Thin Air Labs providing capital for growing number of entrepreneurs

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“We all know enterprise constructing is tough as a result of we’ve been there,” says James Lochrie about his crew at Skinny Air Labs. And its managing associate has definitely been by way of the wringer himself whereas launching an organization.

He did extraordinarily properly. Following know-how research on the College of Calgary and armed with administrative and knowledge research at Western College, he co-founded an organization referred to as Wave Accounting. He acted as chief product officer and chief know-how officer for the agency, offering accounting companies to small companies, earlier than it was acquired by H&R Block for greater than half a billion {dollars}.

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What now?

With super religion and confidence in Calgary and Alberta, Lochrie began investing in startup know-how companies with a imaginative and prescient to assist younger firms develop and keep right here to make this metropolis an influential tech hub.

His expertise as an angel investor was profitable and together with his entrepreneurial hat again on, he seized the chance to increase the expertise and put collectively an organization that might assist many extra. Together with two co-founders he launched Skinny Air Labs in 2020; a enterprise capital and companies agency creating human worth by serving to early stage startups scale globally.

Skinny Air Labs Fund 1 set about elevating $20 million, together with $4 million from Alternative Calgary Funding Fund. That funding spherical closed in October, and the corporate started constructing a portfolio of purchasers that at present numbers 19, with two extra to be added shortly.

Lochrie additionally is aware of the worth of an skilled and like-minded employees. He calls the 20 folks primarily based in his Calgary workplace a crew of in contrast to minds — a crew of numerous expertise and expertise prepared to assist.

The manager crew on Skinny Air Capital is made up of Lochrie, common associate and CEO Rick Fowl and common associate Raghu Bharat. Crystal Phillips is vice-president of Skinny Air Labs Fund 1.

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Lots of its investments are in life sciences, reflecting the expertise Phillips has in that sector. She co-founded and constructed up the Department Out Neurological Basis, however joined Skinny Air to broaden her affect on humanity.

The fund has already achieved outstanding successes with quite a lot of its investments.

Good examples are Syantra, a precision biotech firm co-founded by Tina Rinker, a professor of biomedical engineering on the College of Calgary, that has developed a blood check to detect most cancers, beginning with breast most cancers. Fluid BioMed was additionally birthed on the college by two neurosurgeons who’ve developed the subsequent era of stents to deal with aneurysm.

One in all our college superstars, plastics and reconstructive surgeon Breanne Everett, who additionally earned an MBA on the Haskayne Faculty of Enterprise, has obtained a lot applause for Orpyx Medical Applied sciences. The corporate she based and serves as CEO developed an insole to forestall diabetic foot ulcers, and due to this fact stopping many amputations.

And Tactile Orthopaedics additionally has College of Calgary roots. Based by two orthopedic surgeons, it has developed reasonable fashions that really feel like human bone and mushy tissue, to enhance entry to surgical coaching fashions for knee alternative and shoulder repairs.

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Fintech firms additionally profit from the fund, together with PayShepherd, serving to giant industrial services handle contractor billing, and Fillip that developed a digital fleet card.

Lochrie had each purpose to be assured in the way forward for the high-tech sector on this metropolis.

Skinny Air Labs has a second division that’s serving to startups and scaleups to increase their runway by securing non-dilutive capital corresponding to grants, debt and tax credit.

Entrepreneurs are saved busy working a brand new firm — writing grants takes many hours. Skinny Air Labs has a bunch of strategists and technical writers inside its Funding Catalyst crew who work as an extension of the enterprise groups to assist their companies develop.

There isn’t any should be within the firm’s portfolio to entry its companies. It’s at present supporting firms throughout North America, and thus far has secured funds for ventures totalling greater than $30 million.

It additionally boasts a Product Traction crew serving to in product administration, design and engineering to verify an organization’s product or platform connects with clients.

Lochrie’s imaginative and prescient of making good on the planet by way of serving to entrepreneurs is paying nice dividends.

David Parker seems repeatedly within the Herald. Learn his columns on-line at calgaryherald.com/enterprise. He may be reached at 403-830-4622.

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