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BIOENTERPRISE

www.bioenterprise.ca

AGRICULTURE

BIOENTERPRISEBridging the concept-to-commercialization gap: How Bioenterprise helps Canada’s agri-tech innovators succeed

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“We wanted to talk to some folks that were

experts in agricultural applications of new

technologies,” Anderson explains. “They were

very obviously the best people to call.”

Bioenterprise didn’t disappoint him. They

introduced Anderson to investors, sponsored the

company’s attendance at key industry meetings

and coordinated brainstorming sessions with

sector leaders to pinpoint the applications with the

greatest potential.

Thanks in no small measure to that help, Vive

Crop Protection launched its first line-up of EPA-

registered products in 2016. “Bioenterprise support

was a critical piece of our successful launch,”

Anderson says. “Without it, we would have had

trouble getting the traction we have had.”

Handshakes and heavy-hitters What makes Bioenterprise so effective? According

to president Dave Smardon, the answer is sector

depth. “All we do is agri-tech, so we know this

industry inside and out,” he explains.

As a result, Bioenterprise clients have access

to an extensive Rolodex of potential investors,

partners, suppliers, customers and more.

Meanwhile, the organization has established

partnerships with leading professional service

providers, from bankers, lawyers and accountants

to executive search firms and food safety

consultants.

Nor do their connections stop at Canada’s

borders. You’ll regularly find Bioenterprise staffers

Vive Crop Protection had developed a brilliant technology: tiny nano-engineered “shuttles” that deliver pesticides exactly where they need to go, maximizing their effectiveness while minimizing the environmental impact.

BUT AS VIVE’S president, Darren Anderson, will

tell you, innovation alone doesn’t guarantee

commercial success. You also need business

savvy, industry knowledge and financial

resources to navigate the path to market.

That’s why the start-up turned to

Bioenterprise Corporation. With 30 team

members in offices across the country,

Bioenterprise is the largest business accelerator in

Canada focused exclusively on agri-technology.

Funded through Growing Forward 2, a federal-

provincial-territorial initiative, the organization has

helped hundreds of ventures get off the ground

or grow to the next level since 2003.

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and board members speaking at international

events or welcoming delegations from abroad.

Earlier this year, the organization helped put

together an agri-tech trade mission to Japan.

Among the mission delegates was Anderson,

keen to assess prospective demand for Vive

products in Asia. “The four-day trade mission

was a tremendous success,” he says. “We’re very

excited about the potential to begin exporting

into Japanese markets.”

Serious business savvy For newbie entrepreneurs, Bioenterprise is a

source of business advice as well. In-house

experts will review the viability of an idea,

analyze the competition, determine financial

needs, conduct market research and help clients

become investment-ready.

They can also help navigate Canada’s

complex regulatory terrain. That can be

invaluable in an industry where literally hundreds

of regulations, policies and standards govern

almost every aspect of operations — from safety

to packaging to production and more.

Take the example of Agri-Neo. The Toronto

start-up aims to set new standards for food

safety with Neo-Pure, a spray that disinfects

seeds, nuts and grains without changing their

taste or texture.

Bioenterprise helped Agri-Neo hire the right

talent, secure funding, access the regulatory

expertise they needed, and find customers.

“They’re definitely a leader in the Canadian

space in terms of working with agricultural

companies,” says President and COO Rob

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Wong. “They really made a big difference.”

Since launching Neo-Pure in 2016, the

company has attracted a roster of major

producers and distributors, along with a

2016 Ontario Premier’s Award for Agri-Food

Innovation Excellence. Earlier this year, Neo-Pure

earned FDA approval, allowing customers to use

it on an even wider array of dry foods.

Katan Kitchens is another company that credits

Bioenterprise with accelerating their success.

Founder Jamie Draves was a big believer in the

nutritional power of quinoa, a Peruvian superfood.

He dreamed of growing and processing the grain

in Ontario, supplying a booming demand for

local food. However, the agricultural sector was

uncharted territory for Draves.

Bioenterprise supplied the expertise

he lacked. They scrutinized the company’s

business plans, made important connections

and developed pitch decks. Since then, Katan

Kitchens has achieved one big win after another,

partnering with celebrity chef Vikram Vij and

securing $1 million in funding. Most recently,

they won 2017 International Start-up of the Year

at the VitaFoods European Conference, a major

global nutraceutical event.

“[Bioenterprise is] a great resource for us, and

they’ve been there through each of the stages of

the development of our company,” says Draves.

All-important dollarsOne of the biggest hurdles facing start-ups

and established companies alike is financing

growth. Here again, Bioenterprise is positioned

to help. As well as connecting clients to

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investors and assisting with funding proposals,

the organization also provides direct financial

support to selected enterprises.

In Ontario, Bioenterprise offers seed funding

for start-ups and businesses in the province

through FedDev Ontario. Since 2016, they have

delivered two rounds of seed funding totalling

$1,939,000.

For one established Guelph, Ontario

company, those dollars helped them take their

business to the next level. Since 1983, Rootham

Gourmet Preserves had been successfully

turning Ontario produce into gourmet

condiments, sold in local specialty markets and

gift stores.

But owner Will Rootham-Roberts wanted

to reach a wider audience. Using a grant from

Bioenterprise, he was able to expand processing

capabilities and launch a highly targeted

direct mail campaign engineered by one of

Bioenterprise’s corporate partners.

The results were immediate: Rootham

gained more than two-dozen new clients in just

two months. That boost to business allowed

them to expand production, hire more staff

and increase the hours of current employees.

The grant also helped support product

development with Longo’s, a chain of grocery

stores across the Greater Toronto Area, leading

to a significant contract.

“This funding was crucial,” says Rootham-

Roberts. “The immediate cash infusion allowed

us to accelerate our growth very rapidly.” Indeed,

the company not only hit their target of doubling

gross sales, but they did it in just one year

instead of the projected two.

Transforming innovation into commercial success“The fact is, Canada has no shortage of

promising agri-tech ideas, technologies and

products,” says Smardon. “Where this country

has traditionally fallen short is in turning that

innovation into commercial success. And that’s

where Bioenterprise makes a big difference.”

According to Smardon, clients that work

with Bioenterprise experience a significant

increase in growth. Over the last four years

alone, the organization’s clients have launched

more than 1,000 new products, services and

technologies; created hundreds of new jobs;

and generated over $12 million in revenues.

Bioenterprise has also worked closely with 30

companies in helping them secure more than

$120 million in investment.

That’s good news for Canada, helping

create new jobs and drive economic growth.

It’s also good news for the world as a whole. As

the global population continues to balloon, it’s

putting more pressure than ever on the planet’s

finite resources.

“The world’s future depends on agri-

technology,” says Smardon. “If we’re going to feed

another two billion people by 2050, we have to

produce more food using fewer resources. We

have to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, and

we have to use fresh water much more wisely.

And Bioenterprise’s clients are on the forefront of

making those changes possible.” CBJ

www.bioenterprise.ca

AS SEEN IN THE SEPTEMBER 2017 ISSUE OF THE CANADIAN BUSINESS JOURNAL

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