OTTAWA, Ontario, July 6, 2020 – Next Generation Manufacturing Canada (NGen), the industry-led organization leading Canada’s Advanced Manufacturing Supercluster, is co-investing $5 million in projects leading to the development of automated hands-free disinfection methods to help stop the spread of COVID-19. Five outstanding projects have been selected for funding under NGen’s Disinfection Robot Challenge. With matching industry investments, the total value of these projects is in excess of $10 million.

In April NGen challenged companies to develop innovative robotic solutions that would reduce the number of healthcare associated infections for the safety of both patients and healthcare workers, or that would disinfect private spaces and facilities so that businesses could bring employees back to work in a safe and sanitized environment. In order to qualify for funding, projects were expected to have a fast turnaround, demonstrating an impact on COVID-19 within a six month timeframe. NGen received 34 expressions of interest and 19 proposals from innovative companies across Canada.

AIS, Advanced Intelligence Systems, based in Burnaby, BC., which will develop a robot that will map large scale environments such as hospitals, navigate to interest points, and perform hands-free UV disinfection without requiring human intervention. NGen’s investment of $975,615 represents 50 percent of total project costs of $1.95 million.

“We strongly believe this project will be helpful in supporting hospitals, elderly homes and healthcare workers to effectively manage resources during and in the post-Corona pandemic,” says Afshin Doust, CEO.

“Disinfection robots have been deployed successfully in other countries and are showing promising results in terms of reducing the spread of COVID-19 as well as other infectious diseases. Canada has an opportunity to be a world leader in developing and producing large scale disinfecting solutions based on our outstanding advanced manufacturing capabilities,” says Jayson Myers, CEO, NGen.  “Scaling up these capabilities in Canada will spark an entirely new ecosystem around advanced robotic disinfection, creating new business opportunities, jobs and knowledge, and above all anchoring it here at home.”

The Disinfecting Robot Challenge is one of  many challenges NGen plans to issue in support of the economic recovery. On June 25, NGen launched its Made Smarter Strategic Supply Challenge. The competition challenges manufacturers to build sustainable, cost competitive supply of  products essential in Canada’s fight against COVID-19. NGen will allocate at least $15 million to co-invest in these projects.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has presented Canada with many challenges, but it has also highlighted the very best Canadians have to offer,” said Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry. “At an unprecedented time, Canadian manufacturers, supported by organizations such as NGen, have developed innovative, Made in Canada technologies that will save lives and benefit Canadians now and into the future.”

To schedule an interview with AIS CEO, Afshin Doust, please contact Debra Hadden at 604.240.3196.

Associated linksNext Generation Manufacturing Canada

CEO at Advanced Intelligent Systems, a practical autonomous robotics company with software and hardware modules.

Every entrepreneur hopes to see their startup succeed, but success can send you, your fellow founders, employees and early investors in one of several different directions. The thrill of startup success often gives rise to a set of new questions that key stakeholders must consider. When you want your small company to grow into one that is larger and better able to serve more consumers, following best practices for operations and financial discernment become more important than ever.

Exhilaration and trepidation often commingle when entrepreneurs map out the future of their passion. While many will struggle with the possibility of giving up control over a startup’s destiny, impartiality is paramount at such a critical turning point. Maintaining control is one option alongside other growth strategies that include merging with another company and filing to become a publicly traded firm.

Selecting the best option for your particular startup doesn’t need to be daunting. With each approach, there are pros and cons, so work with any colleagues and consultants that you think will help you sort through the distinctions to arrive at your desired destination.

Finding The Right Merger Fit

Sometimes, the choice is as obvious as the established market competitor that is looking to acquire a smaller company. While conducting research into potential partners to merge with, remember to also consider firms that are reaching out from other industries with hopes of finding a purchase into new markets.

Merging with a larger business and its established reputation can boost a startup’s prestige and credibility. In addition to tax advantages and economies of scale, potential benefits of mergers include expanded market access, improvements to operational logistics and increased brand awareness among consumers.

Potential disadvantages of merging with another business include legal expenses, resistance from existing stakeholders, loss of managerial control and a possible denial of the merger by government regulators. Turn to experienced board members or outside consultants for help with navigating a merger.

There are also times when a startup acquires another company. In either case, if you and the managers of another business agree that a merger will be mutually beneficial, be as transparent as possible with employees regarding new horizons and possible impacts to job stability.

Going Public

Considered by many to be the pinnacle of startup success and a management badge of honor, taking a startup public with an initial public offering can become an entrepreneur’s main focus and motivation. Instead of being acquired outright by another company through a merger and subsequent elimination of redundant roles, an IPO allows founders to steer their business toward substantial financing for the products and initiatives that matter most to them.

Resource hubs, such as IPOhub, exist to help startups become viable public companies. There is an entire consulting sector dedicated to helping businesses prepare for a public offering. A startup’s board of directors can also contribute by advising founders about pre-IPO imperatives such as audits and negotiations.

In addition to accessing levels of financing that were previously out of reach, an IPO offers a startup more publicity, greater flexibility and a way to use its stock as corporate currency for employee incentives as well as a new option for future financing.

Some of the disadvantages associated with a public stock offering include the complexity of accomplishing what needs to be done, the substantial expense, the red tape and the inherent uncertainty with the risk that the IPO will not generate sufficient interest among investors on the stock exchange.

Staying The Course

Something is changing in the world of startups and in the minds of business founders. While many still strive to find an exit and cash in from an acquisition or an IPO, some entrepreneurs are finding success, growth and financing while maintaining private control over their operations.

