Big Viking, Fongo, Aeryon, Rebellion among IRAP Q1 contributions

IRAP-backed projects have traditionally been a great way to find companies doing innovative things across a wide range of sectors—and in big urban, small urban, and rural areas. In the first quarter of the current fiscal year, Ontario Drive and Gear and Biorem received the largest IRAP contributions among Southwestern Ontario companies. Both have a track record of working with IRAP, as does Aeryon Labs, which received the third-largest contribution across the region.

London's Big Viking Games, Waterloo's Fongo, and Waterloo's Rebellion Media Group all received their first disclosed IRAP contributions in the quarter. Veteran Waterloo Region tech companies Campana Systems, Virtek, and Huron Technologies (formerly Biomedical Photometrics) were also among Q1 recipients.

Disclosed IRAP contributions in Southwestern Ontario, Q1 FY2014:

Ontario Drive And Gear (ODG)	New Hamburg	$249,565
Biorem Technologies	Guelph	$202,500
Aeryon Labs	Waterloo	$149,993
Hauser Industries	Waterloo	$99,900
Xtivity	London	$96,000
Forest City Castings	St. Thomas	$54,263
Digital Boundary Group	London	$50,000
Big Viking Games	London	$50,000
Fongo	Waterloo	$50,000
Rebellion Media Group	Waterloo	$50,000
Campana Systems	Waterloo	$50,000
Huron Technologies	Waterloo	$50,000
ProQuip International	Brantford	$50,000
CSL Silicones	Guelph	$50,000
Great Lakes Copper	London	$50,000
SP Stalls & Storage	Mount Brydges	$50,000
Autoliv Canada	Tilbury	$50,000
Brunato Farms	Leamington	$49,950
Rapid EDM	Tecumseh	$49,280
Virtek	Waterloo	$47,868
Edge Automation	London	$44,000
Crate Designs	Chesley	$34,999
Cervini Farms	Leamington	$27,100

The largest contribution in the province was $700,000 for Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME).