Agility is now an approved Mitacs incubator

caroline.zentner — Tue, 23 Feb 2021 20:44:23 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge graduate students and post-doctoral fellows with an entrepreneurial bent can access funding to further develop their business ideas now that Agility has been approved as an incubator for Mitacs Accelerate Entrepreneur projects.

Accelerate Entrepreneur funds would-be entrepreneurs to further develop the research or technology at the core of their startup business when they are hosted by an incubator facility. Along with the funding, entrepreneurs receive support from Agility with the goal of commercializing their technology, product or service.

“As soon as Agility was approved to be the Lethbridge incubator, it was obvious this will benefit our U of L innovators,” says Brandie Lea, U of L partnerships and commercialization coordinator. “Applications are already in the works to request funding. It is exciting to see a culture of innovation and startup creation on campus and we are looking forward to the companies and product development that will receive support from a very reliable funding partner.”

“This is a great opportunity for our aspiring entrepreneurs,” says Brandy Old (BA/BEd '17), Agility manager. “The entrepreneur acts as an intern for their own business and Agility supervises and supports them throughout the internship.”

To be eligible, the entrepreneurs must own their startup and have responsibility for the management and/or operations of the company (which must be incorporated). Once housed at an approved incubator, the company invests a minimum of $7,500 in funding for a research project. Mitacs matches the funds and the total amount of $15,000 is administered through the entrepreneur's professor as a grant. The minimum stipend paid to an intern is $10,000 and they can also access to up to $5,000 in flexible funding to pay for research costs such as laboratory materials or equipment.

The program gives entrepreneurs a funded internship so they have the opportunity to pilot and test a new product, service or technology or improve on an already existing one. Applications are accepted any time and evaluation is completed in six to eight weeks. Projects start at four months, but can be scaled up, depending on the startup’s needs.

A major benefit of the program is that it provides a safe space to test out an idea.

“The funding goes right back to the entrepreneur, so they are actually functioning as a working employee for their own startup at a very early stage,” she says. “The Mitacs program helps aspiring entrepreneurs take the risk and dedicate some time towards doing early ideation and validation of a business idea. They’ll learn what it takes to be an entrepreneur and test out if their research project has commercial potential.”

Old plans to offer Accelerate Entrepreneur students Agility’s Trailblazing program, an online incubator for early stage ideation and validation. The program focuses on identifying problems, doing customer discovery, making sales pitches, networking, organizing, managing time and getting involved in the community.

“This program is perfect for anyone who wants to be their own boss and is committed to learning how to do it fast,” she says. “Students often discredit their readiness to turn their ideas into businesses and programs like Mitacs Accelerate Entrepreneur help reduce the risk of taking the leap.”

Graduate students and post-doctoral fellows from any discipline are welcome to apply. For more information visit the Mitacs Accelerate Entrepreneur website or contact Brandy Old (brandy.old@uleth.ca) or Brandie Lea (brandie.lea@uleth.ca).

STEM Fusion creating opportunity for industry leaders, students and researchers to come together

trevor.kenney — Wed, 04 Mar 2020 22:40:19 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is launching a new platform for collisions between its faculty members, students and industry leaders in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields that could pave the way to creating new collaborations.

STEM Fusion, a conference to connect STEM professionals with commercialization, innovation and entrepreneurship, takes place Thursday, Mar. 5 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Science Commons. The event features a series of guest speakers, panels, networking opportunities and lab benching sessions, all designed to bring people together to foster ideas and connections.

“There is so much that can be done through community engagement,” says Dr. Jackie Rice, associate vice-president research and dean of the School of Graduate Studies. “Through this conference, we hope to stimulate collisions between industry and academia. Giving people knowledge about what is available to them, and connecting them with the right people, is a very powerful tool. The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is about enabling growth and innovation, which is reflected in the goals of STEM Fusion.”

From a student perspective, STEM Fusion presents an opportunity to network with industry representatives, learn about potential career pathways and showcase their research work. For faculty members, there’s opportunity to connect with industry partners looking for collaborative opportunities and the chance to learn about patent and intellectual property (IP) regulations, while industry leaders have access to new talent and fresh ideas.

Featured guest speakers will address topics ranging from artificial intelligence to biopharmaceutical development, neuroscience, intellectual property law, crop protection, bioinformatics and more.

“Now, more than ever, technology is advancing, and opportunities abound to build our network of resources and progress on the world stage as competitors in numerous markets,” says Brandie M. Lea, grants facilitator for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s Office of Research & Innovation Services. “Without the exchange of knowledge between our experts and the local for-profit and not-for-profit world, how can southern Alberta expect to break through boundaries, discover new solutions and bring new innovations to market? We see this initiative as a means to grow southern Alberta together.”

For more information, and to view a conference schedule, visit stemfusion.ca.

Those interested in discussing research partnerships with U of L researchers can contact Brandie M. Lea at 403-329-2406 or submit a request form online at go.uleth.ca/industrypartner.

UNews - Brandie Lea

Agility is now an approved Mitacs incubator

Related Topics

STEM Fusion creating opportunity for industry leaders, students and researchers to come together

Related Topics