PROFIT Magazine, November 2011 Monthly Article

What does a "global" Canadian get after 25 years of seeing the best and the worst in technology companies, and working in several of the hotbeds where they came from?
 
At least for me, a profoundly sinking feeling that Canadian entrepreneurs are in big trouble on the world stage. We continue to fall behind countries large and small, from China and India down to Sweden and Israel. And the gap is increasing. Their companies become global market leaders and have positive exits, like going public or being bought. Our companies? Not so hot? I have witnessed this after living and working in Tokyo, Silicon Valley and Seattle before settling back home 10 years ago in Toronto to run a business that accelerates promising Canadian companies.
 
Canadian technology firms are coming up short of our esteemed international competitors in three critical areas: research and development, sales and marketing, and scaled financing. Poor performance in these areas has slowed many promising Canadian companies, giving their competitors a chance to catch up and, too often, leapfrog them. The root cause of the problem is this: Canadian entrepreneurs tend to launch businesses with only the Canadian market in mind.
 
Dont make the same mistake. Follow this playbook to make your startup export ready from Day One, and youll improve your chances of success substantially.

Research & development
 There are two good reasons to assume from the start that your product or service will go global. First, youll reach the point of diminishing returns in Canada, and youll be forced to find opportunity elsewhere. Second, youll become an accidental exporter after receiving enquiries from foreign customers who stumble across your website or read about your product in a magazine.
 
These eventualities should be factored into your R&D effort. Always look two years ahead, considering the language, protocols and standards of the major markets (e.g., the U.S., Northern Europe, Brazil) in which your product would likely be sold.
 
When it comes to local laws and certification requirements, the old adage of measure twice, cut once applies. One of the clients of my company, Behr & Associates, recently underwent nearly a full year of hardware re engineering to meet Europes tight environmental standards. The firm lost a years worth of European revenue as a resultsomething it could have easily avoided by investing in understanding these requirements before the initial engineering effort began.
 
Many businesspeople dismiss patents as more trouble than theyre worth. This might be true in some circumstances, but companies that lack intellectual property protection can be heavily discounted by potential acquirers, or overlooked in favour of more mature companies. If your gut feeling is theres a decent chance youll sell to a foreign firm, pursue an aggressive U.S. and European patent strategy.
 
This process does not have to be expensive, at least at the outset. You can do initial patent prior art work yourself, and then engage a patent attorney or agent to do initial patent work. Expect the costs to be in the range of $5,000 per filing, after which youll have a year or so to decide what to do from there. A word of advice though. Patents are a lot like weddings or bar mitzvahs. You have to know when to draw the line on how many people are invited. You could spend yourself broke by trying to patent your product in all territories and jurisdictions. Let your patent strategy focus in on major markets only, generally the U.S. and Europe. Canadian patents are nice, but U.S. companies far prefer U.S patents.
 
Sales & marketing
 Ive been involved in millions of dollars worth of advertising and marketing spending, on every possible medium and program, across more companies and countries than I can count. In my experience, public relations is hands down the most cost effective way to achieve visibility and drive sales activity in the U.S.
 
Heres my PR recommendation: issue one press release every two to three weeks consistently. What to announce? How about new customers, new products and new partners?
 
My favourite kind of announcement of all is new awards. Every industry has annual recognition awards, both in Canada and in the U.S. Find out when the awards are being considered (generally in the autumn) and file an application. Because relatively few companies enter such programs, the chances are good you will get a nod. Voila: a press release on how your firm has been recognized as an industry leader.
 
Plenty of professional PR help is out there, but cash strapped startups can get by with writing their own press releases and posting them through low cost online distribution services, such as PR Web. Do that for a few months, and youll be amazed how many people get to know you at a cost of a couple thousand dollars.
 
As for sales, adopt the strategy that serves entrepreneurial hotbeds such as Singapore, Israel, Sweden and South Korea so well: target big foreign markets first, and your smaller domestic market second.
 
Canadian convention is to take the opposite tackand it can suck the life out of your firm. A couple of years ago, a young, promising Canadian cleantech firm sought our counsel after spending $2 million in its first two years, with little to show for it. We immediately discovered the firm had spent most of its short life chasing a single discount store franchisee in rural Ontario to be its safe launch customer. We introduced the company to a U.S. retailer with more than 4,800 stores in North America alone andbang!a sale was made. This firm has since leveraged the revenue and glowing reference into deals with other companies and governments, plus several million in Silicon Valley venture capital.
 
