A mechanical bird was mixing drinks at Edmonton Startup Week, but the novelty of Bennu’s Birdtender hides a serious point.
This automated cocktail machine uses perfusion mechanics, a method for pumping fluids through something to keep it working, originally developed to keep human organs alive for transplant.
The goal, say the founders, is to show that moving ideas from lab to market takes more than good science. It takes disciplined product development.
Startup Week is designed to make innovation visible across Edmonton.
Bennu’s Birdtender was on display to show how product development sits at the centre of Canada’s innovation challenge where the bridge between research, capital, and real-world impact is not always a straight line.
Canada excels at discovery but struggles with delivery in many cases, and Bennu’s approach points to what is missing in how we turn ideas into products people can actually use.
“It was kind of just a silly idea that turned into something we decided to actually build and take to places,” says Katie Cameron, Bennu co-founder. “It showcases how we can use AI, but it also showcases what our expertise is in a marketing way.”
Bennu, launched in 2023, is among a growing set of firms tackling the persistent innovation problem of translating ideas into products that can survive in the market.
Canadian founders are good at building prototypes, but ideas can stall when it comes to defining the product, getting it ready for production, or convincing investors the risk is worth taking.
Cameron sees the gap most clearly in university spinouts, where many struggle to turn strong research into a clear product.
“They have a type of technology that works really well and has a huge range of potential markets,” she says.
The real challenge, she adds, is deciding what to build first and how to define a single product from something that could go in many directions.
Bennu co-founder Jonathan Fok believes that challenge is amplified by Canada’s funding reality.
“Investment is in short supply,” Fok says. “Investors are far more risk-averse. Every dollar has to count, so that naturally makes people far more hesitant.”
That cautious mindset echoes broader national concerns about how limited capital and risk tolerance hinder Canada’s ability to scale promising ventures. As Digital Journal has previously reported in Why Canada can’t scale and why that should scare you, the issue is not just about launching startups but about building systems that help them grow with confidence.
Where expertise and trust intersect
For Bennu, commercialization is rarely linear. It requires technical depth, regulatory awareness, and, above all, trust.
Cameron says many entrepreneurs either leave regulatory design until the end or freeze early because they feel they must solve everything at once.
Both mistakes cost time and money, so Cameron says success comes down to timing and balance.
“It’s thinking about the right amount of it at the right time. A big part of building your regulatory story is really about how you’ve woven those considerations into the design, and how well you set yourself up to pass the test you need to pass.”
That same logic applies to decision-making.
“Don’t rush,” says Fok. “There’s a time to move quickly, but there’s a time to stop and take a breath to kind of figure out, okay, let’s chart a path so that we’re not setting ourselves up for failure.”
Cameron says founders need focus and adaptability.
“Get clear about what you’re trying to accomplish and think critically about it so that you can keep scope creep from happening,” she says. “Don’t do things for the sake of doing, and don’t be afraid to pivot.”
Toward a more reliable ecosystem
Fok says the real test of an innovation ecosystem is whether founders trust it. Too often, entrepreneurs are unsure where to turn for help or who can guide them through the next stage of growth.
“Honestly, to just have an ecosystem that people can trust in,” he says, “so that people know, okay, I have an idea, and I know there are a few organizations I can turn to that will connect me with the right people at each stage.”
That reliability is what Bennu hopes to model with the Birdtender. A lighthearted experiment becomes a metaphor for how ideas move from sketch to system, from prototype to product.
Canada continues to produce world-class research, but expertise remains uneven, investment remains cautious, and too many ventures stall before reaching market. When that happens, the value of innovation leaks abroad, along with the ownership, jobs, and intellectual property that come with it.
As Cameron puts it, “The more wholeness of expertise you have in those areas, the more you’re going to be able to support those companies.”
Innovation grows out of ecosystems that help founders stay focused, make confident decisions, and trust the path from technology to product. Like the Birdtender itself, it takes precision, timing, and collaboration to turn raw ideas into something people actually want to experience.
Final Shots
- Product development is part of the missing middle in Canada’s innovation story. Without it, research stays in the lab and ideas never reach customers.
- Regulation is not a box to tick at the end. It is part of design from day one.
- Focus and trust matter more than speed. Progress comes from making clear decisions and knowing when to pivot.
- Canada’s risk-averse investment culture limits more than funding. It limits confidence. Building ecosystems people can trust is just as critical as building products.
Digital Journal is an official media partner of Edmonton Startup Week.
