Accelerator Centre Graduate

May 14, 2017

Emmetros Launches MemorySparx One – Their First in a Suite of Products for People Who Live with Dementia

For Mary Pat Hinton, helping people who live with dementia and their care-partners have a better quality of life is personal.

Seeing her grandmother, Jean, suffer with Alzheimer’s disease in the 80’s, a time it was not well understood and there were few resources available for patients, made a lasting impact and inspired her to change the way those with dementia cope with their conditions.

As a result of her experience, Mary Pat started Emmetros – a company dedicated to creating solutions that help dementia sufferers to live independently and with dignity.

In 2016, Mary Pat joined the AC’s Accelerator Program to help guide her business to success. “Before I joined the AC, I did a lot of research into incubators and the resources available to entrepreneurs like me,” Mary-Pat explains. “I came to the AC because of their focus on long-term success and their stellar mentorship team.”

When she started Emmetros, she knew she wanted to create something bigger than a single app to support people living with dementia, and the mentors at the AC helped her build out her business in a way that will see the company develop a full suite of solutions that will work together to create an all-in-one digital solution – not only for those living with the disease, but for their families and care communities as well.

“The mentors at the AC are like an extension of my team. They are always there for me.” she explains. “They are incredibly experienced, can shift focus easily, and can go as deep into my business as I need them to. No moment spent with them is a wasted one,” she adds.

Last week, Emmetros launched MemorySparx™ One. The first application in the planned suite of solutions to support those with dementia and their families.

MemorySparx One is a digital memory aid that helps individuals living with dementia organize and recall important information like personal photos, health information, and more.

Traditionally, those living with dementia (or their families) were instructed to create paper booklets to help them organize and keep track of important information. “One of the major challenges with paper-based memory aids is keeping them up to date, while making sure that they remain easy to use and meet the changing needs of a person who is experiencing declining cognitive abilities,” Mary Pat explains. MemorySparx One leverages decades of research on the value of those paper-based memory aids and combines it more than a thousand hours Mary Pat and her team have spent partnering with and getting to know people who live with dementia, their families, and academic researchers to create a mobile digital solution that provides these people with a way to communicate with confidence and greater independence, wherever and whenever they need to.

MemorySparx One allows users to:

Add and update content using intuitive templates designed with the unique needs of people with dementia in mind
Store personal details, captioned photos, audio recordings, and personal health information in one easy-to-access tool
Access information that’s important whenever and wherever it’s needed – at a doctor’s office, a social engagement, or a professional event
Keep track of personal health history, medications, and changes to mood or behavior so you can speak for yourself at appointments with care professionals

Emmetros’ next focus is on developing their complementary suite of products and on continuing to build out their incredible team and work culture. ‘We are fortunate to have a team of very talented and experienced people. Every one of them is incredibly passionate about our vision,” Mary Pat explains proudly. “When I started this, I never expected that people would be asking me how they could join our team, but they are and that’s pretty amazing. Every single day I wake up grateful. There’s nothing better than that.”

MemorySparx One is available for iPad and is on the iTunes store now. For more information, visit memorysparx.com.

Media Contact:

Tabatha Laverty
Community Manager
tlaverty@acceleratorcentre.com

January 8, 2016

Intellijoint Surgical Receives FDA Clearance for the Next Generation of intellijoint HIP™

A Miniature Surgical Smart Tool for Cup Position, Leg Length, and Offset in Hip Replacement Surgery

WATERLOO, ON–(Marketwired – January 07, 2016) – Intellijoint Surgical Inc., a privately held Canadian medical technology company committed to developing and commercializing miniature surgical smart tools, announces today that it has been awarded US Food and Drug Administration clearance for the next generation of intellijioint HIP™. Cup position (inclination and anteversion) is now provided, in addition to the original leg length, offset, and change in hip center measurements.

“With the previous generation of the product, our use showed improved accuracy and precision of implant selection without a significant expense or impact on OR time,” said Dr. Wayne Paprosky, professor and widely published orthopaedic surgeon at Rush Medical Center in Chicago. “The new generation of intellijoint HIP provides surgeons with additional critical implant alignment measurements including cup inclination and anteversion, which will be a potential game changer of how hip surgery is performed in the US.”

intellijoint HIP can assist in the prevention of recurrent instability, hip dislocation and leg length discrepancy and may expedite decision-making and improve accuracy in achieving preoperative planned targets, ultimately improving patient satisfaction and healthcare economics.

