Nanoleaf

Nanoleaf, the startup co-founded by University of Toronto alumni Gimmy Chu, Tom Rodinger, and Christian Yan, brought its latest lighting product, Aurora, to U of T this weekend for a hackathon.

The startup was hosting Hack the Light in collaboration with the Computer Science Student Union (CSSU) and the Department of Computer Science Innovation Lab (DCSIL), with students developing programs to sync Nanoleaf's new Aurora bulb panels to change colours and patterns to music.

With the Aurora Rhythm, a small microphone add-on that the company has yet to bring to market, developers could create software plug-ins to make the multicolour, interlocking light panels react in different ways.

“Every time the bass hits, it will flash the panels,” said Chu, Nanoleaf co-founder and CEO. “Or you could have another one where, depending on the frequency of sound it hears, it will pop the light in a different way, so you can feel the music.”

For students, it was a chance for coding and technology skills to meet creative design and musical expression.

“For these students to really understand the whole technology platform and to be able to create something unique and creative in just two days was amazing,” said Chu.

Nanoleaf got its start at U of T, and so hosting the hackathon here was important for Chu.

“I owe a lot of my own personal success to the education I got at U of T, the friends I made here, to some of the relationships – like U of T President Meric Gertler introducing us to some of our investors,” Chu said. “I owe a lot to U of T, so part of it is just giving back.”

Participants of Hack the Light with DCSIL staff and Nanoleaf's Gimmy Chu (second from left) at the event this weekend

Chu, Rodinger and Yan met while they were members of the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering’s Blue Sky Solar Racing team. The friends reconnected in 2009 to create a solar product but then designed what became known as the world’s most energy-efficient lightbulb and raised nearly $200,000 through a Kickstarter campaign.

“Three years later, we have a team of 30 people, and our products are being sold in 40 different countries. It’s been a ride for us.”

Marketing is key to building a successful startup: U of T's Impact Centre

Christopher.Sorensen — Tue, 02 May 2017 21:13:37 +0000

Marketing is key to building a successful startup: U of T's Impact Centre

Christopher.Sorensen Tue, 05/02/2017 - 17:13

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When Nanoleaf's Gimmy Chu co-founded the smart lighting company, he had to build up skills in sales and marketing (photo by Johnny Guatto)

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When Gimmy Chu co-founded smart lighting company Nanoleaf back in 2012, he initially conceived of the firm as one focused exclusively on technology development.

But he soon realized that he was actually in the business of selling consumer products: Nanoleaf's debut offering was a dodecahedron-shaped LED bulb that was as stylish, as it was energy efficient.

The problem? Neither Chu nor fellow University of Toronto engineering graduates Tom Rodinger and Christian Yan knew the first thing about sales and marketing.

“I read Marketing for Dummies,” says Chu. “I needed to understand the fundamental principles of how to run that side of the business.”

While Chu and his team hit on a winner with their bulb design and “world's most energy-efficient” tagline, other research-types aren't always so savvy straight out of the gate. Some even say this may be holding back startups – particularly among researchers who launch companies based on their work.

But would an earlier emphasis on sales and marketing really help Canadian startups scale themselves into giant, market-dominating firms?

“This issue of marketing and sales is never talked about in government circles as being one of the causes of our problems in innovation,” says Charles Plant of U of T's Impact Centre accelerator, who recently penned a discussion paper on the subject.

In a bid to test his thesis, Plant conducted a cross-border comparison of startups by pairing funding data for 900 Canadian companies with LinkedIn data about their employees. He found that well-funded Canadian startups, on average, spend about 25 per cent less on marketing and sales than ones in the United States.

This is a problem, argues Plant, because insufficient sales and marketing slow down a product's market entry. It can also turn off venture capital investors, who often want to see evidence of market traction before ponying up cash. That, in turns, leaves less to spend on future sales and marketing endeavors. In his paper, Plant calls it a “vicious cycle.”

Why might Canadian entrepreneurs be susceptible to this trap?

Plant, who recently discussed his findings on Business News Network and wrote about it on Techvibes, says the sheer number of entrepreneurs emerging from Canada's top-notch post-secondary institutions probably plays a role. After all, these are people who are typically experts in their field but don't necessarily have any business training. He also blames Canada's reliance on commodity-type industries – from oil to lumber – for creating a business culture that puts far less emphasis on marketing and sales than is the case in the consumer-oriented U.S.

