RBC

The co-founder of Hypercare, a communication and collaboration app for doctors, recalls bouncing from classroom to coffee shop at the �ؿ�ζSM as he and his team looked for places to hold meetings and work on their idea.

But that’s all about to change with Wednesday’s official launch of U of T Entrepreneurship’s new ONRamp facility, a 15,000-square-foot collaboration and co-working space catering to entrepreneurs and their startups.

Located in the Banting building, ONRamp will not only connect entrepreneurs and startups from across U of T’s extensive network of entrepreneurship hubs, but throughout southern Ontario via partnerships with Hamilton’s McMaster University and London’s Western University.

“I wish I had this space when we were in our early stages,” says Tai, who completed a Master of Information at U of T and did an undergrad at Western in medical science and computer science.

“When I came here, I felt so supported.”

Spanning three floors, ONRamp boasts several flexible shared workspaces, meeting rooms, board rooms and event spaces, including the RBC Innovation Hub. The facility is supported by U of T and RBC as part of a $4 million commitment by Canada’s largest bank to support U of T’s innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem.

The new facility will function as a focal point for U of T’s diverse entrepreneurship community, which consists of numerous startup accelerators, incubators and entrepreneurship-oriented courses – many of which specialize in turning the university’s cutting-edge research into game-changing companies in fields that range from medicine to computer science.

“We’re excited to officially open ONRamp, which is open to everyone in U of T’s entrepreneurship ecosystem, as well as to entrepreneurs from our partner universities,” says Vivek Goel, U of T’s vice-president of research and innovation.

“We’d also like to thank RBC for helping make this collaborative workspace possible, and for recognizing the importance of U of T as one of Canada’s most dynamic engines of entrepreneurship and innovation.”

ONRamp will function as a home-away-from-home for entrepreneurs from other Ontario universities, starting with McMaster, which operates a campus accelerator called Forge, and Western, which operates one called Propel.

“Having a presence in Toronto is paramount to the long-term success of any Canadian business, and will allow our startup companies at Propel to take advantage of the amazing programs and resources available through the �ؿ�ζSM,” says Ian Haase, Western’s director of entrepreneurship.

“Propel will also leverage the space to engage and stay in touch with our alumni entrepreneurs, many of whom are working in Toronto after graduation.”

Similarly, Gay Yuyitung, the executive director of McMaster’s Industry Liaison Office, says the university is looking forward to capitalizing on the benefits ONRamp will provide.

“We’re always looking for new opportunities to advance the work of our entrepreneurs and our staff who support entrepreneurship,” Yuyitung says. “This venue and partnership with other Ontario universities will provide McMaster start-ups with additional exposure and access to mentors, investors and companies, on a much broader scale.”

ONRamp has already been used for events hosted by U of T’s Impact Centre, the Entrepreneurship Hatchery and the Creative Destruction Lab (CDL), which will soon use the space to house startups associated with its novel quantum machine learning program.

Startups associated with U of T’s UTEST accelerator are also settling into ONRamp’s flexible workspaces.

They include Structura Biotechnology, which uses machine learning algorithms to develop 3D models of proteins to aid the development of new drug therapies.

Saara Punjani, a York University law school grad who is Structura’s chief operating officer, says having access to ONRamp means the startup can spend more time solving business problems as opposed to logistical ones.

“If we didn’t have this space,” she says, “we would have been hopping from classroom to classroom.”

Alhassan Khedr of Shield Crypto Systems, which aims to supply banks and credit card companies with a more secure form of encryption, says he and fellow co-founder Glenn Gulak, a professor in U of T’s Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, were saved from spending thousands of dollars on lease payments – money that can instead be spent on building their business.

“Before finding this space we were thinking of renting something,” Khedr says. “But at this stage of a company’s evolution, it’s such an expensive proposition.”

In addition to offering a convenient place to work and hold meetings, ONRamp is also facilitating the free flow of ideas between entrepreneurs.

Tai, for one, spent a recent a recent afternoon picking the brains of Structura’s team about the medical space.

“It’s fantastic to be surrounded by such motivated people,” he says. “When you’re surrounded by people who say, ‘I want to be the next Facebook,’ you’re more likely to think, ‘Yeah, I want to be the next Facebook, too.’”

Learn more about OnRamp at U of T Entrepreneurship

Thousands attend U of T’s first-ever Startup Showcase

lanthierj — Fri, 31 Mar 2017 21:43:50 +0000

Thousands attend U of T’s first-ever Startup Showcase

lanthierj Fri, 03/31/2017 - 17:43

Cutline

Morvarid Sadinejad, (at right) a hardware engineering intern at Kepler Communications, explains how the startup company's technology works (photo by Johnny Guatto)

Jennifer Robinson

Author legacy

Jennifer Robinson

Topic

Subheadline

Dalriada Therapeutics wins $25,000 grand startup prize from RBC

They pitched, they networked, and they demoed – fledgling student entrepreneurs worked the room at the Startup Showcase, the final event in the first-ever Entrepreneurship@UofT Week.

“I haven’t had time to move!” said a grinning Morvarid Sadinejad, a hardware engineering intern with Kepler Communications, who had been manning her booth for seven hours to showcase the company’s nano satellites.

“One of the coolest things is that people seem to be genuinely excited about what we’re doing,” added Kepler systems engineer Michael Jonas.