But the more fundamental sales and marketing lesson is this: foreign customers and partners are generally far more willing to give a promising Canadian company a chance than their risk averse domestic counterparts. Time and again, I have seen Canadian companies get a warm welcome stateside, where there is a more entrepreneurial spirit and more respect is given to small business owners.
 
Financing
 Attaining external funding in Canada appears to be futile, but I have some heartening news.
 
If you are taking a global approach, distribution or strategic partners in the U.S. and Europe can be considered for funding support. By carefully issuing distribution rights to your product in international territories, you might be able to get these partners to place an initial stocking order or prepay for your product. Theres also a chance that a distributor will pay for its territorial rights; $100,000 to $1 million seems to be the current price range.
 
Another strategy is to approach a potential acquirer on Day One, seeking a strategic relationship and attendant investment. To get your foot in the door, use LinkedIn to identify past or present executives in senior technology, sales, marketing or general management roles within the target firm. Send them an unsolicited InMail, and youll be surprised how many people will respond to your enquiry from the Great White North. As a rule of thumb, look for $1 million to $3 million in exchange for 30% to 50% of your company.
 
Does this playbook make sense? I think so. Does it increase the chance of success? I know so. I hope more Canadian technology companies will run with it.
 

Albert Behr is principal of Toronto based Behr & Associates, which accelerates promising Canadian IT, cleantech and nanotech companies. He is also a co founder of Cleantech North, Canadas leading consortium of cleantech professional firms. He invites your feedback at abehr@behrassociates.com.

Conference Title: The Canadian Institute\´s 4th Forum on Commercializing Cleantech
 Date: January 23 & 24, 2012
 Location: Sutton Place Hotel Toronto, Ontario
 Website: www.cleantechforum.ca

About The Canadian Institute

For over 25 years, The Canadian Institute\´s conferences, summits and executive briefings have provided the business intelligence that Canadian decision makers need to respond to challenges and opportunities both here at home, and around the world.  The Canadian Institute operates as a think tank, monitoring trends and developments in all major industry sectors, in the law, and in public policy, with a view to providing information on the leading edge. Headquartered in Toronto, The Canadian Institute produces over 180 events a year, attended by thousands of senior and C level delegates from across the country. For more information, visit www.CanadianInstitute.com.

Contact: Henry Vehovec, Executive Director, 416 822 4294

ABOUT REGEN ENERGY
REGEN provides industry leading wireless demand management and demand response solutions to commercial & industrial facilities using a patented approach that is affordable, easy to use, and maintains occupant comfort. Today, REGEN works with a network of channel partners to deploy EnviroGrid across North America. REGEN is backed by NGEN Partners, a pioneering investor in
the cleantech sector, and BDC Venture Capital, helping Canadian entrepreneurs build global technology based companies.  For media inquiries, contact Joanna Bieda at 416.934.1040 x242 or joanna.bieda@REGENenergy.com.

e time Energy, a leader in the burgeoning industrial/commercial nano coating space today announced the expansion of their distribution network throughout Canada, USA and Europe, for the sale of the revolutionary patented HPS liquid solar screening product for windows. HPS utilizes nanotechnology to reduce the heating impact of solar radiation, while reducing heat loss in the winter. This easy to apply coating is suitable for all types of glass surfaces, no matter their size, shape, curvature, and make up. A simple pour on application (either internally or externally on window) reduces UV radiation ingress by as much as 99.7% as well as IR by 70%, without any significant reduction in light transmission and no optical distortion.
 
Significant heat is transferred through windows, both in Winter and Summer says Jonathan Panigas, General Manager at e time Energy. HPS is the first product of its kind, enabling long lasting protection and savings of 20% 40% year round from electricity and gas costs. We launched the company three years ago and the response has been outstanding, with installations in restaurants, schools, offices, factories and retailers, to name a few. We are delighted to work with quality partners to further the implementation of our product.
 
HPS has gone through significant performance and VOC emissions verification over the past three years, through independent test labs in Canada, USA and Europe. HPS has been tested and verified to meet all appropriate requirements by OnSpeX a division of the CSA Group of verification and testing companies. The product has been tested to withstand fifteen to twenty years or normal operation with no reduction in performance characteristics or product degradation.
 
