Creative Destruction Lab (CDL)

Iris Dynamics Ltd. is a Canadian technology startup based on Vancouver Island, specializing in innovative magnetic force-controlled actuator motors. This technology enhances the human-machine interface and has been implemented across various sectors, including aircraft controls, flight simulation, remotely piloted vehicles, heavy equipment, automotive, industrial automation, robotics, and semiconductor manufacturing. By offering improved performance, reliability, and cost-effectiveness compared to traditional technologies, Iris Dynamics is developing high-performance stabilization platforms for diverse client applications. The company also engages in advanced electromagnetic research at two prominent Canadian universities to further its technological capabilities. Iris Dynamics is actively seeking industry partnerships to expand the application and impact of its technology.

Lucent Biosciences specializes in the development of innovative biofertilizers aimed at enhancing agricultural sustainability. The company offers a unique class of micronutrient fertilizers that promote higher crop yields and nutrient levels while being environmentally friendly. Their products are designed to improve soil health and sequester carbon, contributing to climate-positive farming practices. By utilizing sustainable bioactive crop nutrition, Lucent Biosciences enables farmers to cultivate nutrient-dense crops without polluting groundwater, thereby supporting regenerative agriculture and reducing overall costs per hectare.

VodaSafe Inc. is a Canadian company based in Kelowna that specializes in developing innovative water search and rescue technologies. Its primary product, AquaEye, is a handheld waterproof device designed for rescuers, utilizing sonar and artificial intelligence to detect submerged individuals in bodies of water. AquaEye not only locates people but also records essential rescue data and connects via Bluetooth to various devices. VodaSafe aims to enhance lifeguard, emergency responder, and recreational user capabilities in lifesaving and victim recovery efforts through advanced ultrasonic scanning methodologies.

BarrelWise Technologies specializes in innovative solutions for the wine industry, focusing on improving production and analysis processes. Their flagship product, the FS1 System, revolutionizes routine free SO2 checks by allowing wineries to conduct these tests directly in the cellar, significantly reducing the time required from days to mere minutes while ensuring lab-level accuracy. Additionally, the technology facilitates various barrel management tasks, such as topping, sampling, sulfating, and chemical analysis, all without the need to open the barrel. This integrated approach enhances operational efficiency for wineries in regions like British Columbia, California, and Washington.

Open Ocean Robotics is a company focused on collecting ocean data using solar-powered autonomous boats. Founded in 2018 and based in Victoria, British Columbia, the company operates unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) equipped with sensors, cameras, and communication devices. These boats can gather information from various locations in the ocean, providing real-time data that can aid in protecting endangered whale species, optimizing shipping routes for fuel efficiency, combating illegal fishing, and enhancing understanding of climate change impacts. By offering a safe, efficient, and cost-effective alternative to traditional crewed vessels, Open Ocean Robotics enables clients to monitor ocean traffic and conduct marine observations effectively.

Miru Smart Technologies, formerly known as Click Materials, is a Vancouver-based company specializing in advanced materials, particularly in the development of electrochromic windows for residential, commercial, and automotive applications. Founded as a university spin-off, Miru leverages over a decade of academic and industrial research to innovate traditional thin film production. This advanced fabrication process is designed to provide superior performance at lower manufacturing costs compared to existing technologies. By focusing on strategic partnerships, Miru aims to integrate its window technology into the growing trends of connected smart buildings and voice-activated smart homes, contributing to reduced greenhouse gas emissions and enhanced energy efficiency.

BeatDapp is a technology company that specializes in music streaming software aimed at eliminating streaming fraud and ensuring fair compensation for artists. Founded in 2018 and headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, with additional offices in Los Angeles and Toronto, BeatDapp provides a SaaS-based platform that allows music labels and artists to accurately track their songs and collect royalties. Its innovative tracking system authenticates and validates media streamed in real-time, reducing discrepancies between Digital Service Providers and rights holders. This capability not only enhances royalty revenue for rights holders but also mitigates legal risks associated with royalty disputes. With a team of industry and technology veterans, BeatDapp is positioned to revolutionize the music industry by delivering transparent streaming data to a rapidly growing market of paid consumers.

