Technology Licensing Office (TLO) @ SFU

🌟 What an inspiring evening at Beedie School of Business at Simon Fraser University’s i2I Innovation Pitch Competition on Wednesday, October 23! We saw incredible #pitches and fantastic new #innovations by Liz Mahon, Anh TranLy, Robyn Binsfeld, Omar Chang and Yang Liu, each with the potential to make a meaningful impact on Canadian innovation. We can’t wait to see how they evolve! It was a pleasure to connect with Invention to Innovation (i2I) alumni, mentors, and supporters who share a passion for innovation & entrepreneurship. A huge thank you to Drs Elicia Maine, Sarah Lubik, and Jon Thomas for their incredible leadership in driving this program forward and special appreciation to the judges for the night, TLO's Kamaldeep Sembi, David H. Sanguinetti, Kristy Lonergan, and Doug Kinsey for their valuable insights and thoughtful feedback to each participant. Exciting things ahead for this community! 👏 #Innovation #Entrepreneurship #SFUBeedie #i2I #PitchCompetition

🎉 Last week, members of our legal team Kamaldeep Sembi & Preet Sanghera had the privilege of attending the Richards Buell Sutton LLP Annual University Counsel Seminar. This event provides invaluable insights for university in-house counsel on topics that are critical to our field. A special thank you to Georg Reuter for the invitation and to the presenters for their informative sessions. Of particular interest was the presentation by Christensen O'Connor Johnson Kindness PLLC (COJK) agents Rhys Lawson, Ph.D. and 𝗗𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗱 𝗦𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗱𝗼𝗻 on 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙄𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝘼𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙄𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙋𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙇𝙖𝙬. Their discussion on the patentability of AI inventions, especially in relation to technology transfer, highlighted key challenges around #inventorship, #detectability, and layering IP protection for AI inventions. We’re grateful for the opportunity to stay up to date on these crucial issues that impact our work in supporting university commercialization efforts. #AIandPatentLaw #TLO #IPProtection Technology Licensing Office (TLO) @ SFU #RBS #COJK #ArtificialIntelligence #FutureOfAI Image by: https://lnkd.in/gnt85hiS

Come join us this Wednesday evening for a celebration of Science Innovation at the annual Invention to Innovation (i2I) pitch event in downtown Vancouver.

Reflections from HealthTech Ignite 2024! Sara Khosravi PhD from Technology Licensing Office (TLO) @ SFU had the privilege of attending #healthtechignite24 by Pender Ventures, an impactful one-day conference focused on building and scaling HealthTech companies. The event was packed with insightful discussions and networking opportunities, with several highlights that stood out: 🌟 AI in Healthcare – (Ohad Arazi, Susan Roberts, Michael Wilson, and Florencia Herra Vega)" The Buy vs. Build Dilemma: This session offered a deep dive into the pros and cons of buying vs. building AI solutions in healthcare, featuring real-world case studies that illustrated how organizations are navigating this critical choice. 💼 Exploring Current Financing Trends in HealthTech: (Branden Fini, Megh Gupta, Daniel Sinclair, and Meryeme Lahmami) fascinating panel shed light on where investors are directing their capital in the HealthTech sector and how companies can effectively position themselves in this ever-evolving market. 🧭 Landing Whales in Healthcare: (Lexi Kaplin, Kenndal McArdle, CFA Tara McCarville Molly Moore) where panel explored the key strategies and pitfalls to avoid when navigating enterprise sales in healthcare. 🔥 Fireside Chat: Jane App’s Scale-Up Story: An inspiring conversation took place with Trevor Johnston and Alison Taylor, Co-Founders and Co-CEOs of Jane App, moderated by Maria Pacella, Managing Partner at Pender Ventures. Their journey of scaling Jane App offered invaluable lessons for entrepreneurs in the HealthTech space. Overall, the conference was a wonderful experience, filled with great discussions, powerful stories, and a wealth of ideas for the future of HealthTech innovation, Thank you Pender Ventures team! #HealthTechIgnite2024 #AIinHealthcare #HealthTech #Innovation

We’re thrilled to share that Simon Fraser University has been named Canada’s top comprehensive university for 2025 in the Maclean’s University Rankings—a title we’ve held for the 16th time in 17 years! 🏆 This recognition reflects SFU's continued commitment to #excellence across student services, research, and innovation. At Technology Licensing Office (TLO) @ SFU, we are proud to support the university’s groundbreaking research and are here to help faculty and researchers bring their innovations to market and drive global impact. 🌐 #Innovation #SFU #ResearchExcellence #MacLeansRankings2025 #TopUniversity #Commercialization #InnovationForImpact See the great story by Matt Kieltyka here: https://lnkd.in/g6KhY6TH