We are extremely excited to be working with e time Energy and promoting the HPS product says Scott Levinson, owner of ePower & Lighting (previously Litemor US). The interest and uptake has been beyond any expectations, since launching here in New England, USA. The ease of installation, projected savings and increased comfort factor to the occupant are key requirements for our customers and HPS certainly delivers.

As well as expansion into eastern US, Western US and Hawaii, e time Energy also announces the partnership with Elektrolution AB, in Sweden. The climate in Scandinavia is very extreme. We have hot summers as well as cold winters says Jorgen Sderstrm , Co owner. the HPS glass coating differs from other technologies in that it significantly assists in heat retention for building in the winter. This reduces the cost of heating dramatically and when added to the summer benefits, provides year round savings.
 
About etime Energy Inc.
e time Energy Inc. is the market leader in the provision of Nanotechnology liquid heat preservation window coatings and paint products. Headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, their technology is independently verified to enable 20 40% reduction in associated building electricity and gas expenditure, while maintaining aesthetics, light transfer and increasing occupant comfort levels. The company provides products and services to commercial and industrial markets, with dealers in the USA, Canada and Europe. For more information about e time Energy, please visit http://www.etimeenergy.com

Yahoo News

Energy Saving Device Continues to Draw Attention to itsUnique Innovation

 Cavet Technologies Inc. today announced it won the 2011National Awards for New Technology by the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters(CME) and the National Research Council Industrial Research Assistance Program(NRC IRAP). Cavet was recognized for its innovative technology and exportpotential of its flagship product, LumiSmart ILC, an intelligent lightingcontroller. The overwhelming interest in the LumiSmart due to its energy andcost savings will help Canada on the road to economic recovery.

 We are thrilled toreceive this national recognition, said Albert Behr, president and CEO forCavet Technologies. Interest in LumiSmart continues to grow, demonstrating anincreased demand for innovative approaches to energy conservation versus energygeneration.

 CME and NRC IRAPselected the Cavet as the New Technology award winner by an advisory panel ofCanadas foremost authorities on technology based on its unique energyefficiency device, LumiSmart. This award follows a recent award win by PROFITMagazine, Innovation@Work, as well as series award recognitions in 2010.

 LumiSmart ILC reducespower consumption while providing 30 per cent or more power reduction withoutreplacing any existing lamps, ballasts or fixtures. LumiSmart ILC also helpsreduce carbon emissions by actively reducing energy consumption at the source,and therefore minimizes strain on the electrical grid. This decrease in carbonfootprint results in a reduction in greenhouses gases released into theatmosphere.

TORONTO, ON, April 26, 2011 Cavet Technologies Inc. today announced it is forming a strategic alliance with Bright Negawatts TM Inc. to distribute the LumiSmart ILC (Intelligent Lighting Controller), a purpose built solution that dramatically reduces power consumed by fluorescent lighting systems with no discernable impact on occupant comfort. Under the agreement, Cavet Technologies will serve as the exclusive distributor of LumiSmart products and services sold in Canada, the Caribbean and the United Arab Emirates. Cavet assumes this role from Bright Negawatts effective immediately.
Cavet continues to enhance and grow its business around the LumiSmart ILC. The new arrangement with Bright Negawatts reflects an important step in consolidating Cavets master distributor function in the North American marketplace, said Albert Behr, President and CEO of Cavet Technologies Inc.

Mark Rodger, President and CEO of Bright Negawatts said the new arrangement with Cavet is all about enhancing scale and scope of distribution channel sales and support which will strengthen Cavets market presence through consolidated LumiSmart sales and service under one corporate brand. Mark Rodger will continue to work with Cavet on its CDM Strategy for North America and Bright Negawatts will continue to offer other (non lighting) energy efficiency and smart grid products, services and energy audits.

Cavet Technologies is currently partnering with Brightpath Technology Ltd. in Europe; Elekrolution in the Nordic region, including Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland; Enersave Solucoes Ecologicas Ltda. in Brazil; and Green Jar in Australia. The company is also partnering with a number of Energy Service Companies (ESCOs) in the United States.
The Cavet Technologies Channel Partner program is designed to deliver outstanding customer satisfaction while ensuring profitable business relationships for partners and Cavet. The program is geared towards partners that provide value added services for customers, including planning and assessment, design and implementation, and training and support services.
About LumiSmart ILC
Cavets LumiSmart ILC reduces energy consumption at the source easing pressure on the electrical grid resulting in reduced carbon emissions and a smaller carbon footprint for Lumismart users. LumiSmart is the first of a new class of lighting controllers that provide microprocessor driven adaptive control of lighting circuits to reduce power consumption while providing an instant 30 per cent or more power reduction without replacing any existing lamps, ballasts or fixtures.

