wichmann, editorial director, Rogers Media

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Three of Toronto's innovative technology companies will each receive $500,000 in funding from the province's Investment Accelerator fund, Toronto-area MPP Glen Murray announced last week. The fund is designed to support the launch of innovative companies in sectors considered important to the future of the province's economy, and is administered by MaRS Discovery District.

Combined, the three companies are expected to create 65 jobs over the next three years:

Geminare is a cloud-based server backup company that will use the funding to market its network to partners worldwide. MedCurrent is an online application company devoted to helping medical professionals improve workflow and decision making, especially in radiology, and will use the influx of cash to fuel growth. Receptor Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company devoted to developing anti-cancer therapies, say the funding should lead to further development.

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Linda Quattrin, Director of Communications, MaRS
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Rypple, who as we reported last week is aiming to "change the world of work" through its social-media-style human workplace application, could change the world of a few people more directly: according to company head of marketing Jay Goldman, Rypple is hiring for three positions immediately and "will probably just continue to have positions open," for the next year and beyond. "As amazing people apply," Goldman says, "we'll just constantly see how they fit and how the timing is."

The company plans to ramp up rapidly, as noted in last week's feature, after the launch of the 2.0 version of its application and the recent opening of a San Francisco office. Goldman notes that in addition to having the energy and passion associated with start-up enterprises, the company has won awards as the most democratic workplace in the world and offers attractive benefits and perqs.

Goldman suggests interested parties apply using the "Apply Now" button on the website, "but if people have any questions, they can feel free to talk to us on Twitter or by email."

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Jay Goldman, Head of Marketing, Rypple


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A panel discussion entitled "The Future of Media" at the Drake Hotel on September 8 will feature executives from Facebook Canada, the Globe and Mail, Polar Mobile and a founder of the MESH conference. The event will see discussion of how technology and the internet -- including social media and mobile devices -- are changing the landscape for traditional news media. The event is hosted by Toronto-based publication Digital Journal.

In the event's announcement, Steve MacFarlane of online ad sales organization Suite 66 says that the annual event has become a landmark of media innovation in Canada. "The Future of Media conference is emerging as a focal point in the discussion of how digital media continues to grow and evolve in response to new technology and consumer demand," he says.

The panelists, announced last week, are: Jordan Banks, managing director of Facebook Canada; Anjali Kapoor, managing editor of the Globe and Mail Digital; David Skok, senior producer of online content for Global News; Kunal Gupta, CEO of Polaris Mobile; and Mark Evans, a co-founder of the MESH conference.

Admission to the event is free and seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Chris Hogg, CEO, Digital Journal
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Hot Topic, the US retail giant that mixes fast fashion with pop culture through inexpensive licensed band, video and television merchandise, has begun its expansion into Canada with three stores in the GTA.

The move is being celebrated today (Aug. 25) with an event at the Scarborough Town Centre location that opened Aug. 13, featuring an appearance by the Grammy-nominated band Disturbed. A location at the Square One Shopping Centre in Mississauga also opened Aug. 13, and a further location Mapleview Shopping Centre at in Burlington is set to open in October.

The new locations and the company's stated plan for broader expansion in the GTA and Canada will create jobs, though a representative said that the company is unwilling to discuss specific numbers and corporate strategy at this point.

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Winston Ma of Lotus Leaf Communications for Hot Topic
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MiiToU (pronounced "me-to-you") is a unique new marketing service that will let people send personalized messages and gift cards by mobile phone. COO and co-founder Richard Meaney says the idea sprung form a desire to give a meaningful gift to people in far-away places -- a gift other than flowers.

"We just wanted to take the popularity of personalized messages, the explosion of the smartphone, and combine it with gift cards," he says.

Since beginning work in 2008, the company has grown to employ four full-time staff and six part-time sales people. As the company prepares to launch its app in time for this year's holiday season, they are ramping up staff. Meaney says the company is adding four full time developers and plans also to hire two more full-time sales people soon. By fall they plan to have 11 full-time staff.