However, not everyone believes Canadian entrepreneurs are necessarily being outshone by their U.S. counterparts.

Becky Reuber, a professor of strategic management at U of T's Rotman School of Management, says she's yet to see anything other than anecdotal evidence to support the notion that U.S. startups are more successful than Canadian ones.

“A lot of what’s looked at are unicorns,” says Reuber, referring to the tiny fraction of (mostly U.S.) startups that manage to amass a valuation of $1 billion or more. “But these are the outliers. You can't develop [policy] models based on them.”

So what’s the lesson, if any, for Canada's budding entrepreneurs?

Plant recommends they start thinking about marketing and sales as early as possible. The knowledge gleaned can then be used to help guide research and product development, helping to ensure the resulting creations find a lucrative market niche, he says.

Learn more about entrepreneurship and startups at U of T

Meanwhile, Chu says accelerator programs like the ones at U of T – there are 10 spread across the university's three Toronto campuses – can play an important role in helping researchers think more like business people.

But while Canadian entrepreneurs could probably benefit by borrowing a page from their American counterparts when it comes to self-promotion, Chu warns the “more bold and outspoken” approach has its drawbacks, too.

Case in point: high profile flame-outs of startups like Theranos, the Silicon Valley firm that raised hundreds of millions for its blood-testing technology only to be engulfed in a massive scandal about its claims.

“You don’t want to be caught selling fluff,” says Chu.

Renewable energy research, clean-tech startups from U of T take centre stage

lanthierj — Mon, 17 Apr 2017 13:16:38 +0000

Renewable energy research, clean-tech startups from U of T take centre stage

lanthierj Mon, 04/17/2017 - 09:16

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Nanoleaf was just one of the U of T startups at the Toronto Sustainability Summit (all photos by Johnny Guatto)

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Toronto Sustainability Summit

If Silicon Valley is where big minds fixate on small problems – a better way to hail a taxi or swap photos on your smartphone – then the University of Toronto may soon be known as the place where the world’s biggest, most intractable issues are solved.

That was the underlying message at U of T’s recent Toronto Sustainability Summit, held at the MaRS Centre in downtown Toronto.

The sold-out event brought together leading U of T researchers, key government officials and senior industry executives to discuss ways to work together to tackle planet-threatening climate change. Reza Moridi, Ontario’s minister of research, innovation and science, took the opportunity to announce a new, $7 million competition designed to develop breakthrough technologies to help the province’s industrial plants reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Federal government backs three U of T startups and their clean tech innovations

sgupta — Wed, 09 Mar 2016 10:39:31 +0000

Federal government backs three U of T startups and their clean tech innovations sgupta Wed, 03/09/2016 - 05:39

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Nanoleaf founder and U of T grad Gimmy Chu (photo above by Johnny Guatto/photos below courtesy Nanoleaf))

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Three U of T startups are among 36 projects from across the country receiving funding from the federal government in support of their clean technology innovations.

Nanoleaf, QD Solar and ARDA Power Inc. received a total of almost $6 million from Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC), a governmental foundation which helps clean tech entrepreneurs commercialize their products by removing the funding barrier that hinders so many high potential startups.

“Nanoleaf is creating truly innovative products right here in Canada, but it’s difficult to get access to the capital needed to compete globally,” said U of T engineering alumnus Gimmy Chu, co-founder and CEO of Nanoleaf. (Visit the Nanoleaf site.)

“With this support from the Government of Canada, we can sustain our already impressive pace of product development and continue to make a truly positive impact for the planet and the people living on it.”

With an infusion of more than $2.8 million from SDTC, Chu said Nanoleaf will continue to develop their low-cost and highly intelligent “Smarter Kit” (pictured at right), adding to their collection of the world’s most energy-efficient LED light bulbs which are already on the market.

Interested in startups and entrepreneurship? Visit the BBCIE

“Researchers at U of T are regularly turning their discoveries into marketable inventions,” said Vivek Goel, vice-president of research and innovation. “I’m very pleased to see the support that these three companies are receiving from the government to continue the important work they’re doing in sustainable development.”

(Image below: Aurora lighting system by Nanoleaf)

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Canada Next: MaRS CEO on the future for startups

sgupta — Tue, 02 Feb 2016 08:08:21 +0000

Canada Next: MaRS CEO on the future for startups sgupta Tue, 02/02/2016 - 03:08

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A young man interested in entrepreneurship speaks to representatives from MaRS at the 2015 Startup Career Expo. "U of T is increasingly a “driving force” for startups", says Ilse Treurnicht, CEO of MaRS Discovery District.