“We had one guy come by like three or four times . . . He said ‘I just keep coming back because what you guys are doing is just so cool,’” Jonas said. “That was a sentiment shared among a lot of people. It was a fun event for us . . .There’s a lot of talent here and a lot of interesting companies.”

Artificial intelligence research and startups at U of T get boost from RBC

ullahnor — Fri, 21 Oct 2016 17:01:46 +0000

Artificial intelligence research and startups at U of T get boost from RBC

ullahnor Fri, 10/21/2016 - 13:01

Cutline

Creative Destruction Lab is housed at U of T's Rotman School of Management

Topic

Global Lens

Rotman School of Management

Creative Destruction Lab

RBC

machine learning

Startup

Artificial Intelligence

BBCIE

Canada’s largest bank is bolstering artificial intelligence and machine learning research at the �ؿ�ζSM – and startups launched by students and faculty.

A new agreement between RBC and U of T sees the global giant join forces with Rotman School of Management's Creative Destruction Lab, one of 10 campus-led accelerators at U of T, supporting the entrepreneurial aspirations of students from idea to intellectual property.

The bank has been named a founding partner of the machine learning initiative at the lab, and its donation will support programming to help attract and develop even more startups in this booming and ever-expanding field. Already, the Creative Destruction Lab is home to 50 artificial intelligence companies.

“To our knowledge, this is the greatest concentration of AI companies in any program on Earth,” said Rachel Harris, director of the Creative Destruction Lab. “We’re thrilled to partner with RBC on this initiative. With their support we are able to scale our program.”

Gabriel Woo, RBC’s vice-president of innovation, added: “We share a strong commitment to the study and advancement of artificial intelligence with the �ؿ�ζSM, one of the world’s leading institutions in this space. Our partnership with the university and the Creative Destruction Lab is an extension of our ongoing support of the Canadian digital ecosystem.”

�ؿ�ζSM and RBC create startup accelerator for young innovators

lavende4 — Tue, 05 Apr 2016 12:35:36 +0000

�ؿ�ζSM and RBC create startup accelerator for young innovators lavende4 Tue, 04/05/2016 - 08:35

Olivia Tomic

Author legacy

Olivia Tomic

Topic

The �ؿ�ζSM and the Royal Bank of Canada today announced ONRamp, a major new initiative that will help support Canada’s innovative entrepreneurs.

Located in the Banting & Best Centre for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (BBCIE), ONRamp will provide new collaborative workspaces for students, entrepreneurs and startup companies to support them in developing commercial ideas.

“U of T is a global leader in transforming innovative ideas into products, services, companies and jobs,” saidMeric Gertler, president of the �ؿ�ζSM. “With RBC’s support, this new initiative will further expand the university’s entrepreneurial efforts and help ensure our nation remains competitive by keeping talented innovators in Canada.”

Set over three floors in the BBCIE, ONRamp will enable these new companies to network with each other, showcase to potential investors and grow their businesses. A $3 million contribution from RBC, Canada’s largest bank, will also be used to create fellowships, prizes and a speaker series intended to enhance the university’s entrepreneurship ecosystem.

“We have some of the brightest and best ideas emerging from our universities, but too frequently our young entrepreneurs have to look abroad to get their businesses off the ground. ONRamp should help change that,” said Bruce Ross, group head of technology and operations at RBC. “This initiative will provide the perfect environment to help these innovative start-ups develop and, importantly, to stay in Canada. We are delighted to be partnering with the �ؿ�ζSM on this exciting program.”

Under the umbrella of the BBCIE, U of T’s vast ecosystem already consists of more than 60 entrepreneurial program and course offerings, and is supported by a network of nine campus-linked accelerators established to fill demand from the university’s diverse faculties and three campuses.

ONRamp will build on this central program of support in order to continue to serve the university’s innovative students, giving them the opportunity to pitch their business ideas, be recognized, and secure financial assistance as they undertake their entrepreneurship journey.

A number of post-doctoral and graduate scholarships and fellowships have also been created that will recognize, reward, and support innovative students across a broad range of research areas.

ONRamp will also house the RBC Innovation Hub within this new space for incubating startups, located within the BBCIE in downtown Toronto. RBC’s investment will support U of T’s $2 billion Boundless campaign which addresses the university’s commitment to enhancing the economic and social wellbeing of our communities, and to helping our citizens realize their potential.

“Universities and colleges play a key role in driving innovation and fostering entrepreneurship,” said Scott Mabury, vice-president, university operations. “The �ؿ�ζSM has emerged as a leading institution in creating startup companies based on research and ONRamp will further support our startups’ growth so they can create wealth, provide jobs and contribute to the nation’s prosperity.”

“We are excited to partner with RBC in order to provide facilities and programming that will be a launching pad for early-stage companies,” said Vivek Goel, vice-president of research and innovation at U of T. “Innovation and entrepreneurship are vital components of a robust economy and this initiative will help foster a rapidly growing hub of Canadian startup culture and support the next generation of successful entrepreneurs.”

ONRamp will provide a collaborative space for �ؿ�ζSM students and graduates, and to new young companies from other Ontario universities and colleges.

RBC

A space for startups: U of T’s ONRamp to connect Ontario entrepreneurs

Learn more about OnRamp at U of T Entrepreneurship

Thousands attend U of T’s first-ever Startup Showcase

Read more about Kepler Communications

Read more about the Vector Institute

Artificial intelligence research and startups at U of T get boost from RBC

Read more about the Creative Destruction Lab

Read more about ONRamp

�ؿ�ζSM and RBC create startup accelerator for young innovators