Several university investors lined up to support sensory film supplier Forcen's seed round, with the proceeds allocated towards an expansion in production capacity and headcount.
Forcen, a Canada-based sensory film manufacturer supported by multiple academic incubators and programs, has closed a $500,000 seed round led by private equity fund NorthSpring Capital Partners and backed by individuals from syndicates Golden Triangle Angel Network and Angel One.
The company has received support through University of Toronto-run accelerators Creative Destruction Lab, Health Innovation Hub and incubator Entrepreneurship Hatchery, in addition to the Ryerson University-run incubator Biomedical Zone, nonprofit research centre Ontario Brain Institute and Ontario Bioscience Innovation Organization, a nonprofit think-tank and advocacy.
Founded in 2015 and previously known as Sensor Medical Laboratories, Forcen has designed a sensor film material that can be used to laminate robotically-assisted surgical and industrial devices to confirm how much tactile force the human operator is administering through the machinery.
In addition to robotic applications, Forcen also markets its film for other uses in the medical device, aerospace and defence segments.
The seed capital will be used to buy more equipment and recruit additional staff as Forcen aims to increase its production capacity to keep pace with industry demand.