“Intellijoint was founded in 2010 with the vision of developing and commercializing an innovative technology that is capable of providing real time 3D surgical measurement data, without adding significant time, expense or complexity to surgery,” says Armen Bakirtzian, Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of Intellijoint Surgical. “Now, with FDA clearance ofintellijoint HIP, we’ve realized this vision and are ready to bring its benefits to the largest market in the world.”

Intellijoint’s core technology represents the latest in miniature 3D surgical measurement within the sterile field. intellijoint HIP is the first of many products to benefit from this new novel core technology. It is safe, fast, accurate, and precise. intellijoint HIP‘s compatibility with the majority of implant vendors, paired with its cost-effectiveness, opens accessibility of computer-assisted surgery to all orthopaedic surgeons.

About Intellijoint Surgical Inc.

Intellijoint Surgical is a Waterloo-based innovative medical technology company. Founded in 2010, they develop and commercialize miniaturized surgical smart tools that enhance surgeon accuracy, increase hospital economic efficiencies, and improve patient outcomes. The company’s R&D team is led by the former co-founder of Medtronic’s computer assisted surgery division, and driven by a team of renowned orthopaedic surgeons: Drs. Allan Gross and David Backstein in Toronto, Dr. Wayne Paprosky in Chicago, Dr. Javad Parvizi in Philadelphia and Drs. Michael Cross and Ran Schwarzkopf in New York.

November 18, 2015

Two AC Grads Named to Deloitte’s Fast 50 list

Magnet Forensics and Miovision continue to show incredible growth and impact

This article originally appeard in The Record

Six firms in Waterloo Region are on this year’s list of Canada’s fastest growing technology companies.

Magnet Forensics, Miovision Technologies, Aeryon Labs, Dejero Labs, eSentire, and Igloo Software are on Deloitte’s Technology Fast 50 list, which is based on revenue growth over the previous four years.

Magnet, a Waterloo provider of digital forensics tools, is eighth on the list with four-year revenue growth of 1,154 per cent.

Miovision, a Kitchener company that develops traffic data collection and analysis systems, ranks 32nd with revenue growth of 305 per cent.

Waterloo drone maker Aeryon ranks 10th with revenue growth of 1,032 per cent.

Dejero, a Waterloo firm that provides a platform for live-to-air broadcasting, is 18th with revenue growth of 590 per cent.

Cambridge-based eSentire, a provider of cybersecurity tools and services, is 42nd with revenue growth of 202 per cent.

Igloo, a Kitchener firm that develops social networking software for businesses, ranks 45th with revenue growth of 159 per cent.

Topping this year’s list is Frank & Oak, a Montreal-based menswear brand and online retailer. It had revenue growth of 18,480 per cent.

Deloitte said the companies on the Fast 50 list achieved average growth of 1,293 per cent.

Ontario is home to 23 of the companies on the 50 list. There are 13 from Quebec, 10 from British Columbia, two from Alberta, and one each from Nova Scotia and Saskatchewan.

TrustPoint Innovation Technologies [another AC Graduate], a Waterloo startup that develops products for secure machine to machine communications, is among 12 firms on Deloitte’s companies to watch list.

This year’s survey of Fast 50 CEOs indicated that securing talent is a significant issue for two-thirds of the companies on the list.

“Young Canadian tech companies from coast to coast are experiencing staggering growth,” Robert Nardi, Deloitte’s technology, media and telecommunications managing partner, said in a news release.

“However, for these firms to maintain their trajectory they need to have the right talent mix. For today’s fast-growing companies, finding and attracting talent is of great importance.”

November 5, 2015

AC Grad Intellijoint granted new patents in the US

Intellijoint Surgical’s Patent Portfolio Gains Strength Through the Issuance of New US Patents

AC Graduate Intellijoint Surgical Inc., a medical technology company committed to developing and commercializing low-cost miniaturized surgical smart tools, announced today that the United States Patent and Trademark Office has granted the company a key patent related to its core technology in miniature 3D surgical measurement. The patent, number 9138319, is entitled “Method and system for aligning a prosthesis during surgery”.

Intellectual property development is a strategic cornerstone for Intellijoint Surgical. The company continues to build its patent portfolio through new applications and several recent issuances. The issuances include Intellijoint’s core technology and the surrounding instrumentation enabling it to be placed in a sterile field. Another key patent, entitled “System and method for intra-operative leg position measurement” is expected to issue in early 2016.

“Our miniaturized smart tools are setting the new standard in 3D measurement for surgery,” says Armen Bakirtzian, Chief Executive Officer of Intellijoint Surgical. “Patent issuances are rewarding milestones recognizing the novel technology our organization has created. We will continue to aggressively pursue patents to protect our innovations and build business value”.

