Originally published in 2019. Updated July 2025 for context.
Startups don’t always begin from scratch. For Aquatic Life Limited, a 31-year-old water monitoring company based in Pinawa, Manitoba, innovation grew from within. With decades of expertise behind them, they launched AquaHive: a smart, remote monitoring platform that delivers real-time water data from some of the world’s most isolated environments.
What started as an internal venture has evolved into a scalable product with international demand, thanks in large part to the resources, mentorship, and prototyping support provided by North Forge.
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Aquatic Life president Jeff Simpson envisioned AquaHive as a next-generation system designed to support mine-water management and mitigate risk. The system connects to a wide array of industrial sensors—measuring water level, pH, conductivity, salinity, nitrate, and more—and delivers that information through a customizable dashboard accessible from anywhere.
“North Forge helped us bring AquaHive to life,” says Simpson. “Their FabLab™ gave us access to the tools we needed to prototype quickly and affordably, while their business mentors helped shape our commercialization strategy.”
Simpson credits North Forge’s role as essential in reducing development time and cost. The FabLab’s equipment enabled the team to iterate physical designs without expensive outsourcing, while North Forge’s startup programming helped Aquatic Life align its export, pricing, and marketing strategies with the needs of industrial customers.
“Without North Forge, we wouldn’t have gotten to market as fast or as effectively,” says Simpson. “They gave us the platform and the connections to accelerate.”
From Local Prototype to Global Potential
AquaHive’s smart monitoring features include a built-in event module that alerts users to critical incidents and supports proactive environmental protection. These features make the product especially valuable to mining operations, where real-time data and compliance are non-negotiable.
With North Forge’s help, AquaHive has been introduced to major players like Teck-Elkview Mine Operations and Falco Resources, and showcased at the Perumin 34th Annual Mining Convention in Peru. Simpson sees even greater potential ahead.
“Through North Forge’s network, we were able to start conversations in Chile and other key international markets,” he says. “That access is invaluable for a growing company.”
Business Training and Team Development
North Forge’s contribution extended beyond product development. The startup program provided training support to junior staff, helping them understand the fundamentals of business development and startup growth.
“They gave our staff a crash course in business,” says engineer Mujungu Museru. “Plus, we received guidance on available grant funding and how to apply—critical for a company at our stage.”
The North Forge ecosystem also gave AquaHive a physical home through the Smartpark Innovation Hub, where they’ve continued to scale alongside other high-growth startups.
Looking Forward
The AquaHive platform continues to evolve. The team is currently developing a customizable dashboard that allows users to monitor multiple sites at once, track project KPIs, and integrate key environmental data for planning and compliance.
“AquaHive is solving a global problem,” says Simpson. “We’re now considering spinning it out into its own standalone company—and North Forge has helped make that kind of growth possible.”
Have a product idea but don’t know where to start? The North Forge FabLab is here to help founders like you turn prototypes into real-world solutions. Learn more about becoming a FabLab member.