QReserve is a provider of scheduling software that assists organizations in managing, promoting, and sharing resources such as meeting rooms, offices, desks, equipment, and facilities. The platform offers a variety of products, including room and desk scheduling, laboratory management, and property management, which facilitate the acceleration of research and development projects for students, researchers, and businesses. QReserve enhances resource utilization through professional cataloguing services and analytics tools, delivering valuable insights on utilization rates, revenues, capacity, and performance. The platform supports thousands of users daily, helping them discover and access over ten thousand resources. Notable clients include SickKids, UBC Okanagan, and McMaster University.

Miru Smart Technologies, formerly known as Click Materials, is a Vancouver-based company specializing in advanced materials, particularly in the development of electrochromic windows for residential, commercial, and automotive applications. Founded as a university spin-off, Miru leverages over a decade of academic and industrial research to innovate traditional thin film production. This advanced fabrication process is designed to provide superior performance at lower manufacturing costs compared to existing technologies. By focusing on strategic partnerships, Miru aims to integrate its window technology into the growing trends of connected smart buildings and voice-activated smart homes, contributing to reduced greenhouse gas emissions and enhanced energy efficiency.

Dooly Research Ltd. is a Canadian company based in Vancouver that specializes in artificial intelligence-driven software designed to enhance the efficiency of sales teams. Founded in 2015, Dooly's platform automates the customer relationship management process by collecting and sharing essential customer information from meetings and conversations. This software facilitates the organization and updating of workflow systems in real-time, allowing users to manage notes, tasks, and learnings more effectively. By bridging the gap between note-taking and information sharing, Dooly enables sales teams to minimize administrative burdens and concentrate on core business activities, ultimately optimizing their performance and productivity.

Routific, Inc. is a provider of route optimization software designed to assist small and medium-sized delivery businesses in Canada and internationally. Headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, the company offers an intelligent delivery management solution that automates vehicle routing and scheduling operations. Inspired by the foraging behaviors of honey bees, Routific's platform features intelligent route optimization, dispatch and live tracking, and delivery notifications, enabling businesses to save time and fuel while reducing carbon emissions by 20-40%. By enhancing driver efficiency and customer satisfaction, Routific's technology is trusted by delivery companies worldwide to lower delivery costs and improve overall operational effectiveness.

Elevated Signals Inc. is a Vancouver-based company that provides a digital cultivation management platform designed to optimize crop production in controlled environments. Founded in 2016, the company utilizes wireless IoT sensors and data science to enhance operational efficiency for its clients in heavily regulated industries. Its comprehensive solution includes features such as seed-to-harvest compliance record keeping, cultivar-specific workflow management, and high-resolution environmental monitoring linked to plant IDs. Elevated Signals' cloud-based platform automates manual tasks and centralizes real-time inventory data, enabling manufacturers to streamline operations and facilitate compliance reporting. By offering customization across inventory, quality, and finance, the platform empowers users to make informed decisions quickly, ultimately enhancing productivity and reducing waste.

Industrial Plankton Inc. is a Canadian company based in Victoria, British Columbia, specializing in the design and manufacture of advanced algal bioreactors. Founded in 2010, the company introduced its flagship 1000L algae bioreactor in 2012, followed by a 100L research reactor in 2014 and a full LED 1250L reactor in 2016. The bioreactors are fully automated, self-sterilizing, and self-cleaning, equipped with integrated applications that streamline the algae cultivation process, reducing the time and skill needed for successful production. In addition to its algae-focused products, Industrial Plankton plans to launch an automated rotifer reactor, further diversifying its offerings in the aquaculture and biotechnology sectors. All equipment is manufactured in-house, ensuring high quality and reliability.