About Bright Negawatts Inc.
Bright Negawatts Inc. is a Canadian cleantech company committed to connecting utilities and consumers with the worlds best energy saving technologies. We distribute energy efficiency, grid modernization and smart grid solutions, both directly and through nation wide reseller networks, to a wide range of electric utilities and to industrial, commercial and institutional energy consumers.

About Cavet Technologies Inc.
Cavet Technologies Inc. is a leading edge Cleantech company that brings innovative intelligent lighting products to market which maximize energy savings and provide industry leading returns on investment. Available through its broad network of distribution partners worldwide, Cavets flagship product is the award winning LumiSmart ILC , Intelligent Lighting Controller. LumiSmart ILC helps commercial and industrial customers dramatically reduce lighting costs by a minimum of 30 percent without replacing any existing lights, ballasts, or lighting infrastructure. Cavet Technologies is the proud winner of the Canadian Advanced Technology Alliance (CATA) Technology Commercialization Award, Corporate Knights Next 10, CleanTech Norths Company of the Year, Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters (CME) and the National Research Council Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP) Ontario Regional Awards for New Technology, PROFIT Magazines Innovation@Work, and Deloittes Green 15 Award, part of the 2010 Deloitte Technology Fast 50 . For more information about Cavet Technologies, please visit www.cavettech.com.

WInner 2011 Innovations @ Work:  Cavet Technologies Inc.
Location: Toronto
What it does: Produces systems that slash power usage in fluorescent bulbs
President and CEO: Albert Behr

Four years ago, the LumiSmart ILC was just another promising invention struggling to find a market. Now, this devicewhich dramatically cuts power usage in fluorescent light bulbsis rapidly emerging as a game changer in the US$80 billion global lighting industry.

Albert Behr, president and CEO of Cavet Technologies Inc., the LumiSmarts Toronto based maker, says his firm has sold several hundred intelligent lighting control (ILC) systems since launching them in January: The sales most startups hope to do in a year, we did in our first month.

In 2012, says Behr, Cavet is likely to sell tens of thousands of Lumi­Smarts, at $2,000 a popyielding revenue of at least $50 million. After that, he predicts, sales will accelerate exponentially.

Behrs bullishness is rooted in a simple sales pitch that Cavet makes to operators of commercial spaces and big buildingswho, as electricity costs soar, are keen to reduce power usage: We can save you 30% to 40% on an escalating fixed cost with a device we can install in 30 minutes and that costs just $2,000not $200,000.

Unlike rival ILC systems, This is a plug and play solution with instant savings, says Dallas Kachan, Vancouver based managing partner of Kachan & Co., a cleantech consultancy and research firm. Its the first technology to cut down drastically on lighting costs without a complex installation. Thats why Kachan characterized this device as a disruptive technology in a report his firm published last year.

Yet the LumiSmart languished for more than a decade until it caught the attention of Behr, an berconnected technology executive. His skillful networking and strategic partnerships with resellers, distributors and a contract manufacturer offer a model for how SMEs can overcome the scalability challenges of bringing innovative new products to market.

Patented in 1995 by Markham, Ont. based inventor Vito Rinaldi, a specialist in high speed electrical switching, the Lumi­Smart spent more than a decade in limbo until OCETA, a quasi government commercialization agency, flagged it to Behr in 2007. Behr cites two reasons for the long delay: it took many years to get the devices price down to where it needed to be, and Rinaldi couldnt access the funding or expertise needed to commercialize the product.

Behr, whose Vaughan, Ont. based consultancy, Behr & Associates, helps high tech and cleantech firms go to market, reviewed the patents and whether any similar products existed. Only when both these reviews came back clean did Behr allow himself to get excited. Really, really excited.

Rival systems require extensive rewiring or costly installations. But the shoebox sized LumiSmart attaches directly to a circuit breaker panel (a big building may have dozens of these), and an electrician can install one in just half an hour. The device injects impulses into the panel that repeatedly cut power to the lights for a few millionths of a second, then turn the power back on quickly enough that the lights dont go dark.

