How Polysense Solutions Is Scaling Lab Monitoring Technology

For Polysense Solutions, the past year has marked a major turning point.

The Manitoba-based startup has more than doubled its team — growing from three employees to seven — while sales have increased by hundreds of percent over the same period. For CEO and founder Matthew Gale, the momentum signals that the company has entered a new stage of growth.

“This is really our breakout year,” Gale said.

Polysense Solutions develops integrated hardware and software systems that monitor sensitive laboratory equipment used in pharmaceutical, biotech, and hospital labs. Having previously worked in laboratory environments himself, Gale understood how critical reliable monitoring systems are for protecting research samples, medical materials, and scientific data.

Ultra-low temperature freezers, incubators, refrigerators, and other specialized equipment must operate within precise conditions. If something goes wrong, even briefly, valuable materials can be lost.

Polysense was built to give laboratories a simpler, more reliable way to detect those risks before they become costly problems.

Polysense Solutions develops integrated hardware and software systems that monitor sensitive laboratory equipment used in pharmaceutical, biotech, and hospital labs.

The Project: Smarter Monitoring for Modern Laboratories

Polysense combines wireless sensors with a software platform that allows laboratories to monitor equipment conditions and manage compliance requirements in one place.

When sensors detect changes in conditions — such as temperature fluctuations in a freezer — the system alerts laboratory staff so they can intervene quickly. But the platform goes further than basic monitoring.

The company’s software also allows labs to store and manage operational information about each piece of equipment, including calibration records, warranty documentation, maintenance logs, and emergency contact lists.

This allows lab managers to oversee both equipment performance and compliance requirements without relying on multiple spreadsheets and disconnected systems.

Another key innovation lies in the company’s sensor technology. Unlike many competing monitoring systems that rely on Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, Polysense sensors operate using long-range radio communication combined with cellular gateways.

By operating independently from internal networks, the sensors can be deployed quickly and avoid the complicated IT approvals often required in research and healthcare environments.

Building an IP Strategy with ElevateIP

As Polysense continued developing its sensor technology, protecting the innovation behind it became a priority.

Gale first heard about the ElevateIP program while participating in North Forge’s Founders Program. Although he had already begun exploring intellectual property protection independently, formal patent development was difficult to pursue as an early-stage company.

“I had a basic understanding of it,” Gale said. “I had actually filed some provisional patents myself by just researching and following some YouTube videos and stuff like that, because I just didn't have the money to spend on it.”

Through ElevateIP, Polysense worked with legal experts to formalize its intellectual property strategy. The company completed patentability searches and developed Canadian and U.S. provisional patent applications related to its sensor technology.

The program also provided valuable guidance in reviewing the company’s legal strategy and ensuring the proposed patent work aligned with its long-term goals.

Growth and Market Focus

While strengthening its intellectual property foundation, Polysense was also gaining commercial traction.

One of the company’s biggest breakthroughs came when it narrowed its focus to laboratories and hospitals — environments where reliable monitoring systems are essential.

“When I first started Polysense, I was like ‘if you have equipment, we'll monitor it.’... Now, we figured it out. Labs and hospitals, those are our customers.”

Today, the company primarily serves private biotech and pharmaceutical labs in the United States while continuing to build relationships with healthcare organizations in Canada.

Closer to home, Gale credits Manitoba’s Shared Health for taking an early chance on the company.

“They took a chance on us early,” he said, adding that the organization had “treated us very well.”

Looking Ahead

With strong growth underway, Polysense is now focused on scaling its presence in laboratories around the world.

Gale’s long-term vision is to establish the company as a leader in laboratory monitoring systems.

“We want Polysense to be THE monitoring company, like if you have a lab, you'd better have Polysense stuff in there.”

Supporting Innovation Through ElevateIP

For Gale, the ElevateIP program helped remove one of the most difficult barriers for early-stage startups: protecting innovation while still investing in growth.

“You have to make a choice with your money… Are we going to do business development and pay payroll, or are we going to file patents?” he said.

Programs like ElevateIP help reduce that trade-off, allowing founders to secure intellectual property protection earlier while continuing to build their businesses.

For Polysense Solutions, that support has helped lay the foundation for a company that is now scaling rapidly — and helping laboratories protect the research and discoveries that shape the future of science.