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Richard Meaney, COO and co-founder, MiiToU
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The greater Toronto area has seen an explosion of smartphone application developers. It is an area that offers unique opportunities to monetize digital content -- something that was notoriously difficult on the web.

Thornhill-based mobiroo has developed a patent-pending process to allow companies to brand popular applications and give them out as promotional gift cards for Blackberrys. Officially launched in January of this year, the company  is experienceing an encouraging repsonse, and is preparing to grow, expanding its service.

Mobiroo is currently hiring for three developer positions -- a Blackberry/Android Developer, an ASP.NET/C# Developer and a Web Portal Designer/Developer.

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: mobiroo
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FreshBooks, a Toronto company that created an online billing system for freelancers and small businesses that's attracted millions of users in the seven years since its launch, is looking to add at least 15 staff to its team. (See Yonge Street's January profile of the company).

The company began as 2ndSite in 2003 by founders Mike McDerment and Joe Sawada, working out of McDerment's parents basement. They rebranded as FreshBooks in May 2006 and, by November of that year, had attracted 100,000 clients. Today they measure the number of users in the millions and have a team of more than 40 staff (many with eccentric titles such as "Chief Handshaker," "Support Rockstar," and "Server Monkey"). And they're preparing to grow again.

President and Founder Mike McDerment notes on his blog that at the business, "we've blown through many stages, and now we've come to another one." Currently the company is seeking to add 15 members to its staff in positions ranging from "Marketing Manager Dynamo" to "Technical Evangelist," to join a culture in which McDerment notes that he encourages his staff to be independent. "My new mantra: 'beg for forgiveness, don't ask for permission,'" he writes. "I don't want people asking me, 'here's what we are going to do, what do you think?' I want to shift the conversations to 'here's what we did,' so I can ask, 'what did you learn?.'"

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Mike McDerment, President and CEO, FreshBooks

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Siemens Canada, the 905-based subsidiary of the global energy and engineering company, will build Ontario's first wind turbine blade factory in order to service a contract with Samsung CT and Pattern Energy. The agreement calls for Siemens to supply up to 600 MW of wind turbine energy, providing enough clean electricity, the company says, to power more than 240,000 homes under the Ontario government's FIT program.

A representative of the company said by phone that the location of the planned factory has not yet been finalized, but the company already has a large footprint in the GTA, with its headquarters in Burlington and plants and offices located in Ajax, Markham, Mississauga, Scarborough, Brampton and Toronto. The new factory is expected to employ 300 people directly (in "green collar" jobs) and will create an additional 600 construction and indirect jobs.

In a statement, Siemens Canada Senior VP Bill Smith said that the blade factory is an example of how the Ontario FIT program will create a green energy industry in the province, which he called "one of the world's most progressive jurisdictions," and added, "our blade factory will enable the Ontario market." 

The agreement with Samsung follows that company's blockbuster agreement with the Ontario government to develop 2,000 MW of wind power over the next six years. The government hope is FIT program will create 50,000 jobs in the clean energy sector and build a renewable energy industry hub in the province.

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Susan Willemsen of the Siren Group, on behalf of Siemens Canada

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Ryerson undergraduate business student Lyubomir Halachev beat out submissions by PhD candidates and Master's students to win the prize for best student paper at the recent International Congress on Environmental Modelling Software held in Ottawa. His paper, co-authored with two other Ryerson researchers, provided a model to predict the financial viability of water-sector companies.

"The supply and distribution of water is vital everywhere. As a result it's important to identify in advance which water companies might experience financial trouble so that governments and industry can hopefully salvage them in time," Halachev said in a statement. He was inspired by the idea that given a possible coming water crisis, in which a majority of the world's population is expected to face water shortages within a generation, the economic stability of water-sector companies is of tremendous social and environmental concern.

After Halachev completed his initial research, he partnered with Ryerson engineering student Yashodan Athavale to develop the mathematical computer model for the project, and then with Ryerson Information Technology professor Aziz Guergachi, who supervised the research and co-authored the paper.

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Suelan Toye, Public Affairs, Ryerson University

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