In 2008, Behr joined with Rinaldi and other partners to found Cavet to commercialize the LumiSmart. The firm aimed for a global presence right from the outset in order to reach the largest market possible. Almost immediately, Behr began showing the LumiSmart to prospects and to product marketing and distribution contacts hed made in his years in the cleantech sector.

Enter challenge No. 1. Behrs contacts told him the lack of global standards governing voltage could force Cavet to manufacture several versions of the device. To avoid this huge expense, the firms engineers would need to develop a single product usable anywhere. They did so by developing software and hardware that senses voltage, power levels and Hertz ratings, then adapts the electrical impulses accordingly.

Behr says he avoided one mistake common among tech companies: waiting too long to seek input from people outside your firm. You need to be sure what youre building will work in the country youre selling into, he says. Behr advises other entrepreneurs to meet with potential investors, partners and clients to present the idea, get feedback on the product and secure early buy in. True, not every CEO can match Behrs little black book, padded by years of working in Silicon Valley and other tech hotbeds. Still, he says, patent lawyers, accountants and people at the federal Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) tax incentive program can open doors that you cant on your own.

As Cavets R&D team perfected prototypes of the LumiSmart, Behr faced another challenge: how to scale up. The prototypes had been made in the inventors tiny shop and tested in third party labs. While Cavet was well funded with money from its founders, plus $600,000 in private equity and several hundred thousand dollars in SR&ED refunds, the 12 employee firm was too small to launch worldwide on its own. Again, Behr tapped into his network, including friends and Silicon Valley contacts, to line up Toronto based contract manufacturing giant Celestica Inc., as well as distributors and resellers.

Today, says Behr, prospective clients from Silicon Valley to Sweden, Australia and Canada are testing the LumiSmart in about 100 locations. He says some prospects are testing the device in five locations and then, if they green light it, will roll it out across hundreds of panels.

Cavet is also developing devices for non fluorescent light bulbs. And its working hard to crack markets such as California, where electricity costs are twice those in Ontario, and in Europe, where costs are four times as high. With geopolitical instability further boosting power costs, says Behr, the opportunities in energy efficiency are enormouswhich helps explain why hes just one of many high tech industry veterans invading the sector: This has all the hallmarks of IT in the early 1990s.

Cavet Technologies Inc. today announced it is a winner of the 2010 Innovations@Work Awards. Cavet Technologies was recognized for its innovation of LumiSmart ILC, an intelligent lighting controller and the companys flagship product.

The awards, presented by Rogers and PROFIT Magazine, celebrate the ideas that move Canada forward. Open to Canadian companies with up to 20 employees, the awards recognize small businesses for their outstanding innovation. The 2010 program marks the 4th annual Innovations@Work Awards.

\"We are thrilled Cavet Technologies has received this recognition from important Canadian institution,\" said Albert Behr, President and CEO for Cavet Technologies. While we are proud to produce a product in Canada that serves the world, it is an honour to receive such acknowledgement from our home territory.

LumiSmart ILC is the first of a new class of Smart Grid enabled lighting controllers that provide microprocessor driven adaptive control of lighting circuits to reduce power consumption while providing an instant 30 per cent or more power reduction without replacing any existing lamps, ballasts or fixtures. LumiSmart ILC also helps reduce carbon emissions by actively reducing energy consumption at the source, and therefore minimizes strain on the electrical grid. This decrease in carbon footprint results in a reduction in greenhouses gases released into the atmosphere.

About Rogers Communications Inc.
Rogers is a diversified public Canadian communications and media company. We are Canada\´s largest provider of wireless voice and data communications services and one of Canada\´s leading providers of cable television, high speed Internet and telephony services. Through Rogers Media we are engaged in radio and television broadcasting, televised shopping, magazines and trade publications, and sports entertainment. For further information about the Rogers group of companies, please visit http://www.rogers.com.

About PROFIT Magazine
PROFIT: Your Guide to Business Success is Canada\´s preeminent publication dedicated to the management issues and opportunities facing small and mid sized businesses. For 29 years, Canadian entrepreneurs and senior managers across a vast array of economic sectors have remained loyal to PROFIT because it\´s a timely and reliable source of actionable information that helps them achieve business success and get the recognition they deserve for generating positive economic and social change. Visit PROFIT online at http://www.profitguide.com.