✨ Exciting times at Digital’s 6th Annual General Meeting today! The event was packed with thought leaders, innovators, and creators, discussing the future of Canadian innovation and technology. The panel discussions were filled with 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 and i𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 from the speakers. From overcoming challenges to driving breakthroughs, the conversations sparked fresh ideas on how we can all contribute to shaping the future of Canada’s tech landscape. • 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗲𝗹, “Always Ahead of the Curve – Growing the Competitiveness of Canadian Innovation” • 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗲𝗹, “From Barriers to Breakthroughs: AI, Cybersecurity, and Canada’s Workforce”, • 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗱 𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗲𝗹, “Building a Healthier Canada Through Speed, Innovation, and Collaboration” A huge thank you to all the panelists ( Pamela Saunders Sashie Steenstra Lesley Smith Marc Fiume David Trent (He/Him) Dr. Alina Turner Alexander Dobranowski, MD Hamed Shahbazi Hassaan Ahmed, PhD) and organizers (Sue Paish Nadia Shaikh-Naeem Sydney Goodfellow and the rest of Digital Team) for a half-day filled with valuable insights on how Canada can continue to push the boundaries of innovation. Kamaldeep Sembi Sara Khosravi PhD #Innovation #Technology #AI #Cybersecurity #HealthTech #Collaboration #Inspiration #SFUTLO #DigitalAGM #sfuinnovate

Come celebrate the knowledge mobilization of breakthrough fundamental research, making significant global environmental impact. Hear from Prof Stephanie Bertels, founder of the Embedding Project, which engages the senior leadership of multinational firms in decarbonizing their operations and in embedding ESG into their core processes. Equally inspiring, Governor General Innovation Award winners Prof Steven Holdcroft and Dr Benjamin Britton, will speak of their journey of discovering, developing, and commercializing AEM+ membranes, fundamental advances in electrochemistry with the potential to eliminate over 8Gtonnes of GHG emissions annually. Expertly moderated by SFU Chancellor and YVR CEO Tamara Vrooman, I will also contribute by describing the crucial role of early stage innovation skills and entrepreneurial capabilities in creating economic and social value from breakthrough inventions. Invention to Innovation (i2I)

Congratulations to Dr. Robert N. Young, recipient of the 2024 LSBC Scientific Entrepreneurship Award. Learn about Dr. Young's inspiring journey—from his work in drug discovery at Merck, to his roles as Discovery Chair at Simon Fraser University and Founder of Mesentech. Thank you to Acuitas Therapeutics, Inc. for supporting the award this year. #LSBCawards Video produced by: biofilm MEDIA

🌍 Reflecting on the Annual Kauffman Fellows in Montréal! Proud to see Simon Fraser University, a sponsor of this incredible event, represented by Kamaldeep Sembi, Director and IP Legal Counsel at Technology Licensing Office (TLO) @ SFU , alongside Lesley Esford, Fellow of Class 20 and Executive Director of SFU VentureLabs , and Todd Farrell, EIR at SFU VentureLabs. Since 1995, Kauffman Fellows has been at the forefront of accelerating venture capital investors, empowering them to navigate everything from deal flow to public markets. “Kauffman Fellows is a lifelong learning community for people who are changing the face of venture capital”  “𝘐𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥’𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘺𝘱𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘭𝘦𝘥𝘨𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱𝘴 𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘚𝘍𝘜’𝘴 𝘝𝘰𝘭𝘬𝘦𝘳 𝘐𝘗 𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘥, 𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘦-𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘐𝘗 𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘥, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘪𝘮𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘐𝘗 𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘭 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘚𝘍𝘜.” shared by Kam Sembi. We’re excited to continue building on these global connections for the future of innovation and investment! 🚀 #Innovation #VentureCapital #SFU #Networking #KauffmanFellows #KFSummit Elicia Maine #sfuinnovate

What a fantastic evening at the Life Sciences BC Awards Gala, celebrating the achievements and excellence of our vibrant life sciences community! #Community truly was the golden word of the night. It was a privilege to have SFU's leaders and innovators join in honoring BC's life sciences excellence. A special congratulations to Dr. Robert N. Young on receiving the 𝐒𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐄𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝, and to his company, Mesentech, for being selected as one of the companies to watch. A big thank you to the LSBC team—Wendy Hurlburt, Ryan Butt, Alysia Docherty, and the rest of the team—for organizing such a memorable event. We're already looking forward to next year! #LSBCAwards SFU Science SFU Molecular Biology and Biochemistry #sfuinnovate