Winnipeg, MB: Datomar Labs Inc. (Datomar) and North Forge Technology Exchange (North Forge) have announced a partnership to strengthen the development of scalable technology businesses in Central Canada through the first Manitoban Venture Studio: Datomar Labs Venture Studio (DLVS).

DLVS is an operational partner with expertise in all aspects of commercializing technology, from small to medium-sized businesses to enterprises. By taking a hands-on approach through the direct investment of capital, software development, sales, marketing, management, and advisory resources, they help companies reduce risk and time-to-market while maximizing scale and improving profitability. DLVS will build platforms, software, and apps for technology startups to move their concepts forward. They will also be able to invest in these companies. North Forge, in turn, will help nurture these ventures as they move through the North Forge Founders Program.  

For those unfamiliar with the venture studio framework, it’s a new model for entrepreneurship; combining company building with venture funding. By design, venture studios play the role of matchmaker, linking business ideas to their talented counterparts to execute those ideas. Venture studios help entrepreneurs grapple with the unknowns of building a new company by providing them with an initial capital amount and operational support. A venture studio’s primary goal is to find as many successful startups as possible — all from the ground up.

“Our mandate is to support the growth of innovation in Manitoba. This partnership with Datomar will allow us to provide much-needed technical expertise to our companies,” said Joelle Foster, CEO of North Forge Technology Exchange. “We have over 150 companies in various stages of growth. We believe this partnership will continue to reinforce Manitoba as a technology hub in central Canada and help create the next generation of prodigious companies.”

“At Datomar, we have directly benefited from the work North Forge has done to encourage and support the development of new and interesting technology businesses in Manitoba,” said Dustin Refvik, Partner and CEO of Datomar. “At first, as participants of several RampUp Weekends and then when we moved on to utilizing the FabLabTM  to create prototypes for one of my companies, TrapTrap.”

“Manitoba has an incredible infrastructure and talent base to support innovation. Datomar has extensive experience in developing and commercializing technology locally, nationally, and internationally. We believe this partnership with North Forge will help make a difference for not only earlier stage companies in Manitoba but across North America.” said Scott McCrea, Partner and COO of Datomar.

About North Forge:
North Forge Technology Exchange is a not-for-profit business incubator accelerator. They fuel Manitoba’s innovation economy by providing technology-enabled, STEM and advanced manufacturing founders with expert growth coaches, mentors, entrepreneurs-in-residence, and a four-stage Founders Program. They have helped over 322 companies build and scale their businesses from ideation to Series A, creating hundreds of jobs. Armed with North America’s largest not-for-profit fabrication lab housing over $3 million of advanced manufacturing equipment, FabLab members have produced over 7,500 prototypes. North Forge operates out of 27,000 square feet across Innovation Drive and Innovation Alley in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, with locations in Pinawa and Thompson, MB.

About Datomar:
Founded in 2019, Datomar Labs Inc. launched its Venture Studio in early 2022. The studio helps innovative, high-growth technology startups build and scale through development, operational, and capital support for entrepreneurs in North America. This unique model will operate like a co-founder as a service.  Datomar currently has four projects in its portfolio. Focus areas include mobile web, e-commerce, AI, ML, blockchain, and Web3.  Datomar is located at 441-100 Innovation Drive in Winnipeg, MB. 

North Forge Technology Exchange Media Contact
Joelle Foster
CEO
204-390-6144
jfoster@northforge.ca  

Datomar Labs Inc. Media Contact
Dustin Refvik
CEO
204-292-7030
media@datomar.com