When John Barbosa’s 10-year-old son broke their TV, a wall, and a door while practicing soccer at home, he knew there had to be a better way. Instead of letting frustration win, Barbosa founded U-Pro Soccer, an AI-powered platform that helps kids train safely at home without breaking the house.
But turning a big idea into a successful business takes more than creativity—it takes protection. As a member of North Forge Founders Program, Barbosa was introduced to ElevateIP, a federally-funded, initiative aimed at equipping Canadian start-ups with the essential resources to understand, develop strategy, and create intellectual property (IP) assets.
Thanks to ElevateIP, U-Pro Soccer went from idea to impact, including securing a patent-pending application and showcasing their technology at the world’s biggest soccer conference in Miami.
“The ElevateIP program helped us increase our defensibility.,” said Barbosa. “The patent-pending application helped us connect with a bunch of stakeholders at the conference, and it increased the interest of our company from multiple sectors.”
How did IP support help U-Pro Soccer gain interest from unexpected sectors? And what does Barbosa recommend for other Canadian entrepreneurs? Watch the full video to hear his full story—and the impact ElevateIP made while kicking off his business.
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