BizBricks is a brainchild of the University of Waterloo’s iGEM Entrepreneurship team which seeks to become the premier online portal in the synthetic biology field. In a young field such as Synthetic biology, it is not easy to obtain literature on the experiences of entrepreneurship as well as contribute on the same. Tailored education and networking offerings in specificity to synthetic biology and biotechnology is limited. There is a wealth of knowledge with several experts in the Synthetic Biology field and, unlike other online portals, BizBricks allows them to provide input on their experiences and their knowledge.

The mission of BizBricks is to create an open sourced portal whose aim is to provide free, relevant, informative, practical and reliable information to current and future entrepreneurs in the Synthetic Biology and Biotechnology field.

BizBricks is an open-sourced, e-learning portal that seeks to educate current and potential SynBio entrepreneurs on how to commercialize their product. It takes them from the ideation stage, commercialisation through to the funding and regulation processes. Based on these key stages, the information is then conveyed to portal readers via simple intuitive presentations.

As this particular venture is non-profit, the start-up costs and revenue model are based on the fact that funding will only be required to keep the venture running. These include the domain name at $10 per year and an approximate of $10,000 per annum for a content manager. The University of Waterloo Entrepreneurship team would be the primary content manager. A potential opportunity for revenue generation in the future may incorporate a ‘package’ offering of premium content and tools or a curriculum offering.

It is important to highlight the potential opportunities for growth given the novel nature of the portal as well as the fact that it’s open sourced. The creation of a mentor bank for educators, entrepreneurs and other stakeholders is an avenue to enrich the portal with a wealth of knowledge from all over the industry. Opportunities for collaboration with other educational portals are another potential avenue for growth.

In essence, BizBricks aims to be at the forefront of online Synthetic Biology research by being the premier portal for all respected, entrepreneurial and leisurely contributors. By analyzing our present and future competition, creating a marketing plan that will be both realistic and sustainable, ensuring we have enough capital from investors and protecting our company by having the proper contingency plans.