About Cavet Technologies Inc.
Cavet Technologies Inc. is a leading edge cleantech company that brings innovative intelligent lighting products to market that maximizes energy savings and provides industry leading returns on investment. Available through its broad network of distribution partners worldwide, Cavets flagship product is the award winning LumiSmart ILC , Intelligent Lighting Controller. LumiSmart ILC helps commercial and industrial customers dramatically reduce lighting costs by a minimum of 30 percent without replacing any existing lights, ballasts, or lighting infrastructure. Cavet Technologies is the proud winner of the Canadian Advanced Technology Alliance (CATA) Technology Commercialization Award, Corporate Knights Next 10, CleanTech Norths Company of the Year, Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters (CME) and the National Research Council Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP) Ontario Regional Awards for New Technology and Deloittes Green 15 Award, part of the 2010 Deloitte Technology Fast 50 . For more information about Cavet Technologies, please visit http://www.cavettech.com.

 

 Toronto, Canada Les Jardins Paul Cousineau & Fils Inc. (Cousineau), the largest broccoli producer and distributor in Canada today announced that they have just implemented a revolutionary new Ice Slurry System from IceGen Inc, in Toronto, Canada.  The Company was eager to find a cooling system which would enable them to meet the needs of their large production and distribution facilities.   For over 20 years, the companys mission has been to offer customers a superior quality product at competitive prices and with the help of their new IceGen System, the company can now offer unprecedented product safety and freshness to the market.

Cousineau is a recognized leader in the very aggressive and competitive broccoli production business.  Working with local retailers throughout Canada, the United States, and Mexico, Cousineau has always offered only the freshest and safest products to market.  The processing season is short and requires advanced equipment to rapidly process product without any compromise to quality.  

Fresh from the field broccoli comes out of the farm warm, and there is an immediate need to chill it as soon as possible to ensure only the freshest and safest of products.  Traditionally flake ice was employed, employing a double process which crushes ice and then water is added, a very expensive and labor intensive process.

Slurry Ice was always an attractive concept to Cousineau and tested previously, but until IceGen, no vendor could meet the stringent cost, volume and maintenance requirements of the company.  Older products used involved a dual walled ice slurry generation technology, but was subsequently discontinued because of inconsistent performance, high maintenance costs, and excessive space utilization.

With Icegens Slurry Ice, the company was able to achieve

Product that was cooled faster with the dramatically increased surface area contact with the broccoli, the product cooled far faster than using other types of ice, and as a result, the product was fresher and possessed higher quality and food safety. 

Even and consistent ongoing cooling the round shape of the slurry crystal snow  freely surrounded the entire broccoli, filling all air pockets to uniformly maintain direct contact and the desired temperature.

IceGen delivered a pumpable ice slurry solution which was then harvested to make snow to chill the broccoli, with dramatically reduced labor and operating costs.  The single product solution with IceGen has the capability of producing 28 tons of ice per day at half the cost and KW of the cost of the existing iceflake solution and 1/3^rd the physical size, while dramatically reducing handling costs, energy costs, and while improving product quality.

Lauren Cousineau, Operations Plant Manager of Cousineau We are impressed with the IceGen Slurry System.  It is compact and easy to use and maintain while giving us the tonnage of ice and cooling needed for our operation .  Another benefit over the traditional flake ice machines is the refrigeration efficiency which helps to reduce cost and increase product freshness and safety.  We are very happy with the IceGen solution and expect to use it for years to come.

Motti Einhorn, President and CEO of IceGen noted that \"Slurry Ice has long been a great solution for the vegetable processing industry.   IceGen\s revolutionary Slurry Ice delivers results where competing solutions simply fall short.  We are proud of the solution we have built for Cousineau and look forward to expanding its application throughout many of Cousineaus  processes.  Our goal is to deliver a reliable energy efficient solution to our customers to improve product quality and reduce costs associated with broccoli handling. 

 About Cousineau

Les Jardins Paul Cousineau & Fils Inc. is the largest broccoli producer and distributor in Canada. For over 20 years, our mission has been to offer our customers a superior quality product at a competitive price.   Our product is distributed in Quebec, Ontario, and the Maritimes. Furthermore, we are located very close to the American border which makes it possible for us to deliver broccoli to the East Coast, the North East and the Center of the United States.  For more information visit http://www.groupecousineau.com 

About IceGen

IceGen Inc. is a pioneer in the field of ice slurry production systems. Founded on over 40 years of work in Slurry Ice technologies and generators, IceGen holds numerous worldwide patents and with their Revolutionary Scrape Plate Heat Exchanger Technology, the company is winning accolades and converts worldwide.  For more information please visit www.icegeninc.com or contact info@icegeninc.com

Existing Local Ad Platform Provides New and Independent Line of Business

CALGARY, ALBERTA (Marketwire Feb. 3, 2011) Poynt Corporation (\"Poynt Corp.\" or the \"Company\") (TSX VENTURE:PYN), a leading provider of mobile local search services, today announced the completion of the acquisition of the local advertising publishing platform assets from go2 Media, Inc. (the \"Transaction\"). The Transaction includes the acquisition of certain key technologies and contracts to allow Poynt to publish mobile advertising to third party publishers.

