$800K for Burlington company

CHCH – March 19, 2015 – Burlington, ON.

A Burlington company is getting a big financial boost.

Memex Automation is getting an $800,000 investment to help it develop new automation technology software. Manufacturers can use the software on their products to track the productivity and efficiency of their machines.

Federal economic development minister Gary Goodyear talked about the importance for Memex, as well as the city of Burlington. “This particular project will create 16 high-quality jobs right here in the Burlington area.”

“What’s brilliant about this particular project is, if other manufacturers adopt this technology, they too could expand, and grow, and create more jobs in their own plant. That’s the idea behind the federal government’s initiatives in partnering with these types of projects.”

During the announcement, the president and CEO of Memex thanked the government and said it was a great day for the company.

To see the full article, please click here.

Harper Government Supports Memex Automation Technology to Improve Manufacturing Productivity

Government of Canada – March 19, 2015 – Burlington, ON.

Astrix Networks Inc., operating as Memex Automation, will bring to market a new version of its technology that helps manufacturers become more productive, thanks to an investment of up to $800,000 announced today by FedDev Ontario Minister Gary Goodyear and Burlington MP Mike Wallace.

Founded in 1992, Memex Automation supplies companies with products that allow manufacturing machines to communicate with each other and with production management systems. Memex Automation will use the federal funding to commercialize the latest version of its product MERLIN (Manufacturing Execution Real-time Lean Information Network) and to test and commercialize additional features to be rolled out in the coming years.

Manufacturers use MERLIN to measure the efficiency of their production capacity. By monitoring production as it happens, companies can increase their productivity by reducing downtime between jobs.

The Harper Government’s repayable contribution, through FedDev Ontario’s Investing in Business Innovation initiative, is aimed at strengthening the innovation ecosystem in southern Ontario by supporting new entrepreneurs, early-stage businesses and angel investors.

Following the announcement, Minister Goodyear and MP Wallace will visit ADFLOW Networks, an innovative technology company that delivers award-winning Digital Signage and interactive marketing solutions to leading retailers and brands across North America. The company received a repayable contribution of $99,093 from FedDev Ontario to expand its facilities and establish a technology innovation centre.

Minister Goodyear and MP Wallace will also host a roundtable with students and recent graduates at McMaster’s DeGroote School of Business in Burlington campus to discuss opportunities for the Government of Canada to support aspiring entrepreneurs.

Quick Facts

  • Memex expects to create 16 jobs and maintain 22 during the project.
  • Memex Automation has also attracted $1.6 million from a team of investors who are members of the Niagara Angel Network.
  • Memex has been awarded the 2013 PEM Plant Engineering & Maintenance Award for Best Company with Fewer Than 50 Employees. It was also awarded the 2013 Frost and Sullivan Best Practices Award for Machine Monitoring Systems.
  • FedDev Ontario’s Investing in Business Innovation funding is available for early-stage businesses with fewer than 50 employees; southern Ontario-based angel investor networks; and not-for-profit organizations that provide skills development and seed financing to new entrepreneurs.
  • Since its creation in August 2009, FedDev Ontario has invested more than $1.2 billion, resulting in partnerships with thousands of organizations and additional leveraged investments from almost exclusively non-government sources to support businesses, organizations and communities in southern Ontario.

Quotes

“Advanced technologies are increasingly being adopted by our manufacturers as they seek to improve their competitiveness. This investment is an example of how our Government is helping manufacturers stay in the region to create new jobs and foster innovation.”
– Gary Goodyear, Minister of State for FedDev Ontario

“Memex Automation is changing how manufacturers operate by providing ways to maximize the efficiency of existing machines on the shop floor. Our Government is proud to support this innovative technology that will help businesses in such a key sector of our economy.”
– Mike Wallace, Member of Parliament for Burlington

“We are grateful for the support from the Government of Canada’s Investing in Business Innovation initiative from the FedDev Ontario. Memex Automation is a high-growth company that is adding knowledge-based jobs in Canada while we transform the productivity of global manufacturing firms with our shop-floor-to-top-floor communications technology. This important funding will be invested in accelerating the development and world-wide customer adoption of our MERLIN (Manufacturing Enterprise Real-time Lean Information Network) software solution.”
– David McPhail, President and CEO, Memex Automation

To see the full article, please click here.

Memex Automation Qualifies for up to $800,000 in Funding From FedDev Ontario

FFJournal – March 19, 2015 – Burlington, ON.

