small businesses : In The News

The Economist has taken note of a Toronto startup called DriverLab, which holds out high-tech hope for elderly drivers who are at risk of losing their licenses. DriverLab is founded on the idea that maybe elderly drivers can be given a more fine-grained test, so that instead of risking losing their license completely, they might simply face restrictions on their driving as their abilities dictate - for instance, no driving at night, or driving for short distances only.

The trick is in constructing the test itself. That’s why DriverLab has built a unique test rig that has more in common with flight simulators than more driving simulators. The company has taken an Audi S3, removed the engine, mounted the chassis on a turntable, and hooked the whole thing up to panoramic projectors that can not only simulate a variety of driving situations, but shine realistic lights on the driver in a way that computer screens alone can’t. Will the government consent to this kind of reverse-graduated licensing? It’s too soon to tell - but now they can give it a test drive.

Read more here.
 

Startup Grind, the global startup support hub that originated as a Silicon Valley tech meetup in 2010, has just announced the opening of its 150^th local chapter. Along with Singapore and Sydney, Toronto was among the first cities outside of California's tech epicentre to raise its hand for an outpost. It makes sense: as we've mentioned a lot over here, Toronto is something of an enterprise node. 

The organization now spans 65 countries; attendees from around the world are scheduled to present at 2015's Startup Grind meetup in Silicon Valley. Some are based in Toronto, including Startup Grind CTO, Joel Fernandes.

“It really just solved a personal need. I was disenfranchised by the events that I attended and the attitude of the people organizing and sitting in the audience,” Startup Grind founder Derek Andersen told Forbes. “We decided that it was better to create a small group of smart people with similar values than to go to a huge event and get your brains pitched out by everyone.”


Read the full article here. 
Source: Forbes

Advertising automation giant Rubicon has picked up the Toronto start-up, Shiny Ads, along with San Francisco-based iSocket, for the combined tune of just under $30 Million USD. 

The Wall Street Journal reports:
 
Shiny Ads' website describes the company a provider of "end-to-end programmatic direct advertising platform for digital publishers to sell more premium inventory for increased revenues and profits. By automating the process for advertisers of all sizes, Shiny Ads allows the direct sales team to focus on more complex ad buys and close more deals."


Read the full story here. 
Source: The Wall Street Journal




 

Toronto's “multicultural snacking and molecular cocktail” scene got love from influential alt weekly The Village Voice last week. It shouldn't be a huge surprise; the city's diverse and eclectic neighbourhoods have drawn plenty of international attention in the past.


King and Queen Streets West get a shoutout, as do a number of Kensington Market hotspots including Italian-Jamaican fusion joint Rasta Pasta, taqueria Seven Lives, and people-watching patio, Ronnie's. As the article states, “Ontario's capital is anything but provincial.” We couldn't agree more.


Read the full article here.
Source: The Village Voice.  

Little India is changing, and the New York Times has noticed.

"Sari shops and curry emporiums still dot Gerrard Street, the main artery in Toronto’s Little India. But over the last decade, much of the city’s South Asian population has decamped for suburbs like Brampton and Rexdale," the publication writes.

"Now, as artists and young families move into the neighborhood’s neat single-family homes, Gerrard Street’s affordable storefronts are attracting creative entrepreneurs priced out of trendier districts. The fresh crop of businesses is giving this east-end enclave a vibe that’s both edgy and homey. And with a wave of Irish immigrants settling nearby side streets, a distinctive lilt can now be heard on the strip."

Coffee house and gallery Flying Pony gets top nods for its "bold works by emerging Canadian artists like Gilles Arsenault and David Irvine," while The Swag Sisters, a "tiny toy shop where Legos share shelves with duct-tape wallets from MarinaRocksToronto – a.k.a. the 15-year-old Toronto designer Marina Wilson," receives additional praise. 

Eateries Tea n Bannock and Lazy Daisy's Café are applauded for traditional cuisine and local-faire, respectably. 

And lastly, Gerrard Art Space gets a write up for its "multimedia exhibits, Sunday afternoon concerts, ukulele classes and children’s art workshops."

Read the full story here. 
Original Source: The New York Times

On Monday, Toronto's MakeWorks announced a partnership with Indiegogo Canada that will help the co-working maker studio expand their programming and potentially finance a second location.

MakeWorks is the first coworking space of its kind in Toronto, providing support to both digital and physical-focused startups. The 10,000 square-foot space houses some 30 different startups, prototyping tools and maker tools such as 3D printers, and acts as a large event space for community and hackathon events alike. 

"Toronto needed a new kind of shared workspace catered to the next generation of startups, products, and services. We built MakeWorks to serve a more diverse group of startups, and the feedback so far has been overwhelmingly positive,” MakeWorks founder Mike Stern said in an article that appeared in Tech Cocktail. 

