July 11, 2019 - Halifax, NS - Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
Supporting women-led organizations to succeed is one of the most effective ways to advance gender equality and help women participate in all aspects of the economy and society. That is why the Government of Canada is advancing women's economic empowerment with the first ever Women Entrepreneurship Strategy, a $2-billion investment that seeks to double the number of women-owned businesses by 2025.
Today Darren Fisher, Member of Parliament for Dartmouth - Cole Harbour, on behalf of the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), announced an investment of $97,500 to Motryx Inc., owned by Dr. Franziska Broell.
The non-repayable contribution will enable the Halifax-based company to develop 'VitalTag', a new technology that helps provide quality control in blood vial transportation by measuring parameters known to affect the accuracy of blood tests. The funding will help Motryx further refine its product, providing a solution for hospitals to improve the transportation of blood samples.
The Women Entrepreneurship Strategy complements the Government of Canada's efforts to advance gender equality, which include addressing pay equity, providing more affordable childcare and advancing women's economic participation.
"Our government believes that women's economic empowerment is not just the right thing to do; it's good for the bottom line. That's why we launched the Women Entrepreneurship Strategy to double the number of women-owned businesses by increasing their access to financing, networks and advice. It's a smart investment with an economic and social return."
- The Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of Small Business and Export Promotion
"The women entrepreneurs and business leaders of the Halifax region make incredible contributions to our economy and community every day. I'm proud to be part of a government that takes women's economic empowerment seriously. From tackling pay equity to modernizing parental leave, this government is taking action on gender equality, and that's good for Canada and good for Nova Scotia because when women succeed, we all succeed."
- Darren Fisher, Member of Parliament for Dartmouth-Cole Harbour, on behalf of the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and Minister responsible for ACOA
"We applied for the WES grant at a very interesting pivot point within our company. We had just received interest from the health sector in Europe in our marine-focused product and were starting to understand that, within this sector, there is a much bigger problem that we could be solving. The financial support awarded through the WES grant will play an integral role in allowing us to fully develop our solution to help hospitals with the quality assurance of their blood sample transport - a critical need that has not yet been met in this market."
- Dr. Franziska Broell, CEO, Motryx Inc.
Quick facts
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Formerly known as Maritime bioLoggers, the company changed its name to Motryx Inc. when it shifted its focus to explore opportunities in the healthcare sector.
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Motryx Inc. specializes in the development of small, wireless, waterproof, temperature resistant measurement units that monitor the movement of blood vials from the patient to the lab.
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In the healthcare sector, a study found that between 1- 2% of samples sent to clinical laboratories are damaged by vibrations and rough handling - a problem creating a market of $1-2 billion in the United States alone.
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The founder and CEO of Motryx Inc., Dr. Franziska Broell, is experienced in the biotechnology industry and has a PhD in Oceanography.
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More than half of employees at Motryx are female.
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The Women Entrepreneurship Strategy (WES) will help women start and grow their businesses by improving access to financing, talent, networks and expertise through an investment of nearly $2 billion.
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The strategy will help the Government of Canada achieve its goal of doubling the number of majority women-owned businesses by 2025.
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In Atlantic Canada, the Women Entrepreneurship Strategy is delivered through ACOA.