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Canada is good at creating startup companies but not enough of them are high-growth enterprises, the so-called gazelles of the industry, says Ilse Treurnicht, CEO of the MaRS Discovery District.

But the good news, she says, is that U of T is increasingly a “driving force” for startups, helping them not just to thrive but to succeed in Canada so that the economic benefits accrue to this country.

The Global Entrepreneurship and Development Institute recently released a global entrepreneurship index that placed Canada second, behind the United States.

U of T News asked Treurnicht for her analysis of the survey and her views about some recent stories in the media about Canada and entrepreneurship, including an op-ed piece in the Globe and Mail co-authored by President Meric Gertler: “Southern Ontario should be an innovation cluster, not a farm team.”

The survey, she said, was a valid one and “another indication that entrepreneurship is important everywhere, and that Toronto has some good fundamentals in place, and that we have some areas where we can probably grow.”

Data on startups in Canada is relatively sparse but statistics from the U.S. and the U.K. suggest “that out of 100 startups somewhere between four and 10 become high-growth industries, the so-called gazelles.”

Treurnicht (pictured at left) described a gazelle as a company that that increases its revenues by at least 20 per cent annually for four years or more, starting from a revenue base of at least $1 million.

Gazelles “grow quite quickly and are major job creators, major contributors to revenue and economic growth,” Treurnicht said. “Starting up a company is important but it is not sufficient, you have to start more robust companies and more of them have to grow to scale.

“Canada is pretty good at starting companies but we don’t have enough of them that grow to scale.”

Our companies face “small local markets, and eco-systems that are still maturing,” she said. “We don’t have the serial entrepreneurs that they have in Silicon Valley.”

In Canada, the capital contributions made to startups is about one-third of what it is in the U.S.

“A lot of startups have to be international companies because the markets are so small here," she said. There are good reasons why so few become gazelles. “It’s not like we are stupid.”

Still, there are grounds for optimism, Treurnicht said.

“Over the last 10 years U of T has helped build the ecosystem in Toronto and the GTA. There is now a huge appetite among students to participate in such companies, and a growing appreciation among faculty, especially young faculty, to participate.”

The survey suggests Canada is poised to do great things, she added.

Treurnicht said the barriers to starting a company are very low, especially in the high-tech field. Companies focused on health care, “advanced materials” or artificial intelligence – firms with “hard-core intellectual property heft" – take a bit longer to develop so they require more investment.

But the “deep technology competency and the feeder system” coming out of U of T “is as good quality as the rest of the world,” she said. That means that more companies “will grow right here, with the economic benefits accruing to Canada.”

“This is a story about the growing momentum of U of T being a key force in making startups more successful. That is the message we want to get out. Stay tuned. There is a lot more come.”

Three to Watch

The majority of companies that have homes at the MaRS centre “have serious roots back to U of T,” Treurnicht said. They include Nanoleaf, Teabot and Chipcare.

Gimmy Chu, one of the University of Toronto alumni behind startup success Nanoleaf, with the revolutionary light bulb backed by investors around the world. Photo by Johnny Guatto.

Beat the holiday shopping blues with U of T creativity

sgupta — Tue, 15 Dec 2015 15:02:17 +0000

Beat the holiday shopping blues with U of T creativity sgupta Tue, 12/15/2015 - 10:02

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(photo by Denise Rosser via Flickr)

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Five gift ideas developed by U of T entrepreneurs

The holiday season is upon us, and while for some it’s the most wonderful time of year, for others it’s a rush to find the perfect gift on a dwindling deadline.

Have no fear – the University of Toronto’s entrepreneurs have been at work crafting products that might be just the item you’ve been searching for. From tech gadgets to fashion solutions, these five products are ready for purchase for the loved one on your list.

OTI Lumionics’ Aerelight A1

Developed by OTI Lumionics, the Aerelight A1 is an ultra-thin and environmentally-friendly OLED lamp. The sleek aluminum lamp comes in three colours and has three brightness settings that can be changed by touch. The walnut base of the lamp doubles as a wireless charging dock for compatible devices.

As a holiday promotion OTI is including a free black charging case for iPhone 6 and 6s devices if ordered before December 31st with the promo code “IPHONE” (limited quantities available). They are also providing free shipping until the end of December.

