The DMZ at Ryerson University

The DMZ

Type	Business incubator
Industry	Experiential Learning
Founded	April 7, 2010
Headquarters	Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Key people	Abdullah Snobar, Sheldon Levy, Valerie Fox, Hossein Rahnama
Website	dmz.ryerson.ca

The DMZ (formerly the Digital Media Zone) is Ryerson University's business incubator for early-stage technology startups. Located at the corner of Yonge and Dundas Streets in Toronto, Ontario, it is the top-ranked university-based business incubator in Canada^[1] and #3 in the world.^[1] The DMZ is based at Ryerson, but it's not just for students; it is home to entrepreneurs and innovators from across Toronto, Canada and the world. It aims to help startups succeed by connecting them with customers, advisors, influencers and other entrepreneurs.^[2] Members within the DMZ can develop digital technology, accelerate product launches and contribute to Canada’s growing success in the digital economy.^[3]

History

In his March 2009 address to the Empire Club of Canada, Former Ryerson University president Sheldon Levy announced his intention to make digital media a top priority for the university and a driver of the university’s innovation and city building agendas.^[4] On April 7, 2010, the DMZ was instituted.^[5]

On December 15, 2010, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty toured the DMZ, meeting with ARB Labs, EDGE Lab and Flybits. The premier held his daily media availability session in the DMZ to showcase the success of bringing education and innovation together to create business and jobs.^[6]

On January 26, 2011, the Government of Canada officially designated 2011 as the Year of the Entrepreneur at the DMZ. The Honourable Ted Menzies, Minister of State (Finance) and the Honourable Rob Moore, Minister of State (Small Business and Tourism) announced the official designation on the Prime Minister’s behalf.^[7]

In February 2011, the DMZ expanded to a second level of new workspace within its downtown hub to meet the demand to accommodate more entrepreneurs and startups.^[8]

In April 2012, the DMZ expanded to a third level of new workspace. With this addition of 5,300 square feet, creating a total of 16,400 square feet of space for the incubator, the DMZ had almost tripled in size since it opened in 2010.^[9]

On May 22, 2012, His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales visited the DMZ as part of the 2012 Royal Tour to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II. Premier Dalton McGuinty and Ryerson President Sheldon Levy escorted Prince Charles through the DMZ, where he greeted Ryerson staff and chatted with teams about their latest innovations and projects. Prince Charles met with Bionik Labs, a medical engineering research and development corporation, 500px, a photography website and iPad app, Greengage, a sustainability smartphone app, and Flybits, a Canadian leader in context-aware computing.^[10]

On April 15, 2015, the DMZ celebrated its fifth year of operations and unveiled a new name and brand to "be more reflective and inclusive of the startup community" it serves—a community of 184 startups who had collectively raised more than $70 million in funding.^[11]

Application process

All entrepreneurs are welcome to apply for membership to the DMZ.

Ryerson student and alumni applicants are selected through StartMeUp Ryerson, a business startup program run by Ryerson’s award-winning Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE), and a committee of industry leaders, faculty experts, peers and mentors. Applicants with no prior Ryerson affiliation present to the DMZ Steering Committee for consideration.^[12]

In 2012, it announced a Digital Specialization program^[13] as well as an International Fellowship program.^[14]

Program

Entrepreneurs accepted into the DMZ are from diverse academic disciplines, backgrounds and business stages. The DMZ is available to all entrepreneurs exploring digital media and technology, not just those affiliated with Ryerson University. Applications are considered from those who present a unique idea that has commercial or social value, as well as a comprehensive business plan demonstrating feasibility and entrepreneurial capability, and a functional prototype (at minimum). The DMZ's program structure is flexible and inclusive. Companies can enter at different stages through a variety of supported pathways. They can remain and grow through rental agreements until they feel ready to move on. Equity exchanges for eligible companies are optional.

The DMZ operates using a four-prong model:

• Educate: The Digital Specialization (DS) Program, offered by Ryerson University, teaches digital skills to students who receive academic credit in the areas of business and social innovation.
• Ideate: StartMeUp Ryerson offers the service of helping budding entrepreneurs come up with and document a viable business idea.
• Incubate: Startups in the DMZ Incubation Program focus on validating their business model, R&D, iterating on their prototype, seeking out pilot customers and isolating the market for their product. The DMZ Incubation Program is a semi-structured 4-month program with an optional additional 8 months where fees may apply. Payment details are determined primarily by team size, with possible options for equity exchanges or in kind contributions.
• Accelerate: The Acceleration Program consists of a three-phased structured program ranging from 6 to 18 months with equity funding available.^[12]

Research and development

The DMZ is home to several affiliate labs where researchers at all stages of their post-secondary career collaborate with industry partners to solve authentic business problems. Current research teams include Flybits, which specializes in pushing cloud-based information to users based on location, activity and user profiles, as well as EDGE Lab, a multi-disciplinary research lab devoted to the study of learning, play and social innovation.^[15][16]

Notable DMZ companies

• 500px
• Bionik Labs
• Figure1
• Flybits
• Kira Talent
• Komodo OpenLab
• Magnet
• SoapBox
• Tiny Hearts
• The Rumie Initiative

References

1. "Three Canadian University Incubators Ranked Among World's Best". Techvibes. 2015-11-26. Retrieved 2016-10-20.
2. "About the DMZ". Retrieved 2015-04-20.
3. "Ryerson Digital Media Zone Launches New Website". TechVibes. 2010-09-10. Retrieved 2012-06-20.
4. "Ryerson as a City Builder". The Empire Club of Canada. 2009-03-05. Retrieved 2012-07-18.
5. "Ryerson helps budding inventors". Metro News. 2010-04-08. Retrieved 2012-07-18.
6. "Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty visits Ryerson's Digital Media Zone". Ryerson University. 2010-12-17. Retrieved 2012-06-25.
7. "Government of Canada officially designates 2011 as Year of the Entrepreneur at Ryerson's Digital Media Zone". Ryerson University. 2011-01-26. Retrieved 2012-06-25.
8. "DMZ A GIFT FOR ENTREPRENEURS". THE EYEOPENER. 2011-04-05. Retrieved 2012-07-18.
9. "Ryerson University's Digital Media Zone Celebrates Two Years of Innovation". Ryerson University. 2012-04-05. Retrieved 2012-07-18.
10. "His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales visits Ryerson University". Ryerson University. 2012-05-22. Retrieved 2012-06-21.
11. "Ryerson University's tech startup incubator rebrands as DMZ on fifth anniversary". Financial Post. 2015-04-16. Retrieved 2015-04-20.
12. "Ryerson's Digital Media Zone – a different kind of incubator". ITBusiness.ca. 2012-06-14. Retrieved 2012-07-18.
13. http://theeyeopener.com/2012/03/new-digital-specialization-program-announced-at-rye/
14. http://www.deccanherald.com/content/190874/earn-fellowship-study-ryerson-university.html
15. "Ryerson's Flybits researchers receive award for revolutionary head-mounted policing computers". Yonge Street Media. 2011-12-14. Retrieved 2012-07-18.
16. "EDGE Lab Democratizes Accessible Design". Torontoist. 2011-10-07. Retrieved 2012-07-18.