The ad publishing operations are currently producing revenue, however, Poynt Corp. will leverage its expertise and industry leading position in the local advertising space to accelerate the revenue growth.

The business line will be led by Matt Kojalo, who was recently hired as Vice President, Global Advertising Solutions for Poynt Corp. Matt\´s extensive experience spans advertising revenue generation for mobile applications and a comprehensive understanding of emerging technologies with expertise in mobile advertising. Matt will focus on managing a direct sales channel and working with ad networks to create inventory for the ad publishing platform, while simultaneously securing agreements with ad publishers and mediation engines to publish the inventory and ensuring premium ad inventory is available for placement within the Poynt app.

\"This Transaction provides us the opportunity to expand our business from an app with publishing capabilities into an ad publishing platform with the ability to publish to multiple mobile applications,\" said Andrew Osis, CEO, Poynt Corp. \"This clear and direct route into ad publishing provides yet another revenue stream for the Company.\"

Pursuant to the Transaction, Poynt Corp. acquired all source code, related documentation and all transferable publisher and advertiser agreements related to the monetization or distribution of location advertising, for a purchase price of US $450,000.

 

About Poynt Corporation

Poynt Corp. (about.poynt.com) develops and operates mobile applications that enhance the consumers\´ ability to connect with the people and businesses most important to them. Their multi award winning Poynt application (www.poynt.com) is a mobile local search service available over BlackBerry smartphones, iPhone and iPod Touch, Android devices and Windows Phone 7. Through agreements with directory and vertical content providers in Canada, the United States, Europe and Australia, Poynt simplifies finding and connecting with businesses, retailers and events wherever and whenever it is most convenient for the consumer. The MyInboxNow offering enables low end feature phones to behave like smartphones for email access. MyInboxNow is available to mobile operators as a private label solution. Headquartered in Calgary, AB, Canada, Poynt Corp. trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol PYN.

 

 

 

Clickfree this morning said it has received an investment from Intel Capital that brings its total funding raised to more than $33 million, following an earlier $15 million financing round (PDF) secured back in August 2010.

Clickfree, which is actually a brand name (the companys called Storage Appliance Corporation), provides a range of computer backup products.

PC and Mac users can simply plug a Clickfree device into their computers USB port, and the company says its patented automated backup technology will then take care of the rest (at least for the 400 file type its able te recognize).

No need to download or install software, which makes for a pretty compelling offer.

Clickfree is currently available in 35 countries and more than 7,000 retail locations. Aside from the funding from Intels venture capital arm, the Intel PC client group and Clickfree are also working on business and technical collaboration to further enhance PC backup capabilities.

 

Cavet Technologies Inc. today announced it was recognized in Cleantech Groups recent report about Lighting Control Systems (LCS) as one of the companies to watch. Cavet Technologies was recognized for its innovation of LumiSmart ILC, an intelligent lighting controller and the companys flagship product.

According to Cleantech Groups recent report about the LCS market, lighting accounts for 25 per cent of energy use in commercial buildings. LCS represents one of the newest sectors within the lighting supply chain. LCS can reduce energy consumption by up to 75 per cent using advanced networking and communications technologies.

We are excited to be highlighted as of the companies to watch in Cleantech Groups recent report about lighting controllers, said Albert Behr, President and CEO for Cavet Technologies. As a new entrant to the LCS market, it is an honor to be evaluated against established players by a prominent research organization like Cleantech Group.

LumiSmart ILC is the first of a new class of Smart Grid enabled lighting controllers that provide microprocessor driven adaptive control of lighting circuits to reduce power consumption while providing an instant 30 per cent or more power reduction without replacing any existing lamps, ballasts or fixtures. LumiSmart ILC also helps reduce carbon emissions by actively reducing energy consumption at the source, and therefore minimizes strain on the electrical grid. This decrease in carbon footprint results in a reduction in greenhouses gases released into the atmosphere.