Instead of dedicating time and resources to pursue suitors among corporate boards and investment banks, more startups are choosing to wait until some organizational gray comes in to illustrate the company’s emerging maturity. Increasingly, startups are finding it possible to secure sufficient financing without needing to go public or become a target for acquisition.

One reason for startups to stay private is managerial control. Others include avoiding regulatory restrictions, remaining agile, considering a direct exchange listing over an IPO and economizing on operating costs. A privately held enterprise might also be better for current employees.

Among the disadvantages of staying private, a startup’s growth can be restrained when insufficient funds derail important plans. Private businesses might not get as much publicity as they would if they were publicly held, or they might even gain a reputation of being timid or indecisive.

Choosing The Startup Path

Some people consider any delay in taking a startup public to be a business management mistake. Investors fear missing opportunities. Consumer expectations are constantly shifting.

As an entrepreneur, you must gauge your level of passion for your startup. What matters more to you, the potential to maximize your capital gains or the satisfaction you get while working to help your business succeed from the merits and innovations that you and your co-workers bring forth?

When your startup reaches a level of growth and success that attracts attention from outside investors, you will be faced with making choices about the future of the business and its stakeholders. Be sure to consider all the pros and cons of each option before dedicating your startup to taking one path over the others.

 

Afshin Doust –CEO at Advanced Intelligent Systems,

CEO at Advanced Intelligent Systems, a practical autonomous robotics company with software and hardware modules. 

There seems to be a lot of discord around the world. One thing that almost everyone agrees about, though, is that 2020 was a stressful year. Has there ever been a more welcome sight than a brand-new calendar with “2021” printed at the top? Is there anything more heartening these days than stories of people demonstrating kindness toward those who struggle with fears of Covid-19 and its fallout?

Unprecedented times call for unprecedented kindnesses. Kindness is good for the soul. What’s more, kindness helps to improve bodily health for both the giver and the receiver.

Sometimes, though, people neglect kind acts — even simple thoughtfulness — when their own survival is at risk. History books and literature tell stories of “man’s inhumanity toward man” amid stressful circumstances that seemed to portend death for those whose will to survive was lacking.

Our Actions Define Us

Stress itself doesn’t kill anyone, but our reactions to stressful situations can sometimes do great harm. One person under stress might perform acts that appear miraculous and benevolent, while the same stresses might compel someone else to commit atrocities. The way that each of us perceives stress and its potential for causing damage becomes a catalyst for their subsequent actions.

As an analogy and an example of different reactions to different perceptions of stressful situations, consider the often conflated emotions of jealousy and envy.

As Aristotle is often quoted as having said, “Jealousy is both reasonable and belongs to reasonable men, while envy is base and belongs to the base, for the one makes himself get good things by jealousy, while the other does not allow his neighbour to have them through envy.”

It isn’t difficult to confuse a self-interested action with a selfish action. One’s self-interest aligns well with the self-interest of others. Being selfish, on the other hand, implies losing rationality and with it a genuine sense of self. A selfish person often becomes obsessed with an unhealthy perception that others don’t do enough to relieve them of their stress.

Animals experiencing stress undergo a fight-flight-freeze response. Whenever someone perceives that they’re facing imminent danger, they might become like a wolverine defending itself from an aggressive bear, a bird taking wing to escape a charging house cat or a deer in the headlights.

Enemy Minuscule

What happens if a perceived threat is so small as to be invisible? Is there an objective, rational response to something that can’t be fought or evaded in a traditional sense? Are people frozen in the headlights of oncoming pathogens, or do they rally together and do what needs to be done?

In recent months, the lockdown reaction to Covid-19 has been damaging livelihoods and health. Loneliness and depression have turned out to be parallel pandemics that remain largely overlooked. An alarming number of people have been taking their own lives, and the people who try to talk them out of potentially dangerous behavior are themselves becoming desperate.

Along with the coronavirus pandemic, 2020 might be remembered as a year of widespread isolation, self-harm and domestic tragedy. Substance abuse is up, as is violent crime — but on the other hand, so is entrepreneurial activity.

Seniors appear to be taking the brunt of Covid-19’s fury, although innovative ideas are encouraging younger people to show that they care. Foremost on many adult minds are two related questions: Will this coronavirus be around forever in one form or another, and when will all the restrictions finally end?

After The Pandemic

Some people have become less social during the first year of Covid-19. Others have come together to produce new miracles.

In truth, it’s too early to know one way or another whether society has transformed as a result of Covid-19 and our early reactions to it. Around the world, our most basic emotional needs remain feeling safe, cared for and loved. Every chance to pursue personal or economic growth stems from such fundamental security.

There exists a saying about the inability to demonstrate love toward anyone without first knowing self-love. What is self-love, though? Is it self-esteem? Is it self-respect? Is it those things and more?

Perhaps genuine self-love, like all love, must be unconditional. Having self-esteem and self-respect might be important for psychological health, but maybe it’s just as important to feel love — and feel loved — when some or all those other things seem to be lacking.

Caring for oneself is being kind to oneself, and kindness is one of love’s pillars. An antidote to self-harm is self-care, so any analysis of Covid-19’s effect on society must start there. Care for yourself. Be kind to yourself, and then your kindness will go viral to help those who continue to suffer. If enough of us do that, acting with sincere self-interest, future generations might look back and thank their 21st-century ancestors for establishing an era of sustained mutual aid and cooperation.

With the effects of Covid-19 and the closure of offices, specifically in the tech sector, caring and being kind to ourselves can boost productivity and motivation. We are social creatures, and now we are caged in our home offices. Tech leaders and executives should ensure they convey a culture of self-care in order to keep their team members in a happy and performing mood.