The partnership with Indiegogo Canada will allow the studio to enhance their community workshop programming and expand their in house equipment offerings. MakeWorks has been working to increase the number of startups involved in the space. As such, Indiegogo will move its Canadian headquarters into the space as part of the deal. 

Read the original story here. 
Original Source: Tech Cocktail

A group of significant Toronto startups including Wattpad, Shopify, InteraXon, Bionym, and Freshbooks have teamed up with Toronto Homecoming to launch an event designed to attract Canadians living abroad back to Toronto's "thriving technology startup ecosystem," a release stated. 

"Returning to Toronto was the best career move I've made, giving me the opportunity to join Bionym at such an exciting time," said Andrew D'Souza, President of Bionym, in the release. "The current wave of startup technology companies emerging from this ecosystem have enormous potential and represent trajectory-shifting career opportunities for those looking to take the next step as technology leaders. All of these companies have attracted capital, customers and partners from around the globe -- now they're looking to add world-class talent to build their businesses."

Toronto Homecoming's startup event will feature 10 to 15 startups looking to expand their employee base and entice homegrown talent back to the city. It is estimated some 300,000 Canadians live and work in the Bay Area alone. 

"Toronto Homecoming is excited to partner with startups that have significant momentum, funding and great leadership teams. We believe this new startup stream will attract more talent to Toronto, and Canada," said Andrew Graham, Toronto Homecoming's Co-Chair, in the release. "Toronto Homecoming shows Canada's next generation of world-class companies."

The event takes place October 9-11. Applications are open until August 1. 

Participating startups include:

•    Bionym
•    Shopify
•    WattPad
•    500px
•    Wave
•    Freshbooks
•    Achievers
•    Ecobee
•    WealthSimple
•    FinMaven
•    Soapbox
•    Shoebox
•    Interaxon
•    Tab Payments

For more information and registration click here. 
Original Source: Market Wired 

Joanna Griffiths, the Toronto-based entrepreneur and founder of innovative underwear company Knix Wear, sat down with Entrepreneur magazine recently to discuss something she knows quite well—building a successful crowdfunding campaign. 

Griffiths turned to crowdfunding in 2013 with the launch of an Indiegogo campaign to test the market for her moisture-wicking, odour-absorbent underwear. 

"It was the last test in a series of tests I conducted before launching the business," she told the magazine. 

It worked. She surpassed her goal and raised more than $50,000 from some 518 backers. But it didn't come without its challenges. Still, Griffiths persevered and learned a few lessons along the way.

For starters, she says, you need to have a plan. "You can't launch a campaign, go on autopilot and expect money to come rolling in," she says in the article. She studied successful campaigns before launching one of her own, determined to mimic their results by following their approaches. 

She makes eight recommendations from making your campaign personal ("People fund people, not just ideas") to taking things offline ("You want to build excitement, get people excited about backing the project…Don't ignore offline opportunities to build engagement.")

A worthwhile read for anyone considering launching a crowdfunding campaign of their own—or for those looking to pick up a few smart business practice tips. 

Read the full story here. 
Original Source: Entrepreneur.com 

Ten Toronto restaurants ranked among the country's top 50, according to the third annual guide determined by Vacay.ca and a panel of judges consisting of some of the nation's top chefs. 

While the top prize went to a small, but elegant eatery in St. John's Newfoundland—recognized for elevating the province's local cuisine—Toronto took home 20 per cent of the honours with Bar Isabel, a Spanish eatery found along College Street at Shaw, leading our city's rankings as the second best restaurant in Canada. 

Executive Chef Lucais Syme of La Pentola della Quercia hailed, "Simply presented food with awesome flavour made of great combinations. Great style and interesting." While Executive Chef Paul Brans of Artisan proclaimed, "Great sharing plates that take you back to those crowded tapas bars in Barcelona. Perfect."

"Go for the charcuterie and cocktails; stay late for the fried chicken," says Little Room President Joseph Caturay. "Check out your fellow diners; chances are they are some of the top chefs, bartenders and servers in Toronto."

Bar Isabel is a newer establishment that did not exist at the time of nominations in 2013, thus 2014 marks a strong debut. 

Here's how Toronto restaurants ranked:

2. Bar Isabel, 797 College St.
7. BUCA, 604 King St. W.
12. Bar BUCA, 75 Portland St.
15. Hopgood's Foodliner, 325 Roncesvalles Ave. 
28. Auberge Du Pommier, 4150 Yonge St.
34. Momofuku Shoto, 190 University Ave. 
35. Canoe, 66 Wellington St. W.
36. Patria, 478 King St. W. 
38. Splendido, 88 Harbord St. 
40. Chantecler, 1320 Queen St. W. 

Read the full list here. 
Original Source: Vacay.ca