As summer wraps up, and the fall season takes a definitive grip on the capital region, we’re excited to once again be featuring snapshots and highlights from businesses that are finding success here in Ottawa and beyond.
So, grab your favourite fall beverage (pumpkin infused or not) and learn more about the growth driving Lavenbel and Giatech in our October edition of the Ottawa Business Success Snapshots.
Giatech Secures Funding to Drive Construction Industry Innovation
Early in October, Ottawa-based cleantech company Giatec secured $17.5 million in grants and loans to support the development of innovations aimed at making concrete industry production more efficient and environmentally friendly.
The company’s sensor and AI-based innovations will be incorporated into its three-year, $65.8 million R&D project to build the world’s first AI-enabled digital platform for concrete industry production.
The funding, acquired through the Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF) managed by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED), was awarded to Giatec based on its potential to help Canada reach its sustainability goals, and will support the future development of a smart concrete demonstration plant.
The demonstration plant, to be based in Ottawa, will operate using the company’s groundbreaking SmartMix™ platform leveraging AI and next-level sensor technology to optimize concrete mixes, and is estimated to spur the creation of 160 jobs in the area.
Giatec Scientific Inc. was founded in 2011 to bring disruptive, knowledge-based and sustainable technologies to the concrete industry.
The company is participating in Invest Ottawa’s ScaleUp program to help it grow and compete in the global market. Its innovative products help producers, contractors and business owners in the construction industry to increase the profitability of their projects by improving efficiencies while working to help reduce the environmental impact of the concrete industry.
Along with helping to reduce the Co2 emissions associated with the construction sector, Giatec’s groundbreaking innovations are also anticipated to lower energy and water usage, while improving the longevity of Canadian infrastructure.
- For more information, read the full article on the Giatec website.
- Invest Ottawa’s services and programs help technology businesses by shortening their growth path. Learn more about Invest Ottawa’s Venture Path.
Monia Otis: A creative spark in full bloom with Lavenbel
According to the owner and creator of Lavenbel, Monia Otis, stepping into the world of entrepreneurship was inevitable – she was just waiting for the right opportunity.
“I consider myself a creative and curious person,” she said. “As a child, I was always creating things, and I kept creating experiences during my entire career in the pharmaceutical industry. Creating my own business is just a natural continuation in the same direction.”
The right idea and opportunity presented itself in 2020 when she visited a lavender farm listed for sale in central Ontario, which she explained belonged to a pioneer in the lavender industry.
Although she says she couldn’t buy the farm; after spending a half day with the sellers, she developed a connection with lavender that she said stuck with her.
“I fell in love with lavender,” she said, “a wonderful plant with anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties. Unfortunately, we couldn’t buy the farm,” she explained, “but I kept dreaming about it all the time as life evolved during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Monia says her grandparents were farmers, so the idea of an agricultural venture didn’t derail her dream of farming organic lavender. And so, she “took the plunge” into her new entrepreneurial journey in 2021 by starting to plant English and French lavender on land owned by her husband’s family in eastern Ontario’s Glengarry County.
Lavenbel – Making luxury skincare and self-care accessible to women in Ottawa
Lavenbel’s mission is to make high-quality skincare and self-care products using natural ingredients and making this affordable luxury accessible to women in the greater Ottawa area.
Today – the Lavenbel website lists a wide array of lavender-based products ranging from skincare, self-care, and bath and shower products to culinary lavender and homecare products.
In September, she recently launched her latest product – a natural and vegan surface cleaner, free from harmful chemicals and suitable for all surfaces. Rather than using a third-party lab, Monia says she develops all her products with her own formulas. And as she puts it – this allows her to providing products she can stand behind.
“By creating my own formulas with select natural botanicals and ingredients, and of course lavender, I became self-assured that each product can benefit the skin and well-being of my customers,” she says. “I make a priority in creating vegan products also, to reconnect with the benefits of nature and plants.”
The Role of Invest Ottawa in Lavenbel’s Growth
Monia says the support of Invest Ottawa helped guide her through the early stages of her business. She discovered Invest Ottawa in 2023 through entrepreneurship-focused workshops, and came across and applied for Starter Company Plus – a provincial government entrepreneurship program delivered in the Ottawa area by Invest Ottawa.
She says the program provided the structure and discipline she needed to start the business on the right track.
“Even if I have a business degree, all of the training I received helped me to apply the concept to real-life business, she said. “The connections I made, and the support I received made an impact on my success.”
Photo: Amanda Thirkill -amandathirkill.ca/
Along with Starter Company Plus, Monia also participated in the E-Commerce Pilot Program, which helped her strengthen Lavenbel’s online presence.
“Since the pilot, I’ve made SEO changes, added a store to social media, and I have finally opened an Instagram account,” Monia explains. With the support of Invest Ottawa, she continues to refine her e-commerce strategy, with the goal of expanding her customer base.
What’s next for Lavenbel
Monia says that she recently completed an organic certification in anti-aging skincare with Formula Botanica and plans to put that into action with a new product to keep a lookout for in 2025.
“I plan to develop a skincare collection that benefits aging skin and I am currently working on a face cream with botanicals benefiting maturing skin,” Monia said. “This will be my next product, with a goal to launch in early 2025.”
- Find all the dates for upcoming market and holiday market hours on the Lavenbel website:
- To hear about free entrepreneurship workshops and exciting programs for non-tech entrepreneurs, such as our pilot e-commerce program and Starter Company Plus, sign up for our monthly entrepreneurship newsletter.
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