Cleantech Groups LCS report titled Why Lighting Controls Are Hot is available for purchase at http://www.cleantech.com.

About Cleantech Group, LLC
Cleantech Group, the leading global research and advisory firm focused on cleantech innovation, pioneered the clean technology category in 2002. Today, it helps its clients make critical business decisions by providing the latest market intelligence through subscription based research, custom advisory services, and global networking events. The companys growing international client base includes global corporations, investors, entrepreneurs, governments, and service providers. The company also produces the premier Cleantech Forum and Focus events worldwide, including upcoming events in Paris, New York, Amsterdam, and Los Angeles. Details are available at http://www.cleantech.com.

About Cavet Technologies Inc.
Cavet Technologies Inc. is a leading edge Cleantech company that brings innovative intelligent lighting products to market which maximize energy savings and provide industry leading returns on investment. Available through its broad network of distribution partners worldwide, Cavets flagship product is the award winning LumiSmart ILC , Intelligent Lighting Controller. LumiSmart ILC helps commercial and industrial customers dramatically reduce lighting costs by a minimum of 30 percent without replacing any existing lights, ballasts, or lighting infrastructure. Cavet Technologies is the proud winner of the Canadian Advanced Technology Alliance (CATA) Technology Commercialization Award, Corporate Knights Next 10, CleanTech Norths Company of the Year, and Deloittes Green 15 Award, part of the 2010 Deloitte Technology Fast 50 . For more information about Cavet Technologies, please visit http://www.cavettech.com

This entry was posted on Monday, November 22nd, 2010 at 2:43 am and is filed under Uncategorized.

 

TORONTO (CNW) Bright Negawatts Inc., a leading provider of energy efficiency, conservation and demand management products and solutions, announced today it has entered into an agreement with Nedco, a division of Rexel Canada Electrical Inc., to be the national distributor of the Lumismart ILC (Intelligent Lighting Controller) in Canada.

The Lumismart ILC, developed by Toronto based Cavet Technologies, is the first of a new class of Smart Grid enabled lighting controllers that provide microprocessor driven adaptive control of lighting circuits to reduce power consumption by at least 30% without replacing any existing lamps, ballasts or fixtures. Following 12 years of development, the Lumismart ILC received Underwriters Laboratories (UL) Certification this week and is expected to be in high demand globally as electricity prices continue to climb and as governments and utilities accelerate their focus on energy efficiency and conservation.

Lumismart ILC will be made commercially available across Canada through Nedco on November 8, 2010.

Nedco, owned and operated by Rexel Canada Electric Inc., is part of the largest electrical distribution organization in Canada. Rexel Canada is part of the Rexel group of companies, the world\´s leading electrical distributor, operating in 35 countries. Nedco has 98 locations across Canada and caters to the utility, industrial, commercial and electrical contractor markets with products and services concentrated on energy conservation, electrical safety and efficiency and has been in operation for 99 years. Bright Negawatts selected Nedco based on the company\´s geographical breadth, industry depth and its years of experience in supporting utility sponsored programs across the country and its constant focus on emerging conservation technologies. The Lumismart ILC will be stocked and supported across Canada by Nedco, making it available to local utilities, property managers, electrical contractors, ESCOs and energy consultants.

\"The timing of Lumismart ILC coming onto the market in Canada could not be better,\" says Mark Rodger, CEO and Founder of Bright Negawatts Inc.

\"Utilities, businesses and consumers are all looking for solutions to the significant ongoing increases in the cost of power. Nedco and its extensive contractor channel will be very valuable in getting the Lumismart ILC to market quickly, efficiently and safely. With our consultative approach in introducing conservation solutions to property owners, utilities and manufacturers, and Nedco\´s ability to execute in the field through its contractors, our two companies complement each other nicely. Both companies have a focus on delivering and supporting utility programs, a key element in conservation technology deployment.\"

\"Our team at Nedco across the country is very excited about bringing Lumismart ILC to our customers,\" says Richard Ferguson Vice President of Nedco. \"This solution fits very well into our strategy to bring energy conservation products to market and in supporting the utility initiated conservation programs that make them attractive to end users. It also allows us to respond to our contractors who have been asking for more conservation products from us, based on their customers\´ demands. At Nedco we believe that enabling contractors to economically and effectively satisfy their customers is vital to new product success and broad market acceptance.\"