Shop OTI Lumionics

Nanoleaf

Wielding awards for design excellence and global efficiency, Nanoleaf’s eco-friendly light bulbs are great gifts for environment and modern design enthusiasts. Nanoleaf has a product line of five different types of bulbs, each uniquely shaped to be self-reinforcing and for maximum strength.

Nanoleaf’s most recent addition is the Nanoleaf Smarter Kit, which combines the company’s sustainable and stylish bulb with Apple’s HomeKit. The Nanoleaf Smarter Kit allows users to turn on/off or dim their lights to customized brightness using Siri voice control. Nanoleaf is offering free shipping for orders over $100.

Shop Nanoleaf

Adrenalease’s Posture Performance Shirt

This Dragon's Den-approved posture performance shirt is ideal for athletes or fitness fiends, but can also be given to anyone who wants to reverse bad posture habits. Through passive stretching, the shirt conditions the user to keep shoulders back in the correct upright position, improving aerobic performance and relieving stress off certain muscle groups.

Unlike similar products on the market, this shirt has adjustable straps that the user can set to their desired comfort for the recommended 30 minutes every one to two hours, then released to maintain muscle balance.

Shop Adrenalease

Arctic Trim

Arctic Trim’s removable fur “ruffs” and “cuffs” can give a new flair to old styles by adding trim to standard Canadian winter gear. Esther Vlessing, the U of T undtergrad behind the startup, came up with idea when she noticed a gap in the market for this type of removable and interchangeable fur accessory.

In addition to making the fashionista on your list happy, a portion of all online sales will also be donated to Out of the Cold, a Toronto-based initiative that provides food and shelter for those in need.

Shop Arctic Trim

Flipd

Far too often we find ourselves glued to our smartphones, disconnected from what’s going on around us in favour of a virtual reality. Give your friends and family the gift of being present this holiday season by downloading Flipd to your phone. This free app is available on iOS and android, and lets users lock their phones for a set period of time. No texting, no social media, no email, no games.

The app lets users set an automatic reply to any texts that come in so those on the other end of the line know they’re “Flipd off.” If something important comes up, a 60-second “cheat” window is allowed before the lockdown continues.

Whether it’s for a few minutes or a couple hours, embrace what matters most this holiday season by flipping off and turning Flipd on.

Download Flipd

(Visit Flickr to see the original of the photo at top)

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Meet undergrad Frank Gu, one of the U of T interns lighting up Nanoleaf

sgupta — Wed, 04 Nov 2015 06:01:59 +0000

Meet undergrad Frank Gu, one of the U of T interns lighting up Nanoleaf sgupta Wed, 11/04/2015 - 01:01

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Frank Gu says the energy at Nanoleaf shouts “We are going to do great things, so if you are ready, hop aboard!” (photo courtesy Blue Sky solar racing)

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Travelling to Shenzhen, China, the second-year Engineering student discovers he has no limits

How does a second-year undergraduate student nab a coveted internship with a global lighting startup like Nanoleaf?

It helps to offer critical thinking, creativity and boundless energy – but having the boss share your intellectually impressive hobby doesn't hurt.

When Nanoleaf CEO Gimmy Chu met electrical and computer engineering student Frank Gu, he discovered that the young applicant was a member of U of T's Blue Sky Solar Racing Club. Chu had worked on the acclaimed Blue Sky car almost a decade earlier.

“Gimmy gave me an assignment to prove my capability for the intern position,” Gu says. “Then, Gimmy and I proceeded to talk about Blue Sky Solar Racing at U of T.”

U of T News is profiling some of the interns helping to power Nanoleaf, an LED startup from U of T Engineering alumni that recently announced a new product launch in partnership with Apple. (Read about the fourth-year math and statistics undergrad and the science undergrad working for Nanoleaf.)

“The U of T presence is still very strong at Nanoleaf, and I believe it always will be,” says Nanoleaf spokesperson Leslie Chen. “When we were looking for interns to join our team, the first place we looked was at U of T.”

(Read the latest news about Nanoleaf and Apple)

U of T News writer Brianna Goldberg spoke with Gu about his experiences at Nanoleaf, which he joined in early 2015.

How did Nanoleaf recruit you?

