SFU VentureLabs partners with Manterra to keep BC startups local

Vancouver-based accelerator SFU VentureLabs has partnered with manufacturer Manterra Technologies to give VentureLabs' BC-based startups a way to make their products locally, rather than producing overseas.

VentureLabs and Manterra announced the partnership on Wednesday. The collaboration combines VentureLabs' commercialization and go-to-market programming with Manterra's manufacturing expertise and production capabilities. The goal is to help companies move from prototype to scaled production.

"By bridging the gap between VentureLabs companies and local manufacturers like Manterra, we are keeping BC's leading deeptech and science startups local, so they can move faster, scale smarter, and keep production closer to home," VentureLabs executive director Lesley Esford said in a statement.

Supported by government funding and delivered by Simon Fraser University, VentureLabs runs two core programs: Perago, its deeptech accelerator, and its ScaleUp Accelerator for science and tech startups. The accelerator is not restricted to startups from Simon Fraser University and accepts companies from across British Columbia. Notable graduates include Moment Energy, Aspect Biosystems, and Spexi.

Manterra's 52,000-sq.-ft. manufacturing facility will give VentureLabs startups access to precision plastic molding and advanced 3D-printing. The facility is certified to produce to medical, automotive, and general industrial quality standards.

Moving from a working prototype to a manufacturable product is one of the hardest stages of growth. A local manufacturing partner like Manterra offers founders an alternative to offshore production, speeding up timelines and building a production base within the province.