Astrix Networks Inc. (“Astrix”), (operating as Memex Automation (“Memex”), the global leader of manufacturing Machine to Machine (M2M) productivity software, has qualified for up to $800,000 in Government of Canada funding directed specifically towards the continued development of its flagship product, MERLIN (Manufacturing Enterprise Real-time Lean Information Network) software. The funding announcement took place today at the company’s Burlington head office in a joint press conference with Minister of State for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, Gary Goodyear, and local Burlington Member of Parliament, Mike Wallace, along with senior company executives.

The Government of Canada’s repayable contribution, through FedDev Ontario’s Investing in Business Innovation (IBI) initiative, is aimed at strengthening the innovation ecosystem in southern Ontario by supporting new entrepreneurs, early-stage businesses and angel investors.

IBI provides a repayable contribution of up to one-third of eligible costs of a project. A key element to the Memex Automation’s qualification for this initiative was the successful completion of its $2 million non-brokered private placement completed last August, representing two-thirds of the project cost. The company will be responsible for repaying all funds advanced without interest commencing in 2017.

“Advanced technologies are increasingly being adopted by our manufacturers as they seek to improve their competitiveness,” said Gary Goodyear, Minister of State for FedDev Ontario. “This investment is an example of how our Government is helping manufacturers stay in the region to create new jobs and foster innovation.”

“Memex Automation is changing how manufacturers operate by providing ways to maximize the efficiency of existing machines on the shop floor,” said Mike Wallace, Member of Parliament for Burlington. “Our Government is proud to support this innovative technology that will help businesses in such a key sector of our economy.”

“We are grateful for the support from the Government of Canada’s Investing in Business Innovation initiative from FedDev Ontario” said David McPhail, President and CEO of Memex Automation. “Memex Automation is a high-growth company that is adding knowledge-based jobs in Canada while we transform the productivity of global manufacturing firms with our shop- floor-to-top-floor communications technology. This important funding will be invested in accelerating the development and world-wide customer adoption of our MERLIN (Manufacturing Enterprise Real-time Lean Information Network) software solution.”

To see the full article, please click here.

$800,000 in Fed Funding for Memex Automation

Shop Metalworking Technology – March 19, 2015 – Burlington, ON.

Memex Automation, a Canadian supplier of manufacturing M2M productivity software, has received $800,000 funding from the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario. The repayable loan will allow for accelerated development of the company’s flagship product, MERLIN, and create 16 new jobs at the Burlington, ON, company.

 MERLIN is a shop floor communications platform that enables “shop floor to top floor” monitoring of machine tool performance. The company claims it can increase machine utilization by an average of 10 to 50 per cent, and related income from operations by 20 to 60 per cent.

“Our Government is proud to support this innovative technology that will help businesses in such a key sector of our economy,” said Gary Goodyear, Minister of State for the Federal Economic Development Agency that is providing the loan through through FedDev Ontario’s Investing in Business Innovation (IBI) program. The program is aimed at strengthening the innovation ecosystem in southern Ontario by supporting new entrepreneurs, early-stage businesses and angel investors.

The Government of Canada’s repayable contribution, through FedDev Ontario’s Investing in Business Innovation (IBI) initiative, is aimed at strengthening the innovation ecosystem in southern Ontario by supporting new entrepreneurs, early-stage businesses and angel investors.

IBI provides a repayable contribution of up to one-third of eligible costs of a project. A key element to the Memex Automation’s qualification for this initiative was the successful completion of its $2 million non-brokered private placement completed last August, representing two-thirds of the project cost. The company will be responsible for repaying all funds advanced without interest commencing in 2017.

We are grateful for the support from the Government of Canada’s Investing in Business Innovation initiative from FedDev Ontario” said David McPhail, president and CEO of Memex Automation. “Memex Automation is a high-growth company that is adding knowledge-based jobs in Canada while we transform the productivity of global manufacturing firms with our shop- floor-to-top-floor communications technology. This important funding will be invested in accelerating the development and world-wide customer adoption of our MERLIN (Manufacturing Enterprise Real-time Lean Information Network) software solution.”

To see the full article, please click here.

FedDev Investments Boost Growing Burlington Companies

AM900 CHML News Talk Radio – March 19, 2015 – Hamilton, ON.

A Burlington company hopes to create 16 jobs, and almost double its workforce, thanks to an 800 thousand dollar federal investment.

Burlington M-P Mike Wallace was joined by FedDev Ontario Minister Gary Goodyear, in announcing the support for Memox Automation on Thursday morning.

Memex will use the repayable loan to commercialize the latest version of its product which helps manufacturers improve productivity through technology that allows machinery to communicate with each other.

It has about 80 customers, 80% of which are outside of Canada.

Wallace says the investment is about helping companies to be “global competitors”.

A second Burlington company, AdFlow Networks, which specializes in digital signage has received a 100 thousand dollar repayable loan through the same federal program to expand its facilities.

To see the full article, please click here.