MaRS and Innovate UK name seven new advanced manufacturing startups to second cohort

MaRS Discovery District is teaming up again with Innovate UK’s Global Incubator Programme to support the global expansion of promising advanced manufacturing ventures from the U.K.

Seven startups will participate in the program’s second cohort at the Toronto-based innovation hub as a launch pad to find international partners and customers and to scale into the North American market. The first cohort was announced in October 2021.

“Based on the success of last year’s cohort, we are confident this partnership can accelerate the North American growth of U.K. startups as well as strengthen the manufacturing ecosystem here,” said Jason MacFarlane, vice-president of Venture Services Products at MaRS. “We want to extend the long history of partnership between Canada and the U.K.’s innovation economies in both countries.

Innovate UK, the U.K.’s innovation agency is creating a blueprint for future programs with MaRS and collaborations among accelerators, incubators and private ventures around the world.

The second round of advanced manufacturing companies includes specialists in machine learning, computer vision systems and the Internet of Things. This sophomore group includes a maker of small-format autonomous electric vehicles, a platform for the automatic precision sizing of clothing and a custom 3D printer provider.

The members of this latest group of advanced manufacturing ventures are:

• Autonomous Enterprise Management Systems (AEMS)
• Bodi.Me
• CAE Tech Limited
• Go Monitor
• Performance Projects Ltd.
• Raplas Technologies
• Synbiosys

The four-month Manufacturing Incubation Program includes targeted workshops, advisory support and networking opportunities to help the participants sharpen their value propositions and pitches.

Integrating the UK ventures into the MaRS ecosystem will allow the cohort to get a comprehensive understanding of the shape and needs of North America’s manufacturing community.

“We’re building on the success of last year’s program with MaRS to provide new strategies and pathways for UK advanced manufacturing companies to expand into North America,” said Jon Hazell, partnership manager – North America and Global Incubator at Innovate UK. “There continues to be a huge opportunity here.”