Believe it or not, the mining industry and its operations affect almost everything that you do. From the buildings that you live and work in, to the vehicles that take you places, to the devices on which you are reading this article on, metals are an essential part of life. But when did you last think about where all these materials came from? 

Extracting and purifying metals from the Earth are very energy-intensive and inefficient processes that produce significant amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) and chemical waste. The problem that stands, however, is that these processes are difficult to optimize because of the numerous unique ores and deposits located around the world. 

Currently, there is instrumentation to measure metals, and these measurements can help improve metal refinement. Yet, obtaining relevant data is very slow and instruments are difficult to use, produce lots of waste, and often require specialized training and sophisticated setups for operation. 

That is where NANOSentinel jumps in.

Meet NANOSentinel

NANOSentinel is a business-to-business (B2B) platform-as-a-service company, building the best “lab-in-a-box” for instant, reliable, and hassle-free metal testing. Through providing users with rental hardware, SaaS services, and consumable sales goods, their solutions enable users to optimize their critical mineral refinement processes and monitor the environment in real-time. 

This technology targets metallurgical engineers, facility managers, and testers working in refining facilities who are looking to find faster and easier methods for measuring metals, reducing their costs, and maximizing their return on investment. 

However, that’s not all. NANOSentinel’s platform is here to support other areas in mining as well, including those professionals in exploration and environmental monitoring. By using their instant and all-in-one technology, companies can keep up to standards with their regulatory permits and prevent environmental contamination. At the end of the day, this is not only about human safety. It’s also about protecting the environment. 

The faces behind the company

Like many founders, entrepreneurs, and innovators, NANOSentinel’s CEO and co-founder, Viry Perez, did not wake up one morning and decide to start a company. In fact, the history of the company spans all the way back to Viry’s days as a student in SFU Beedie School of Business’ Invention to Innovation (i2I) program. 

As part of her studies in chemistry, Viry had to use the traditional metal testing technology while she was developing materials found inside fuel cells and batteries. However, she was faced with many challenges since the traditional method of measuring metals was inefficient, expensive, and generated a lot of waste. 

At the same time, she was positioned at a crossroad in her career. As a postdoc , she had been conducting lots of research—all the way back to when she was in high school—and writing papers on issues that couldn’t be addressed until much farther into the future. As a professional, she hadn’t found a suitable place where she could use her talents and where the company’s values aligned with her own. She wanted her work to create a positive impact on the world, an impact greater than what her work at the time was making. 

It took time, but Viry eventually found herself a solid network of support through SFU joining the i2I program, incubating with Coast Capital Venture Connection, and connecting with mentors at VentureLabs. 

Combining her multidisciplinary backgrounds in chemistry, cleantech, and business with the support of her co-founders and network, she and her team developed a fast metal testing solution designed for the challenges faced by the mineral processing industry.

NANOSentinel today

Since its inception, NANOSentinel has received numerous awards, including first place at the University of New Brunswick’s 2021 APEX business plan competition and the Research & Development Category Prize at Coast Capital Venture Prize 2022, 

Earlier this year, the company attended CIX, powered by Elevate, an annual curation program and conference bringing together Canada’s most promising tech founders, global investors, and industry advisors. After submitting their company overview to a committee of over 150 prominent global investors, they were selected as part of the Top 20 Early by CIX. Viry highlights what a valuable opportunity this was to meet with experienced investors in Toronto’s high-profile mining industry. On top of that, this achievement significantly raised NANOSentinel’s profile nationwide. 

Additionally in this past month, the company attended INNOVATEwest, a premier cross-sector conference bringing together tech, enterprise, and corporate leaders on a collaborative journey toward business growth. This was another great opportunity to engage with investors and build new relationships in the industry. 

What’s next for NANOSentinel?

Viry and the team have lots to look forward to later this year as they recently found a champion company that’s willing to test out NANOSentinel’s technology. Not only is this company one of the largest mining companies in the world, but it’s one that sees the value in NANOSentinel’s innovation and shares similar values of environmental safety, sustainability, and social responsibility.

The company is also excited for their upcoming funding round as it will be a critical opportunity to expand their market reach. Currently with the support of her team, Viry is leading NANOSentinel’s business development, sales, product development, and more. While the team is able to combine everyone’s specialties to run the business, it will take more hands and help for the company to grow.  

Viry says it best: “It takes a town to support a venture” and do things “properly and sustainably.”

“It takes a town to support a venture.”

Viridiana perez, ceo & co-founder, nanosentinel

Viry’s advice

Navigating the tech startup world is no easy task. If anything, it’s a journey consisting of highs and lows and everything in between. However, when an obstacle comes her way, Viry likes to take a different approach. As a CEO and co-founder of a startup, she doesn’t view many troubles as obstacles but rather as challenges. But then again, she reminds us that this is just life—you can’t always have everybody like you, and whatever is easy is not necessarily worth getting. 

So, don’t be opposed to challenges. Viry notes that as a founder, entrepreneur, or innovator, you need to be objective about what you understand and think about the market. Ask yourself, “How might my product or solution fit the needs of the market?” If it doesn’t fit one market, it may fit another market somewhere else. If it doesn’t fit anywhere, it doesn’t fit anywhere. Accept that and keep moving forward. 

Frustration may be a part of this process of working through challenges too, but you just need to get over that idea. Once you get caught in a challenging situation, you need to decide whether you want to smile through it or cry through it—and one of those is more enjoyable than the other, so it’s your choice.

Final Words

Challenges aside, Viry leaves us with a final note to get us thinking about the bigger picture.

Take some time to understand where the things around you come from and how they affect the environment. Be conscious of your consumption and support the people and the industries that are providing you with goods and services. Regardless of whether you are just one person or an entire company, it’s not always easy to be sustainable. 

That’s why together, we must understand that implementing sustainability takes time, capital, and social license. So from now on, try to focus on how you move forward, not just criticize how something is done without sustainable action. Instead, take action towards sustainability.