🍽️ The early bird gets the reso

🔔 Your campaign updates feed

• Marion Surgical is back on FrontFundr! Marion Surgical enables surgeons and students to learn, collaborate, practice, and share procedures in a realistic, safe, cloud-hosted environment through virtual reality. Since raising $180K in their last campaign, they’ve had several exciting updates plus, new goals for this round. Check out their campaign here.

• In case you missed them, Starpax Biopharma has relaunched! They were featured recently in an article called ‘an innovative cancer treatment for solid tumours.’ Read more about it here.

🎓 Alumni updates

• Check out the new Model V from joni. This free-vend digitized machine is a game changer for high-traffic public washrooms, featuring dispensing delays to avoid waste, and real-time remote fill-level monitoring.

• The weather’s getting cooler doesn’t curb our craving for ice cream. Good thing Betterwith is opening a physical storefront!

• In museums, churches, and hospitals, we’re seeing tiptap devices become part of their year-round fixtures. The Royal Saskatchewan Museum's permanent installation has helped them collect multiple six figures since they started using tiptap.

✍ What’s on our mind?

As the holiday season approaches, it seems consumers are gearing up for a festive dining experience, despite the economic rollercoaster of 2024. Recent survey data from Tock reveals that 68% of diners plan to celebrate at restaurants or bars this season, with many expressing significant enthusiasm for their holiday outings. A collective cheer for dinner reservations!

What’s particularly interesting is that diners are not just looking to fill a table; they’re seeking unique experiences that go beyond the usual fare. With 67% of respondents craving something special—think themed holiday meals and multi-course feasts—restaurants have a golden opportunity to up their game. These unique dining experiences can generate an impressive 30% higher check average than standard reservations, making it a win-win for both diners and restaurateurs.

But what does this mean for the hospitality sector? For one, the data indicates a shift in consumer spending habits, with 88% of diners willing to splurge more than usual during holiday celebrations. This willingness to spend—especially if some diners are prepared to pay 50% more than a typical night out—opens the door for restaurants to introduce premium offerings and special menus that justify higher prices.

Moreover, the trend towards early reservations is another key takeaway. Nearly half of diners are looking for those coveted early time slots between 4 and 6 p.m., which not only helps with table turnover but also allows restaurants to plan creatively for second and third seatings. This is where savvy hospitality operators can shine by offering dynamic pricing or late-night specials.

So, as the holiday season approaches, it’s clear that dining out is on the rise. As we head into the festive season, let’s toast to good food, great experiences, and the potential for a flourishing dining landscape!

👀 Market watch

Canada is gearing up for a significant economic leap, with the IMF forecasting it to be the fastest-growing G7 nation in 2025. This comes as a welcome surprise, especially when considering the backdrop of a global economy still grappling with inflation and geopolitical tensions. The IMF has upgraded its projections, now predicting Canada’s economy will expand by 2.4% in 2025, outpacing both the U.S. and U.K.

This news signals a broader trend of economic resilience and opportunity for equity crowdfunding investors in Canada. A growing economy often creates a more favorable environment for startups and innovation. This is an exciting time to be part of the Canadian investment landscape, where opportunities are expanding as the economy gears up for what could be a standout year on the global stage.

🌟 Founder Feature

Ben Sainsbury | Marion Surgical

🪡 On making surgery safer: We want to lower the mistakes and a good saying we like to use is “measure twice, cut once.” One of the things we introduced in our platform early on was the ability to take a CT scan and create a 3D model that you could practice on. We did a pilot study where the doctor went through a full surgery practicing with a simulator and when he went through the actual surgery he said that he knew what he was doing so he was faster and more efficient.

🎮 On gamification: We often get asked ‘Wouldn’t surgeons not want people knowing if they’re good or not?’ but surgeons are very competitive and when we’ve attended trade shows in the past there’s a chance to ‘beat the high score,’ they always want to be the best. Plus, many hospitals don’t necessarily know who the best surgeon is. You’ll never know unless there’s some sort of evaluation system that tests and benchmarks.

🌍 On worldwide impact: Europe seems to be an early adopter of virtual reality training. England has a lot of different hospitals using it, there’s a class coming up on it. The UK, Spain, San Franciso, we’ve been traveling a lot to conferences and conventions to pitch the B2C game version of it. We’ve done some work in Singapore to show off the simulator. There’s a lot of travel.

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🧐 Community Ask

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