The Manitoba government is putting almost $370,000 into five local companies.
It said the money is coming through the Innovation Growth Program (IGP) to help the companies commercialize their products and grow their business.
Economic Development, Investment, Trade and Natural Resources Minister Jamie Moses said the program cost-shares some of the risks attached to commercializing products and processes. He said this “in turn, generates jobs and revenue for the province.”
The province said IGP is a competitive program and takes applications on a quarterly basis. This time, all five applicants from September will get support.
Win-Shield Medical Devices Inc. in Winnipeg will be receiving $100,000 for field testing a gas mask that can be used in the medical, industrial, law enforcement and military sectors, Manitoba said.
“These funds will allow us to immediately add to our engineering team and accelerate our efforts to bring an exciting new device into the market,” Rob Ranson, the company’s founder and president, said.
Through the IGP it will also be giving eScribeMD Consultation, operating as 10163623 Manitoba Ltd. in Winnipeg, $33,000. Moses said the money will be used to test eScribeMD, a health-care platform meant to streamline medical documentation using audio transcription with the help of artificial intelligence.
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The province said NSD Tech Inc. in Winnipeg is getting $35,250 to put to market an “advanced information services platform called CARMIS, tailored to non-profit agencies working in immigration and settlement.”
The fourth company on the list, Standard Carbon Inc. of Winnipeg, will be receiving $100,000 to commercialize climate accounting software called SCOP3, Moses said. The software will help companies reduce their environmental impact by automating the creation of carbon footprints, tracking carbon input and output, and helping them strategize.
Lastly, the province said UKKÖ Robotics Inc. in Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes, Man., is receiving $100,000 to get its mobile-monitored livestock shades and poultry micro barns — which can move on their own in pastures — on the market.
The government said, all together, these enterprises will contribute 233 new full-time jobs to Manitoba and $116 million in export sales within five years.
More information about IGP and details on how to apply can be found on the Manitoba government’s website.