Intellijoint graduated from the Accelerator Centre in 2014. The company’s technology provides quantifiable, accurate, intra-operative feedback helping surgeons and hospitals to potentially improve surgical outcomes through accurate implant positioning and selection, ultimately improving patient satisfaction and healthcare economics.

June 30, 2015

Magnet Forensics Officially Opens New Waterloo Headquarters

AC Graduates Magnet Forensics officially opened their new headquarters at an open house event that brought together community, business and educational leaders from Waterloo and the surrounding areas.

Guests at the event included Federal Cabinet Minister, Julian Fantino, local Members of Parliament Peter Braid and Harold Albrecht, Waterloo Mayor, Dave Jaworsky, Accelerator Centre CEO, Paul Salvini, University of Waterloo Dean of Engineering, Pearl Sullivan, and Conestoga College’s Chair of the School of Engineering, Ignac Kolenko.

The new facility on Columbia Street West, in close proximity to the University of Waterloo, will house the company’s team which has grown from 8 dedicated professionals two years ago to over 65 with plans for further expansion in the future.

“We are proud to invest in the community where Magnet Forensics was founded and have a new home to collaborate on creating the tools that police and national security agencies require to keep our communities and country safe,” said Adam Belsher, CEO of Magnet Forensics. “Our new facility will not only give us the space we need to continue our growth trajectory, it will also give us proximity to local Universities and Colleges so that students and faculty alike can learn about how we at Magnet Forensics are making a real difference in Canada and around the world and consider joining us in our mission.”

Magnet Forensics was founded by Jad Saliba in 2011. He had been serving as a digital forensic examiner with the Waterloo Regional Police Service, where he was responsible for recovering Internet related evidence. Around this time, web and online usage was exploding. Finding evidence on a suspect’s hard drive was like searching for a needle in a haystack. Facing this new challenge, Saliba set out to find a solution that would help him, and others, recover relevant data faster.

“We at Magnet Forensics are passionate about supporting our partners in law enforcement here in Canada and around the world,” said Magnet Forensics Founder, Chief Technology Officer and former Waterloo Police Officer, Jad Saliba. “Our dedicated team at Magnet Forensics is focused on developing the best digital forensics tools that support police forces in everything they do to keep citizens safe.”

Photo Caption: From left to right, Communitech CEO, Ian Klugman, Waterloo Mayor, Dave Jaworsky, Magnet Forensics CEO, Adam Belsher, Magnet Forensics Founder/CTO, Jad Saliba, Kitchener-Waterloo MP, Peter Braid, Accelerator Centre CEO, Paul Salvini, Waterloo Innovation Network CEO, Brenda Halloran, Associate Minister of National Defence, Julian Fantino and Sergeant Eugene Silva, Waterloo Regional Police Service. Photo by Neil Desai

June 18, 2015

Nicoya Lifesciences, RENOMii and TeTechS Graduate

Continuing to build on our track record of transforming start-ups into world-class technology businesses, the AC is pleased to announce the graduation of Nicoya Lifesciences, RENOMii and TeTechS from our rigorous incubation program.

Nicoya Lifesciences is leveraging the power and potential of nanotechnology to create affordable analysis instrumentation for medical researchers. Founded by University of Waterloo researcher Ryan Denomme, Nicoya’s OpenSPR personal label-free biomolecular analysis instrument is easy to use, compact and affordable, making it highly accessible equipment for any lab to own.

For contractors and renovators, RENOMii has created a simple-to-use web app to manage and track change order requests and client communication. The company is the brainchild of co-founders Scott Barker and Kara Smith, who realized that home renovators were missing a simple-to-use tool to eliminate most of the stress created by miscommunication between contractors and their clients. The RENOMii team has recently teamed up with Home Hardware Stores Ltd., to offer the RENOMii software program in Home Hardware stores across Canada.

The terahertz vision sensor technology of TeTechS uses terahertz waves to find previously undetectable objects and defects in advanced manufacturing processes, solving customer problems that cannot be addressed using visible, infrared and x-ray vision sensors. Founded by University of Waterloo PhD, Daryoosh Saeedkia, TeTechS was recently nominated for a 2015 Business Innovation Award by the Greater Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber of Commerce. The company’s terahertz sensors will also soon be featured on Discovery Channel’s How It’s Made program.

“Once again we are graduating companies from our program that represent a wide diversity of technologies and industries,” says Paul Salvini, CEO of the Accelerator Centre. “While the industries served and problems addressed by Nicoya, RENOMii and TeTechS are vastly different, each company has leveraged their experience at the Accelerator Centre to build a strong and sustainable business, with the potential for large-scale growth and impact.”

The AC is dedicated to building and commercializing technology start-ups. We provide an essential combination of mentorship, educational programming, professional office space, networking, and access to funding, with a goal of building successful companies. Over a two- to three-year period, we help entrepreneurs move from start-up to scale-up, accelerate their time to market, and attract customers, investment and revenue.

June 17, 2015

I Think Security Ltd. is now APrivacy Ltd.

AC Graduate I Think Security Ltd. has announced that it is changing its corporate name to APrivacy Ltd. This change better reflects what the company is doing today.

I Think Security Ltd. began as a cyber security lab in 2010 and has evolved to an information security and tracking provider for the banking sector over the past few years. They graduated from the Accelerator Centre in September 2013.

“The name change better reflects what our business is today and fits with our growth plans to empower the banking sector by providing world class security that is compliant and transparent for users,” stated Dr. Cédric Jeannot, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of APrivacy Ltd.

APrivacy Ltd. provides encryption and tracking technology to private banks, family offices and high net worth individuals. The company’s embedded security enables its clients to securely store and share sensitive information anywhere, any time, and on any device.

“Our enabling technology has shifted the economics of security, from an expense to a revenue generator. It is an exciting time for APrivacy Ltd.,” Jeannot concluded.

May 6, 2015

Miovision featured on BNN

Can big data help you avoid traffic?

AC Grad Miovision were featured on BNN’s The Disruptors, presenting their plan to help people get around their cities more easily.

March 26, 2015

Eventastic Launches Cutting-Edge Event Management Platform

Eventastic, an AC Graduate specializing in online ticketing, launched their new event management platform today.

The innovative site offers features that tailor to user-experience and functionality.

“The new platform offers customizable event websites, that are faster and simpler to create, with additional E-Commerce security,” explains Eventastic’s President, Randy Bird. “However, the pièce de résistance is the all new SaaS model that allows users to drive revenue, data, or donations through their company and events!”

The new platform was developed to improve customer experience, and increase awareness of the many services and features Eventastic offers. The design and functionality align with the high standard Eventastic has set within the event industry.

“Over the last year, we’ve been developing, at great expense, this user-centric platform; it wildly surpasses our beta platform. We’ve been ready to launch for weeks but waited. We weren’t going to launch it until it was perfect,” says Bird. “Perfect being defined as automatic in simplicity.”

Since its soft launch in 2014, Eventastic has graduated from the Accelerator Centre, relocated into its own local office, and has hosted more than 10,000 worldwide events on their site, from small parties to large conferences in unique venues, proving that this new event website is just one of Eventastic’s many successes.

You can explore the new platform by visiting www.eventastic.com.

November 6, 2014

The Accelerator Centre, Clients and Graduates Fill the Pages of the New 2014 Waterloo Region Record Technology Spotlight

The latest Technology Spotlight hit the streets this week in Waterloo Region, and the Accelerator Centre along with its Clients and Graduates fill the issue’s pages with stories of startup life and business success.

This year’s edition features interviews with AC CEO Paul Salvini and Board Chair/Angel Investor Michael Stork. It also includes stories on companies who have benefited from the AC’s incubation services including AntVibes, Universal Quantum Devices (UQD) (a startup out of the Institute of Quantum Computing), MyLocal, Tyromer and RENOMii, along with features on AC Graduates Axonify, Clearpath Robotics, CrossChasm, DeepTrekker, Primal Fusion, InfiniDy, LoyaltyMatch, Kik, and Trustpoint Innovation Technologies.

“With an estimated 1000 startups in the Region, it is quite an accomplishment to have 14 of the 22 featured companies in this Tech Spotlight connected to the Accelerator Centre,” says AC CEO Paul Salvini. “We often talk about the impact our Client companies and Graduates are having on the Waterloo Region economy, creating thousands of jobs and generating hundreds of millions in revenue and investment. But to see the stories behind those numbers come to life on the pages of the Technology Spotlight has our team brimming with pride.

“Our staff and world-class mentors work hard to develop and deliver the highest quality programming for our Clients. The ultimate measure of our success as an accelerator is the economic impact of its clients. This year’s Technology Spotlight clearly shows that we’re on the right track.”

A hard copy of the 2014 Tech Spotlight was distributed to the Waterloo Region Record’s readership along with the paper this week. If you missed it, a digital version of the Tech Spotlight can be accessed online.