ShapeTrace Labs, a startup venture in the Lassonde School of Engineering’s Bergeron Entrepreneurs in Science & Technology (BEST) Entrepreneurship Hub, recently claimed victory in the MaRS Upstart! business pitch competition.
ShapeTrace is a cloud-based solution for construction managers. Using a mobile device and its cameras, the application prevents possible costly or serious errors by using 3D imaging to compare an original design with what was actually built. This enables construction managers to make smart, faster decisions about the building.
Based on work by PhD students working in the Geomatics Engineering program, ShapeTrace was founded by Ernest Yap, (PEng) and Julien Li-Chee-Ming (BSc ’09, MSc ’12), a doctoral candidate in the Lassonde School of Engineering.
“A community of aspiring entrepreneurs is developing at York University, and Lassonde’s BEST Hub has provided a fantastic base from which to develop the ShapeTrace Labs business,” said Yap.
“We need entrepreneurs in Toronto to think big and to see the whole world as their marketplace,” he added. “The communities of early-stage startups emerging here at the University, with guidance from mentors at the BEST Hub, will provide the support needed to transform concepts into successful enterprises.”
“ShapeTrace is the perfect example of how exceptional research combined with an entrepreneurial mindset can create high-potential business ventures,” said Terry Sachlos, senior research associate at Lassonde. Sachlos leads the BEST Hub operations.
“This is just the beginning of what promises to be a limitless future for ShapeTrace Labs. With the support we are offering at the BEST Hub, we hope to give many more aspiring entrepreneurs the same opportunities to shine.”