MaRS venture support moves online with staff working remotely to mitigate spread of COVID-19

TORONTO, March 16, 2020 – Starting today, MaRS employees will provide all venture support online as MaRS moves to a work from home policy until at least April 3, 2020. MaRS is shifting to this model to help minimize the risk of COVID-19 transmission and protect team members, tenants and the community.

MaRS is moving to a fully digital advisory model, shifting community events online and developing best practices and operational guidelines to help its ventures of all sizes, while protecting health and safety. All staff are remotely enabled, so meetings with advisors and entrepreneurs in residence as well as market intelligence, communications and talent support will continue online.

“Despite the challenge, we are not easing up efforts to support our ecosystem,” said Jon Dogterom, senior vice president, Venture Services, MaRS. “Such a global problem requires a global solution. Canada’s tech community is galvanized, and many ventures are shifting their everyday business pursuits in hopes of bringing this crisis to a decisive end. I’m inspired by how rapidly our entrepreneurs have reacted to the crisis.”

MaRS has launched a new content collection of COVID-19 resources — a set of tools and tactics that startups can use to prepare, plan and respond to the 2019 coronavirus disease.

MaRS continues to actively monitor developments and take action together with our ecosystem partners, as well as public health organizations. Under the three-week work-from-home policy, staff deemed essential for on-site operations have been informed by their managers and will operate under different protocols.

MaRS Centre Access & Remote Meeting Support

Effective immediately, the MaRS Centre will move to 24/7 card access at most main entrances, with the exception of the 661 University Ave main entrance, which will remain accessible with no access card requirement from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm Monday to Friday.

MaRS tenant companies with plans to work from home are welcome to leverage the MaRS in-house audio-visual (AV) team to help host remote meetings or events online.

Please reach out to MaRSTenantServices@marsdd.com for support.

For additional measures MaRS is taking to address the COVID-19 pandemic please visit our Media Centre.

For additional information, please contact: ventureservices@marsdd.com

Media contact:
Lara Torvi
Email: ltorvi@marsdd.com