I met the Nanoleaf team during the You’re Next startup career fair 2015. They had a booth in the lower level of the MaRS building, and a very bright light bulb for demonstration. I remember the first thought that flashed past my mind when I saw what they were doing: “MY EYES!” So that blinding experience was how the Nanoleaf people made their impression on me. (Read more about the You're Next career fair)

I did the standard routine of shaking some hands, taking a card, and dropping off a resume. After one day, no reply, not even a confirmation. One week, still nothing. Finally, I emailed Gimmy Chu, Nanoleaf's CEO, and he got back to me pretty quickly wanting to schedule a meeting to chat. We spoke briefly about some current technological trends. Gimmy gave me an assignment to prove my capability for the intern position. Then, Gimmy and I proceeded to talk about Blue Sky Solar Racing at U of T. Gimmy also worked on the Blue Sky car almost a decade ago, and I am an active team member of the Blue Sky team. I guess that’s how Nanoleaf recruited me! (Read more about Blue Sky Solar Racing at U of T)

Why did you want to work with them?

At first I just wanted a job for some additional learning experience and a challenge. But after meeting with Gimmy, I was immediately attracted to Nanoleaf. Of all the CEOs/managers/bosses that I have dealt with in the past, I can confidently say that Gimmy is the most “chill” (excuse my slang). At the time, I was merely a frosh in school for only half a year. Gimmy did not seem to mind.

He was interested in two things: what I can offer, and what I want to obtain from working with Nanoleaf. It is almost a feeling of urgency, a liveliness that shouts, “We are going to do great things, so if you are ready, hop aboard!” I think it’s this energy that drew me to them, and it’s because of this energy that I am staying with them. The first day at work, I stayed till 8 p.m. because I felt like I was finally in a place I belonged.

Does your work at Nanoleaf connect with or supplement what you’ve learned at U of T?

The projects I work on at Nanoleaf give me an opportunity to convert theoretical knowledge obtained in the classrooms into real applications that serve real purposes. Specifically, the project management and strategies I learned in my Engineering Strategies and Practice course were used heavily during the discussion and design of a solution at Nanoleaf. Computer Fundamentals taught the basics of the C/C++ programming language, and writing kernel drivers at Nanoleaf allowed me to apply this abstract knowledge. These are some aspects that connect directly with my courses.

I believe university is also a place to learn how to socialize and form new connections and friendships. Beyond the scope of courses at U of T, working at Nanoleaf has exposed me to an exciting cross section of different social groups in our society: programmers, PhDs, electrical engineers, artists, writers, marketing and strategists. As a surprise, during my stay in the Shenzhen office, I was also offered the opportunity to visit Nanoleaf’s production facility, providing me with a rich first-hand experience of the modern electronics manufacturing industry.

So yes, I would say working at Nanoleaf complements my academic and social pursuit at U of T greatly!

What have you learned in working with Nanoleaf that surprised you?

Your “limit” is where you define it to be. When I first started working at Nanoleaf, I had only a preliminary knowledge of the programming languages used: C, Javascript and Swift. However, Gimmy let me begin with a highly experimental project that involved networking, servers, databases, cloud architectures, and whatever other jargon that’s out there in the industry. I took it up as a challenge. A month into the project, and I was already comfortable with the technologies involved. Two months in, I began cooperating with the rest of the team in the main program development. By May, I was patching up kernel drivers (advanced development) with guidance from Tom.

At Nanoleaf, I was surprised by my “limit.” I have no limit. We all have no limits. If I take something as a challenge, I can always push myself ever harder and further to accomplish it no matter how daunting the task. The key is to always believe in yourself and acknowledge that you can be your own greatest enemy.

Interested in entrepreneurship and startups at U of T? Visit the Banting & Best Centre for Innovation & Entrepreneurship

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These undergrad interns are helping to power Nanoleaf: Jeanny Yao and Josh Hwang

sgupta — Mon, 02 Nov 2015 10:59:15 +0000

These undergrad interns are helping to power Nanoleaf: Jeanny Yao and Josh Hwang sgupta Mon, 11/02/2015 - 05:59

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(image courtesy Nanoleaf)

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Undergraduate Education

Undergraduate Students

Why would a fast-growing LED lighting startup hire a statistician and a scientist as business development interns?

Nanoleaf – a global startup from U of T Engineering alumni – says it was for their different perspective and critical mindset. (Read more about Nanoleaf)

“The U of T presence is still very strong at Nanoleaf, and I believe it always will be,” said spokesperson Leslie Chen. “When we were looking for interns to join our team, the first place we looked was at U of T.”

The interns, who hooked into Nanoleaf's team through a specialized new venture internship course called IMC390, get to earn course credits while exploding all conventions of what they can do with their degree.