Mesentech Inc. is a regenerative medicine company based in Vancouver, Canada, specializing in the development of therapeutics that target bone-related diseases. The company utilizes a unique prodrug platform that delivers bi-specific small-molecule therapeutics selectively to bone tissue, minimizing side effects associated with systemic exposure. Its lead product, MES1007, is a bone-targeted prodrug of a prostaglandin mimetic, designed to potentially reverse bone loss linked to conditions such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy and osteoporosis. Mesentech's proprietary technology overcomes the challenges of delivering medications to the difficult-to-treat bone environment, which often requires high drug doses and can lead to significant side effects. Through pre-clinical in-vivo models, the effectiveness of this bone-targeting system has been confirmed, positioning Mesentech to address various low-bone-density disorders and enhance bone healing outcomes. The company was incorporated in 2013 and continues to innovate in the field of bone therapeutics.

Mangrove Water Technologies Ltd. specializes in the manufacture of wastewater desalination systems, focusing on the treatment and purification of contaminated well water. The company has developed a modular and mobile technology that converts saline wastewater and waste gases into desalinated water and valuable chemicals for on-site use. Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, the company has advanced its technology from concept to commercial-scale demonstrations over four years. The technology originates from research conducted at the University of British Columbia's Chemical Engineering Department, supported by various funding agencies, including Emissions Reduction Alberta and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.

Damon Motors Inc. is a technology company focused on revolutionizing motorcycle safety and urban mobility. Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, with additional offices in San Rafael, California, the company develops advanced safety systems for motorcycles, including its 360º Advanced Warning System, which utilizes innovations in sensor fusion, robotics, and artificial intelligence to enhance rider awareness. Damon Motors is recognized for its groundbreaking electric powertrain, HyperDrive, and innovative features such as CoPilot and Shift, which appeal to a new generation of riders. By integrating cutting-edge technology into its designs, Damon is committed to setting new standards in motorcycle safety and sustainability, gaining rapid market acceptance both in the United States and internationally.

Ecoation Innovation Solutions specializes in providing greenhouse growers with advanced tools for the early detection of pests, diseases, and nutrient deficiencies that can impact crop value. By harnessing proprietary artificial intelligence and plant signal data, Ecoation's system delivers daily updates on crop health directly to growers through desktop and smartphone applications. This technology empowers growers to take prompt actions that enhance crop value, lower operating costs, and minimize pesticide usage. Based in Canada, Ecoation's innovative platform integrates elements of biology, automation, sensing, and robotics, aiming to transform agricultural practices and improve overall crop productivity. The company is currently conducting paid field trials in British Columbia greenhouses to demonstrate the effectiveness of its solutions.

Plantiga Technologies Inc. is a Vancouver-based company that specializes in biometric sensing technology for footwear. Founded in 2017, Plantiga has developed a platform that offers human movement intelligence, providing deep insights into health by analyzing how individuals move. Their technology focuses on optimizing health, preventing injuries, and monitoring recovery by detecting subtle changes in functional movement patterns that are often imperceptible. By combining rigorous analysis of human performance with wearable device capabilities, Plantiga enables users to assess athletic performance, health, and productivity effectively.

FTSY is a footwear matching platform that simplifies the process of finding the right shoes for customers both in-store and online. By leveraging proprietary artificial intelligence, FTSY delivers size and style recommendations that mimic the expertise of experienced sales personnel. The platform enhances the shopping experience, driving sales while reducing return rates and fostering customer loyalty. FTSY integrates seamlessly with major point of sale, ecommerce, and customer relationship management systems, allowing footwear brands to implement its technology quickly and efficiently. Users can easily match shoes by taking a photo, eliminating the need for cumbersome quizzes or physical measurements. Founded in 2015 and based in Vancouver, Canada, FTSY's team comprises specialists in retail, ecommerce, computer vision, and AI, dedicated to creating distinctive and engaging experiences for both brands and consumers.

Starling Minds Inc. is a Vancouver-based company founded in 2013 that specializes in digital mental health therapy. It offers an online Cognitive Behavioral Therapy program designed to address stress, burnout, anxiety, and depression in workplace settings. The company provides comprehensive solutions for various sectors, including business, disability management, education, healthcare, insurance, and workers' compensation. By utilizing an artificial intelligence-powered platform, Starling Minds licenses its technology to insurance payers, healthcare providers, and employers in a business-to-business model. This approach aims to alleviate the chronic shortage of affordable mental health professionals by offering effective support for employees, facilitating their return to work, and promoting overall workplace productivity and mental well-being.