Most startups today are digital-first. Such enterprises are typically easier to launch, and statistics suggest they’re more likely to get funding and survive than their hardware counterparts.
“As hard as it is for all tech startups, it’s even more difficult for consumer hardware companies,” affirms a report from CB Insights, which found that 97% of consumer hardware companies “died or became zombie companies.”
It doesn’t help that investors “have a deep-seated bias against hardware,” according to experts like Paul Graham, who cites the tough scale-up barrier all hardware startups face as one which software startups can crucially bypass.
Below we pay due respect to some of the hard-working hardware companies in BC, who are innovating a variety of spaces—from robots to rescue devices to custom 3D manufacturing and more.
Sanctuary AI
In March, the BC tech company raised a whopping $75 million in capital from an oversubscribed Series A round, which included strong interest from Bell, Export Development Canada, Verizon Ventures, and more.
“Our hardware development and AI training are paying off,” CEO Geordie Rose stated at the time.
The company’s mission is simple to state but incredibly challenging to execute: create human-like intelligence and physical articulation in general-purpose robots.
“We continue to make significant advancements in the autonomy of our robots, the systems they use to sense and understand the world around them, and the dexterity of their hands,” Rose said, who noted that 99% of jobs require the dexterity of human hands.
According to Rose, Sanctuary is turning science fiction into fact through engineering. The company is not some mere research and development arm—Sanctuary is actively developing working prototypes that have impressed early adopters.
“We are engaged with numerous customers across many different sectors and I’m excited to see the positive impact our technology will have on [their] operations,” Rose said.
Sanctuary was founded in 2018 by Rose, Suzanne Gildert, Olivia Norton, and Ajay Agrawal.
MeepMeep
Bootstrapped Victoria startup MeepMeep is in the business of smart disc golf accessories hardware. Its first product is a stick-on, smartphone-connected tracker device designed to help disc golfers save time by finding lost discs faster.
“Growing up playing disc golf in the world-class courses we have here on the West Coast, I’ve always loved the sport,” cofounder Eve Olynyk, who graduated from the University of Victoria, stated earlier this year. “Now with the explosion of disc golf, there has never been a more exciting time to be in this space.”
MeepMeep’s tracker is tiny at five millimetres thick and weighing in at just seven grams. An accompanying app alerts players when needed.
“Unlike annoying, forever-on beepers which interrupt the serenity of your game, this smart disc golf accessory will only ring when you need it to,” the startups website reads.
Olynyk believes there is ample room for hardware startups to launch and grow on Vancouver Island.
“While Greater Victoria’s software tech success story has long been discussed, we’re only recently seeing the hardware space grow and we’re incredibly proud to be one of the companies taking part in this moment,” she said.
PerfectlySnug
Designed and manufactured in BC, the Snug Topper is the first high-tech active cooling sleep product available locally to Canadians.
In 2018, Jason Elliott had had enough of consistently interrupted sleep due to his mattress always feeling too hot and throwing off the blankets in frustration. So Elliot and Perfectly Snug co-founder Marty Furse decided to create their own. By the end of 2020, the startup had launched.
There are small, quiet fans located in the foot end corners of each sleep zone that pull cool air from the foot of the bed and circulate it under the sleeper’s body. Once the sleeper has set their temperature preferences, a network of temperature sensors in the sleep surface sense the sleeper’s body temperature and automatically adjust the airflow.
For those that need extra heat, the Snug Topper has an integrated heating element. Similar to the cooling system, the topper automatically controls the amount of heat based on your sensed body temperature and set preferences.
If you disagree with your partner on the temperature of your bedroom, the Snug Topper provides separate temperature controls and settings for each sleeper. For athletes and active Vancouverites, the Snug Topper’s burst function provides an instant rush of cool air for quick relief, while pre-set scheduling helps to actively lower body temperature throughout the night, providing muscle recovery for optimal performance.
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