How The Forge at McMaster is helping fuel novel startups

The Forge’s Business Incubator program is guiding startups to grow and succeed.

Innovators are raving about The Forge’s Business Incubator program, available to anyone with a novel and scalable business idea or startup in the Hamilton, Greater Toronto, and Niagara regions. Launched in 2015, The Forge is sector agnostic and supports entrepreneurs through the ideation, validation, and growth process for their early-stage startup. The incubator provides expert mentorship, incubation space, investor introductions, a financial reimbursement budget, entrepreneurial workshops, networking opportunities, and it does not take equity from startups it supports.

The Business Incubator program is currently accepting applications till July 31 for its next cohort. Top talent is already taking their brands to new heights with The Forge.

Lianna Genovese, CEO and Founder of ImaginAble Solutions developed an award-winning assistive device called Guided Hands, to enable people experiencing limited hand mobility to write, paint, draw and access technology through touch-screen devices.

Genovese, a recent graduate of McMaster University’s Integrated Biomedical Engineering and Health Sciences program, created her initial prototype for a class project, then she incorporated ImaginAble Solutions and reached out to The Forge to grow and launch her startup.

“We received excellent mentorship, access to business resources, and a community of inspiring and like-minded entrepreneurs working hard to make an impact,” said Genovese.

According to the Startup Genome Project, entrepreneurs with mentors had three and a half times more growth and raised seven times more money than those without. The Forge has over 45 mentors across numerous industries and startups have access to student employment programs and research departments.

“For anyone with a scalable innovative business idea, the Business Incubator program is here to help,” said Riley Moynes, Incubator Manager of The Forge.

Auper Motorcycles Inc. (Auper) is an innovative and affordable electric motorcycle company for the Brazilian market. Auper tackles major problems of safety, security, and performance in motorcycles. Intelligent hardware helps with safety and performance, while encryption technology ensures parts stolen from one motorcycle cannot be used on another

Filho, a McMaster University graduate with a Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering, and his partners understood the invention but benefitted from support on the business side. In addition, the program offers startups new opportunities for funding and assistance.

“Auper was created by engineers and The Forge has helped us develop our business strategy,” said Filho.

Toques from the Heart was co-founded by three McMaster University Commerce students, Matt Carter, Matthew Milne, and Casey Rogan. The venture donates a toque to someone experiencing homelessness, for every toque sold. Over 8,500 repurposed new toques have been distributed through social service agencies and non-profits to people experiencing homelessness across Canada.

“The Forge has provided us with guidance in every aspect of the business. It’s been helpful to ask mentors for advice, pitch ideas, and be able to test ideas before they roll out,” said Milne.

AIMA Laboratories, founded by graduates of McMaster University, Drs. Lauren Foster and Jocelyn Wessels, is focused on developing tools designed to shorten the pathway to diagnosis for women with chronic pelvic/period pain. AIMA Laboratories’ test platform brings the convenience of home collection to clinical lab testing.

“The Forge provides a lot of support that is great for startups,” said Wessels. “AIMA Laboratories was discussed over a period of about ten years but was finally ‘born’ after finding The Forge.”

Moynes reiterated that The Forge is available for anyone with a novel and scalable startup.

“It’s really fun to build something but the hard part is getting someone to fund it. The best first step is knowing people that can make introductions between an entrepreneur and someone in their industry,” said Moynes.

The Forge has become the go-to option for top entrepreneurial talent in the Golden Horseshoe Region looking to become the next success story.

“Over three years of being supported by The Forge, ImaginAble Solutions sold Guided Hands across North America and Singapore, filed for patents, won the National Canadian James Dyson Award, and continues to improve the quality of life for people living with a disability,” said Genovese.

Start growing your novel and scalable startup, visit The Forge today: https://theforge.mcmaster.ca/

Paul Fitzgerald

Paul Fitzgerald is the founder and CEO of Salt & Pepper Media Inc. - a popular public relations and digital media firm that secures media coverage for new tech start-ups. His firm is active in Toronto, Calgary, Montreal, Vancouver, New York City, Chicago, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and San Diego. Fitzgerald is currently a contributing columnist with Rolling Stone Culture Council and Entrepreneur Magazine. He is also a new innovations and science and technology journalist and writes for the Toronto Sun, The Toronto Tribune, The Toronto Post-Gazette, and The New York City Herald. He also hosts the Tech Spotlight Feature on YourTV News - Cogeco and Halton Outlook Today (HOT) News.