Today we’re profiling IRIS R&D as part of our video series, Stay In-novating.

Stay In-novating profiles innovative small businesses in Canada that are finding creative ways to deal with the various challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic. Keeping business running, providing support to employees, adapting to a completely different customer’s experiences, these are only some of the topics that require addressing. This series was developed to promote and support our small businesses that deserve the spotlight for their excellent services and decisions during these times.

IRIS R&D is a privacy centric smart cities solutions company – helping municipalities make data driven decisions and build better road infrastructure.

The state of emergency by Canadian Municipalities provided them with the opportunity to demonstrate the effectiveness of their iPORT road monitoring solution in helping municipalities monitor high-risk road infrastructure and reduce liabilities.

The current state of affairs also pushed IRIS to re-evaluate their core technology, re-examine their values as a company and prove their commitment to meaningful community impact.

Back in January 2020, IRIS started a project with a Mohawk College to develop a solution that can monitor soil and plant moisture levels in Hamilton’s 3480 acres of Municipally-owned parkland. The current process is highly manual – parks & recreation inspectors drive out to each field and collect data daily. The project was an AI-enabled thermal camera to be installed on lamp poles located in municipal property. These cameras could sense when the park needs to be maintained and watered, doubling as a security feature.

COVID-19 caused a new application of this technology. After researching different applications of the thermal technology Iris has found a novel use case and solution that doesn’t exist in the marketplace today.

IS R&D Group Inc. and Dr. Hamilton-Wright’s Time Series Machine Learning lab are collaborating to bring to market a novel technology allowing passive, remote and contactless measurement at a distance of three key metabolic markers: heart rate, breathing rate and skin temperature to be tested at Hamilton hospitals.

Though they have only conceptualized this project recently – it is moving at a tremendous pace as key partners are recognizing the potential value of the solution across many use cases in the billion-dollar health sciences sector. They are currently working towards the full commercialization of the product.

Iris R&D would like to mention that none of this would be possible without the support of one of our advisors, Cyrus Tehrani (Hamilton CDO), and of course their amazing Innovation Guelph mentorship team.

We are thrilled to be supported by these organizations that truly care about advocating for the small business community and Canada:

Startup Canada is the national rallying community and voice for Canada’s 3.5 million entrepreneurs, representing more than 250,000 entrepreneurs and 50 grassroots communities. They are the network promoting, inspiring, educating, connecting, and giving a voice to Canada’s entrepreneurs; supporting them to start, operate, and scale businesses that build a better Canada for the world today and for future generations.

Next Canada is Canada’s strongest and most dedicated entrepreneurial network made up of 500+ top Canadian academics, entrepreneurs, investors, and founders. They accelerate their trajectory with access to education, mentorship, and funding.

RSM Canada LLP provides public accounting services and is the Canadian member firm of RSM International, a global network of independent audit, tax and consulting firms with more than 41,000 people in 116 countries. Their purpose is to deliver the power of being understood to our clients, colleagues, and communities through world-class audit, tax, and consulting services focused on middle-market businesses.

Canadian Chamber of Commerce has connected businesses of all sizes, from all sectors and from all regions of the country to advocate for public policies that will foster a strong, competitive economic environment that benefits businesses, communities, and families across Canada.

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