Interested in learning more about startups and entrepreneurship at U of T? Visit the Banting & Best Centre for Innovation & Entrepreneurship

(Video courtesy Nanoleaf's Smarter Kit Indiegogo)

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Nanoleaf launches new product for Apple home system

sgupta — Tue, 27 Oct 2015 16:25:27 +0000

Nanoleaf launches new product for Apple home system sgupta Tue, 10/27/2015 - 12:25

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The Nanoleaf Ivy bulb (hanging) and hub (on table) work in connection with Apple HomeKit

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Siri lets users wirelessly control alumni’s award-winning super-efficient LED bulbs

Nanoleaf, the fast-growing startup from University of Toronto alumni, launched a new product Oct. 27 tied to Apple's HomeKit line.

“We've received Apple's approval to join the HomeKit ecosystem,” said Nanoleaf spokesperson Leslie Chen.

The Nanoleaf Smarter Kit combines “the world’s most energy efficient smart bulb” and a stylish, connected hub with Apple’s Siri-enabled HomeKit, Chen said. This will allow users to wirelessly control the startup’s award-winning LED bulb designs by simply using their voice. (Read more about Nanoleaf and the new Nanoleaf Smarter Kit)

“With the emergence of smart home products, lighting is entering a whole new territory,” said Chen, one of a growing number of recent U of T grads recruited to Nanoleaf.

“Imagine sitting in the living room and being able to control all of the lights in your home with just a few words,” she said. “Pretty revolutionary to say the least!”

Chen said the Ivy is an app-controlled bulb that users can turn on, off and dim using their Apple phone, tablet or smart watch. The Nanoleaf Smarter Kit is set for release in selected Best Buy locations in early November, she added, with more details still to come.

“Integrating technology like this, especially through a company as famed as Apple, is a great way to reach a wider audience and get access to a new market,” said Karen Sievewright, managing director of U of T's Banting & Best Centre for Innovation & Entrepreneurship. “It’s a smart move by Nanoleaf.”

The green tech startup founded by Engineering alumni Gimmy Chu, Christian Yan and Tom Rodinger has grown from a massively successful Kickstarter project in early 2013, based on the strength of their stylish “world’s most energy efficient” bulb, to a bustling company with approximately 40 employees spread between its Toronto and Shenzhen, China, offices.

The venture recently scored funding from ‘Asia’s richest philanthropist,’ debuted products at fairs in New York, Shanghai and Tokyo and won a reddot design award for 2015.

Read about Nanoleaf’s Kickstarter surpassing its goal by 500 per cent

Read about ‘Asia’s richest philanthropist’ investing in Nanoleaf

Read about Nanoleaf creating green jobs in Canada and China

Read about Nanoleaf’s revolutionary dimming bulb

Chen says the next big step for Nanoleaf will be releasing a product they believe will change the way people think about lighting.

“Light is not merely illumination. Light is atmosphere, it wakes you up after a night of sleep, it keeps us safe and content, just as much today as two million years ago,” said Chu, CEO of Nanoleaf. “We want to make products that will transform simple lighting solutions into meaningful experiences.”

Nanoleaf made the announcement as U of T's Impact Centre prepared to host a symposium celebrating the International Year of Light. (Read more about the IYL Symposium)

Chen says the gains of Nanoleaf rely on the team members they continue to recruit from U of T.

“The U of T presence is still very strong at Nanoleaf, and I believe it always will be,” said Chen. “When we were looking for interns to join our team, the first place we looked was at U of T.”

Watch for U of T News stories profiling Nanoleaf's three undergrad interns, Jeanny Yao, Frank Gu and Josh Hwang in the coming week.

“Nanoleaf will always be very closely connected with U of T: our three founders are all alumni and without the school, they would have never met in the first place,” said Chen.

“It will always be part of our identity and I think that’s why U of T grads are a good fit for us.”

(Video courtesy Nanoleaf's Smarter Kit Indiegogo)

Learn more about entrepreneurships and startups at U of T: visit the Banting & Best Centre for Entrepreneurship.

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Alumni startup Nanoleaf creating green jobs in Toronto, China

sgupta — Wed, 22 Apr 2015 14:08:39 +0000

Alumni startup Nanoleaf creating green jobs in Toronto, China sgupta Wed, 04/22/2015 - 10:08

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The energy-efficient Nanoleaf Gem is company's first designer bulb (image courtesy Nanoleaf)

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Earth Day sees company add designer bulb to its suite of energy-efficient LEDs

It started with a viral campaign for the world’s most energy-efficient light bulb in 2013. Now, international media are also calling Nanoleaf a “green job” leader.

