This article was written by Norman De Bono, Journalist at the London Free Press and originally appears in the LFP on July 9, 2020.
Christine Haas, president and CEO of Renix, has moved the business to the Western Fair's food accelerator hub in London. (Mike Hensen/The London Free Press)
The food industry accelerator at Western Fair has landed a growing London business.
Renix, which develops technology related to food processing, has moved from a business incubator to The Grove, a recently launched food business accelerator at Western Fair.
The move is another sign of strength in the agri-food industry in the city and a solid win for The Grove, adding a business amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We came out of an incubator and now we are into an accelerator — that is our growth curve. We will be here for a few years,” said Christine Haas, a partner at Renix.
“I am excited about being part of The Grove, not just because of the space but the concept of it. Developing new technology and businesses in the food industry is fantastic. I could not ask for a better place,” she said.
Renix has developed ion exchange technology to remove contaminants from food processing. It recently landed a contract with a U.S. food company to use the London technology, helping drive its need for larger space.
Haas said she could not reveal details about the U.S. deal.
Ion exchange is a process using microscopic polymer beads that draw out compounds, and can be used to purify food, such as removing contaminants from water.
“These tiny beads attract compounds that become attached to the beads,” said Haas, a chemical engineer.
The beads are purified and reused and never enter the environment, unlike commercial microbeads, she added.
Ion exchange is a proven technology in use for decades. Renix, however, is getting attention as its technology uses less water and has lower operating costs than competitors, said Haas.
“We have created a steady platform for it that is more cost-effective and stable,” she said.
Artist’s rendering shows the entrance of the Progress Building reimagined as a food industry business accelerator called The Grove.
As for The Grove, in October Western Fair announced it was converting space into an agri-food accelerator that would house small businesses looking to scale up. It is about 150,000 square feet and offer businesses space from 900 to several thousand square feet. The space is spread over several buildings, including the Canada Building West Annex and the Progress Building.
It already has one tenant: LiveFit Foods makes and ships prepared meals to the Greater Toronto Area and has been planning an expansion nationally and into the U.S.
Recently, London’s food industry sector has seen other successes, such as the vegan cheese-making business Nuts for Cheese expanding its product lineup and landing a deal with U.S. distributors.
Maple Leaf Foods also plans on opening a $660-million chicken processing plant, employing 1,450, in London in 2022.
The London Economic Development Corp., which aided Renix in the move, says its technology can be applied to different food industries.
“This helps strengthen our food sector. It offers a more diverse application in agri-food and even clean technology,” said Kapil Lakhotia, chief executive of LEDC.
He sees The Grove as critical to future agri-food growth, offering a scale-up environment for businesses that may start life as little more than a food stand in a market, but need to grow.
“The Grove is a valuable addition to the food environment. It offers unique space,” he said.
Renix, which is 10 years old, is moving from the Stiller Centre for Technology Commercialization. It had two sites, one where it did lab work and another for equipment assembly, before moving to The Grove.
“We were a spinoff from Western engineering. We started with a desk and a lab and we scaled it up,” said Haas.
“The first application of this technology was used to capture proteins from soybeans to make vegetable-based proteins. These beads are very powerful. They can be used for many different things.”
