“BioCreate” program – getting innovations ready for real-world use!

Cleantech Commons is a partner in the “BioCreate” program to help early-stage genomics companies bring new products to market

Recently, we shared how Cleantech Commons has partnered with Ontario Genomics to help early-stage genomics companies in the health, food and agriculture, and cleantech sectors bring new products to market. You can read more about that here!

Eight Ontario startups in the health, food & agriculture, and clean technology sectors have just been announced as recipients of BioCreate program supports, including funding and tech development services.

Each startup will receive $150,000, which they must match with a $100,000 contribution. Participants will also go through 18 months of mentorship and gain access to infrastructure for their technology and business development. See: Water Sampling, Agtech Startups Among Ontario Genomics’ First Cohort For Biocreate Program – betakit

Through BioCreate, Ontario Genomics is partnering with Velocity (Waterloo), McMaster Innovation Park/Synapse Life Sciences Consortium (Hamilton), Toronto Metropolitan University Science Discovery Zone (Toronto), and Cleantech Commons (Peterborough) to provide ventures with access to critical infrastructure, including lab space, business support tools, mentoring, and tech development guidance.

“The Cleantech Commons partnership with Ontario Genomics enables us to offer targeted services to support the development of technologies that will help move us closer to a net-zero future and generate sustainable, high-value cleantech jobs for Canada,” says Martin Yuill, Cleantech Commons executive director.

Ontario Genomics’ BioCreate program is open to small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in southern Ontario seeking to commercialize genomics and engineering biology-enabled products and/or technologies in the health, food and agriculture, and cleantech sectors at a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 4+.

BioCreate provides funding, access to mentorship and business support to enable companies to raise additional financing to achieve commercial outcomes.

The multi-phase BioCreate program includes direct, non-repayable funding of $150,000, matched by an additional $100,000 (minimum) from participating companies to a total project size of $250,000 or more.

Funded companies have access to 18 months of intensive business mentorship and access to critical infrastructure provided by Ontario Genomics’ (OG’s) strategic sectoral and regional partnerships.

Each cohort concludes with an investor showcase, giving companies an opportunity to pitch to investors and potential partners.