Founded by University of Toronto engineering alumni Gimmy Chu, Tom Rodinger and Christian Yan, the company has grown from its days as a crowdfunded venture working from the founders’ apartments to a bi-continental company attracting investment from the likes of Li Ka Shing (dubbed “Asia’s richest man” by Bloomberg News). (Read more about NanoLeaf in U of T News or check out its website.)

Now, Nanoleaf’s efforts have been highlighted by Reuters as a best practice for the increasing trend of ‘green jobs’ in a country that the International Monetary Fund ranks as the world’s largest economy.

(Interested in entrepreneurship and startups at U of T? Visit U of T's Banting & Best Centre for Innovation & Entrepreneurship.)

Nanoleaf recently won two 2015 Red Dot international design awards for its bulbs and opened an office in Toronto. And, on Earth Day, the startup launched its newest product: Nanoleaf Gem – described as “the world’s first all-glass, designer LED bulb.”

One of Nanoleaf’s newest recruits, alumna Leslie Chen, shared the latest on their recent growth…

What’s new with NanoLeaf?
Nanoleaf recently set up an office in downtown Toronto, so we are now officially a global company that spans two continents.

The Toronto office opened in January this year. We were originally in the MaRS building, which started off with three people, but now we have moved into our own office at Queen and John, having expanded to eight people. There are about 20 employees in China and we have a small office in Hong Kong with a few people as well.

The expansion to Toronto was to focus on research and development, to expand our team of engineers as well as develop the creative team, which includes me and a new industrial designer. We mostly coordinate with the China team over Skype and e-mail. Meetings are usually nights for us and mornings for them!

We’ve also been getting ready for the launch of our new product, the Nanoleaf Gem, which is the world’s first LED décor bulb.

How has the green lighting landscape developed since you came on the scene?
Green lighting has definitely expanded since Nanoleaf started. There are now so many ‘green’ companies and products out there, but Nanoleaf is constantly striving to be the best and to create the most sustainable yet stylish products available.

What are you most interested to see in the near future in terms of energy-efficient lighting?
We’re excited to see even more energy-efficient bulbs available. Not just energy-efficient but also LED lights that challenge the industry standards, which inspired us to create the Nanoleaf Gem.

People usually don’t associate LED bulbs with beauty, so we wanted to create a light bulb that was eco-friendly but still appealed to designers and artists.

What’s your next big goal or challenge to work through as a company?
Our goal for the Nanoleaf Gem is to get designers and others in that industry to start thinking about adopting LED lighting. We’re all about green without compromise. Green products usually only focus on the energy efficiency aspect and forget about style, but we wanted to bring those two worlds together with the Gem.

Any favourite U of T startup companies that you’re keeping an eye on?
We recently saw Fuel Wear Clothing in Metro, which was really interesting. Similar to Nanoleaf, it was founded by three engineering grads who launched their product with a Kickstarter campaign.

Brianna Goldberg writes about entrepreneurship and produces The Cities Podcast for U of T News.

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Nanoleaf

Syncing light to music: U of T startup Nanoleaf hosts programming hackathon for students

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Marketing is key to building a successful startup: U of T's Impact Centre

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Renewable energy research, clean-tech startups from U of T take centre stage

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Federal government backs three U of T startups and their clean tech innovations

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Interested in startups and entrepreneurship? Visit the BBCIE

Canada Next: MaRS CEO on the future for startups

Three to Watch

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Beat the holiday shopping blues with U of T creativity

Shop OTI Lumionics

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Meet undergrad Frank Gu, one of the U of T interns lighting up Nanoleaf

Interested in entrepreneurship and startups at U of T? Visit the Banting & Best Centre for Innovation & Entrepreneurship

These undergrad interns are helping to power Nanoleaf: Jeanny Yao and Josh Hwang

Read more about Nanoleaf on U of T News

Interested in learning more about startups and entrepreneurship at U of T? Visit the Banting & Best Centre for Innovation & Entrepreneurship

Nanoleaf launches new product for Apple home system

Learn more about entrepreneurships and startups at U of T: visit the Banting & Best Centre for Entrepreneurship.

Alumni startup Nanoleaf creating green jobs in Toronto, China