Ottawa, Canada (PRWEB) March 28, 2015
At a news event today, the Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State (Science and Technology) announced that Leapfrog Lighting will receive up to $ 150,000 through the National Research Council of Canadas Industrial Research Assistance Program.
Our government is strongly committed to initiatives that support science, technology and the growth of innovative Canadian firms,” said Minister Goodyear. “Like so many small and medium-sized businesses in Ontario, Leapfrog Lighting is doing some really innovative work. These businesses are critical to the Canadian economy and our government will continue to put in place the tools that Canadians need to grow, create jobs and secure their long-term prosperity.
Leapfrog Lighting’s goal is to improve LED lighting technologies with a special focus on quality of light. Leapfrog Lightings CEO, Stephen Naor, explained that the two obstacles to mainstream adoption of LED lighting are quality of light and economic value proposition. The new LED technology, based on advanced optical and thermal designs, is engineered to remove both barriers to adoption of energy-efficient LED light bulbs.
Leapfrog Lighting develops and markets advanced LED light bulbs with an optical and thermal design that provides measurable improvements in the lighting quality required by facility managers, architects and retailers, explained a Canadian Federal Government news release. Leapfrogs light bulbs exhibit improved glare control, light distribution and colour consistency over existing LED technologies.
The worldwide market for LED bulbs is projected to grow to $ 107 billion US annually within three years as new technologies improve light quality and price point. Leapfrogs made-in-Canada solution will save up to ten times the power usage of traditional incandescent bulbs, and will sell for less than current LED bulbs.
At Leapfrog, we see a future where every home and business adopts LED lighting, said Mr. Naor. In this future, we see a made-in-Canada solution that removes the barriers to LED lighting adoption by the mainstream.
Leapfrog Lighting already markets specification-grade LED bulbs with superior, consistent light qualities, popular with facility managers, retailers, architects, interior designers and galleries. These new bulbs will be more efficient and less expensive and will have better light, explained the Canadian Government news release.
The Minister stressed the importance of innovators such as Leapfrog Lighting, explaining that Canadas economic success does not depend on what governments dobut on what companies like Leapfrog do. He emphasized that Leapfrog, and other small businesses are the job creators and innovators.
Leapfrog Lightings new LED bulbs will be specified, designed and manufactured in Canada, partially funded by the involvement of IRAP, through the Ministry of Industry, and also through the Government of Ontarios Innovation Demonstration Fund, said Mr. Naor.
The investment is part of an initiative from the National Research Councils Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP) to help small- to mid-sized enterprises commercialize quickly. IRAP assists Canadian corporations with R&D and commercialization support for new products and processes designed to access new markets.
The Canada Economic Action Plan 2013 makes $ 20 million available over three years for a pilot program delivered through IRAP, focused on assisting small to mid-sized companies commercialize more quickly. Separately, the Canadian Economic Action Plan 2012 makes $ 500 million available in venture capital, with $ 110 million allocated to NRC each year to expand IRAPs reach and services
Background
Leapfrog Lightingwith an invented-in-Canada technologyenables LED energy-efficient lighting to provide a consistent and controllable quality of light suitable to many demanding applications such as art galleries, architectural and interior design and retail product displays.
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