EMSAT Corporation is graduating from Memorial University’s Genesis Centre today.

The Genesis Centre is Memorial’s business support network for technology-based ventures that have high growth potential and are seeking business guidance and capital.

EMSAT’s graduation comes as a result of the company’s recent success with its pilot partner, Alberta Innovates – Technology Futures (AITF). EMSAT completed phase one of a pilot project with AITF in March of 2013 to develop an interface for an integrated carbon capture and storage (CCS) monitoring system.

Due to the success of phase one, EMSAT recently signed a partnership agreement to complete phase two of the project and, together with AITF, work with industry to implement the solution. The end result of the project will be a system for real-time measurement, monitoring and verification of a geological CO₂ storage site. The pilot project represents a unique application of EMSAT’s technology and will help to launch the company commercially.

The EMSAT management team of Dan Brake and Philippe LeBlanc combined their respective software development, business administration and environmental management skills to build an innovative and exciting new company. Mr. Brake’s career includes designing and building various integrated software solutions in environmental, health and safety, aerospace, advertising and media distribution industries. He has worked with companies in Canada, the United States and in the United Kingdom managing clients’ needs worldwide.

Mr. LeBlanc brings to EMSAT more than 10 years of applied and academic experience in environmental management and impact assessment. He has been involved in a wide range of research projects from monitoring receding glaciers in northern Labrador to co-ordinating integrated environmental impact assessment of climate change in the Arctic.  

“As an important part of the province’s entrepreneurial community, the Genesis Centre provides business resources to client companies, in tandem with the technical and scientific resources of Memorial University,” said Dr. Richard Marceau, vice-president (research), Memorial University. “The university is proud of EMSAT Corporation’s success, and we look forward to their future growth and commercial prosperity.”

“The milestone of graduating from the Genesis Centre is very timely for EMSAT,” said Mr. Brake. “2014 is an exciting and very important year for us as we move from R&D into commercialization and sales. Significant changes are supporting these efforts with new office space, a growing and talented team and fostering important industry partnerships. We have an innovative pilot project underway in Alberta that we will leverage for commercial opportunities and are seeing real traction with other projects we are developing. Real-time environmental monitoring is a relatively new field. We are in a very good position to be leaders in the growth of a new industry. Since forming EMSAT in 2010 we have had tremendous support and guidance from the Genesis Centre and on behalf of the EMSAT staff and board I want to express how grateful we are to the centre.”

EMSAT is the 36th company to graduate from the Genesis Centre since 2000. The centre is currently working with seven other clients. It has helped its clients raise more than $23.9 million in private equity, 60 per cent of that amount coming from outside the province. Graduates include Rutter Technologies, Verafin, Genoa Design, Virtual Marine Technology and ClearRisk. The Genesis Centre was named Canadian Incubator of the Year in 2011.

For more information, contact Keelin O’Leary, vice-president, entrepreneurial support, Genesis Group at 709-864-2365 or keelin@mun.ca; or Dan Brake, CEO, EMSAT Corporation at 709-383-0312 or dan@emsatcorp.com.

 

EMSAT was mentored by St. John’s-based businessman Paul Antle, who brought his experience as an award-winning entrepreneur of a number of environmental companies that became global leaders in innovation and customer service to the table. Mr. Antle is currently chairman, president and CEO of West Mountain Capital Corp., a publicly traded company operating in the environmental industry in North America and China. Mr. Antle is also president and CEO of Pluto Investments Inc., which focuses on private equity opportunities in Atlantic Canada, and most recently acquired NEWDOCK (St. John’s Dockyard) and Humber Motors Limited of Corner Brook, N.L.

EMSAT also worked with an advisory board that was established through the Genesis Centre. The board consisted of Paul Anderson, president and CEO of Blue Oceans Satellite Systems; David Hood, partner with Grant Thornton LLP; Greg Janes, team lead of environment, emergency response and security at Suncor Energy; and Marvin Chaulk, partner with OPEN Communications. 

 

The Genesis Centre is a support network for technology-based ventures that have high-growth potential, and are seeking business guidance and capital. The Genesis Centre

helps selected enterprises gain access to the marketing, finance and management expertise of world-class mentors and advisory board members. It also connects entrepreneurs to the scientific, technical and business expertise resident at Memorial University of Newfoundland. By helping these entrepreneurs develop comprehensive business plans and implement effective advisory boards, the centre prepares promising ventures for private investment.