MaRS Discovery District

Beyond Advisory Services:  Leveraging peer groups and the community to help entrepreneurs grow their businesses

March 24th, 2010

There are three key objectives for today’s presentation:

• Provide an overview of MaRS Business Services, our clients, and our key services

• Discuss how we engage our regional community to meet our clients needs

• Describe the benefits to leveraging peer networks to assist our clients

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MaRS is a non-profit innovation centre connecting science, technology and social entrepreneurs with business skills, networks and capital

MaRS helps to create successful global businesses from Canada’s science and technology

Mission

Who we Serve

Early stage science and technology ventures and innovative social purpose businesses

Measure of Success

Job and wealth creation for the economy

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Real Estate Services

MaRS Incubator

Office and Laboratory Facilities

MaRS Collaboration Centre Conference Facility

IT/AV Services

MaRS Centre Development

Business Services

Community Programs

Awards and Recognition

Strategic Partnerships

Stakeholder Support

Cluster Development

Knowledge Management Services

Support and Enabling ServicesFinance, Administration, Corporate Development, HR, Community Investment, Communications

Part

ner

Pro

gra

ms

MaRS Discovery District

Market Intelligence Services

Entrepreneurship Educational Programs

Capital and Talent Services

IP Development Services (MaRS Innovation)

MaRS Advisory Services

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MaRS Advisory Services Practices

Information and Communications

Technology

Life Sciences / Healthcare

CleantechAdvanced

Materials and Engineering

Social Ventures

• Approximately 70 advisors of record

• Rigorous, yet porous client funnel to move early stage companies along the right path

• Each practice leverages consistent, yet unique tools and processes to support venture clients

• With limited resources, it is very important to selectively apply our resources to work with all clients with the appropriate level of service

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MaRS Advisory Services

Venture Group MaRS-based BMEP EIR’s

Volunteer Advisors

Secondments SiG Advisors

and EIR’s

A single integrated pool of advisors offering free consultative services to an array of emerging ventures

Entrepreneurial Educational Programs, Market Intelligence Services, Capital Services, Talent Services, Advisory Panels, and Special Services

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Number of Active Ventures Number of MaRS Advisor Hours

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• Volunteer Advisors accounting for a larger percentage of total advisory services hours; fully integrated with the MaRS Advisory Services team

• Engagement of business leaders, entrepreneurs, and subject matter experts to ensure comprehensive skill sets

• Volunteers become MaRS ambassadors in the community, both domestic and international

• Rigorous recruiting and screening process for all advisors (FT, PT, or volunteers); volunteer advisors are only accepted into the program via qualified referral

• Philosophy is to promote team-based advisory when working with clients

• Enables new advisors to learn the MaRS methodology, develop their coaching skills, and receive peer to peer feedback to ensure continuous improvement

• Group setting provides confidence to make collective decisions vs. unilateral

• Consistent and frequent client satisfaction pulse check feedback surveys administered; summarized improvement opportunities are communicated to all MaRS Advisors on a monthly basis

• Annual job and wealth creation assessment determines progress towards ultimate mission

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1. Volunteer Community- Credible business people working directly and

indirectly with clients (e.g. networks, customers, recruiting, etc.)

- In-person and online education providing practical and specialized entrepreneurship education

2. Partner Organizations- Focused and dedicated advisor time with

partner organizations to assist clients

3. Connections to Capital- Angel, venture capital, and co-administration

of early stage seed fund

4. Corporate Engagement- Qualified deal flow engine linked with

innovation / growth strategies with MNE’s 10

Leveraging our “backyard” resources to meet our client needs

• Capital• Talent• Customers• Partners• Mentorship and

Advice

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Seeking

Revenue StreamsCost Savings

Competitive Advantage

Receiving

Leading Ideas

New Products

Culture Changing Engagements

Seeking

Access to Funding

Early Markets

Potential Partners

Receiving

R&D/Seed Investment $’s

Trial Customers/Revenue

Partners (channel, distribution, manufacturing)

Innovation Broker

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1. Advisor to Advisor- Sharing of client needs and challenges to leverage the broader

network across the province- Share learning’s and develop creative practices on

mentorship and working with clients- “Safety in numbers” – peer to peer advisor evaluations

1. Entrepreneur to Entrepreneur- Facilitated discussions to share common challenges in a

neutral environment- Informal forums / networking discussions to share information- Former / current entrepreneurs serving as advisors,

mentors, educators, etc.

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3. Advisor to Entrepreneur (e.g. client “roadshows”)

Individual Entrepreneurs

Inventors

Angels

VCs

Banks

Philanthropists

Proof ofPrinciple Grants

Pre-Seed Funds

Small/Medium Sized Business

Large Corporations

IncubatorCompanies

ResearchHospitals

Universities

IndividualScientists

Sector-basedOrganizations

Regional InnovationOrganizations

Government

Service Providers

Industry Associations

Angels

VCs

Banks

Philanthropists

Proof ofPrinciple Grants

Pre-Seed Funds

Small/Medium Sized Business

Large Corporations

IncubatorCompanies

ResearchHospitals

Universities

IndividualScientists

Sector-basedOrganizations

Regional InnovationOrganizations

Government

Service Providers

Industry Associations

Individual Entrepreneurs

InventorsGeneratingPurposeful Collisions

“ “

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Economic and Social Impact

Business Services

Cluster Development

IP Development |

MaRS Advisory |

Market Intelligence |

Entrepreneurship Education

Capital & Investment

Strategic Partnerships | Stakeholder Support

Community Programs | Awards & Recognition

Talent & Knowledge Management

Real Estate Services

MaRS Centre Development | IT/AV Services

Office & Laboratory Facilities | MaRS Incubator

MaRS Collaboration Centre

Public Policy

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