SFU VentureLabs help students become future-ready in pilot entrepreneurial placement program
Experience Ventures, powered by the Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking at the University of Calgary, is a bridge between today’s needs and tomorrow’s challenges. Motivated students want to break into the startup world to gain meaningful experience and startups want to identify early talent to join their teams. However, there was a gap between eager…
SFU is the top innovative university in Canada: 2021 university rankings
The World’s Universities with Real Impact (WURI) rankings measure how universities create value for society. The 2021 rankings put SFU third in the world for its entrepreneurial spirit and 24th overall among innovative universities, placing SFU as the number one innovative university in Canada—and the only one at that to crack the top 100. SFU VentureLabs is a key part of the…
SFU VentureLabs company, Medimap raises $3.5 million seed round
Vancouver-based venture Medimap makes it easy for patients to compare wait times at their local clinics. Medimap has been scaling quickly since Blake Adam started the company in 2015. Currently, more than 70% of walk-in clinics across Canada use Medimap’s software. In August 2021, Medimap closed $3.5 million in seed financing led by Tiny Capital…
Gender bias problem on Wikipedia: CBC Radio ft. Virginia Balcom
As the world’s largest online encyclopedia, Wikipedia is a popular resource for many online users. Often overlooked is Wikipedia’s lack of coverage on successful women due to gender bias. According to a new study by American sociologist Francesca Tripodi, volunteer editors nominate women’s pages for deletion at a higher rate than men’s pages. While women…
MAZDIS’ innovative storage units keep citizen’s bikes safe
SFU VentureLabs client company MAZDIS is a Vancouver-based company offering automated bike storage systems that make it easier for cyclists to securely and conveniently park their bicycles, for developers to save space, and for Local Government to invest in secure bike parking. VentureLabs spoke with Nick Mani, CEO of MAZDIS, to learn more about their…
From working in the restoration industry to building solutions with RocketPlan
An SFU VentureLabs interview with Joe Tolzmann, CEO of RocketPlan Technologies. VentureLabs’ client company RocketPlan built an operations system that benefits all participants in the remediation space: contractors, owners, building managers, property managers, insurers, and insurance brokers. RocketPlan digitizes the process so they can save time, have predictable estimates for stakeholders, and a simplified process…
152 Tech: Innovating the cannabis retailer experience
SFU VentureLabs’ client company 152 Tech was founded to create smarter retail solutions for regulated industries. They create simple platforms that are easy to operate and maintain; providing secure business data all in one location. VentureLabs had the opportunity to chat with Shaun Saini, CEO and Co-Founder of 152 Tech, about what inspired their startup…
The building of a compassionate company with Ayogo
Ayogo provides a way for clinicians to monitor, track, and respond to the psychosocial determinants of their patient’s health by building coherent interactive programs for patients. SFU VentureLabs got a chance to chat with Michael Fergusson, CEO of Ayogo, and discuss how their company thrives on creating a community of compassionate, talented, and mission-focused people. …
Moving both the head and the heart with DISCOVELO
A VentureLabs interview with Scott Keesey, the CEO and Founder of DISCOVELO Mental health issues and inactivity in youth are continuously increasing, but numbers have skyrocketed due to the pandemic. This has had a large impact on youth in the classroom. Kids have many sources of stress and anxiety which impede their ability to focus…
SFU VentureLabs at Vancouver Startup Week 2021
Mark your calendars for May 21st – 28th for the 8th annual Vancouver Startup Week! #VSW2021 is a week-long program uniting the business community and celebrating excellent companies, innovative ideas, and passionate people. Attendance gives you access to high-quality sessions, workshops, presentations, panels, as well as job and exhibition fairs. SFU VentureLabs is happy to…