Focus Field Solutions, an industrial safety solutions company based in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, will be expanding globally after forming a partnership with German manufacturer Dräger Safety AG & Co. KGaA.
“We will accelerate our growth plans, forge into new markets, and use the knowledge gained to enhance and deliver innovative products.”
Dräger acquired a stake in Focus FS through an undisclosed investment amount, and plans to help the Atlantic Canada startup sell its software solutions, which digitize operations data for the heavy industrial sectors, in international markets. In addition to this market expansion, Focus FS said it also plans to use the new funds from the investment to improve its software offering and hire new team members in the coming months.
“We are very enthusiastic about having Dräger as a partner and investor,” said Jeffrey K. Brown, CEO and co-founder of Focus FS. “This investment shows Dräger’s confidence in our vision. We believe zero-harm is achievable, and by aligning ourselves with Dräger, who also believes workplace safety is paramount, we can help our customers realize that ambition.”
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Focus FS offers various modules pertaining to health, safety, and environment, e-mustering, incident management, and asset tracking, that can be used in a variety of industries. Its software can address three main use cases: worker safety, plant and asset safety, and incident safety. The company noted that its digital technology can minimize risk and deliver performance insights to create safer and smarter workplaces. Focus FS said it already has a presence in the oil and gas, mining, and transportation sectors with both domestic and international customers, adding that an important part of its vision involves market growth and product adoption.
The startup was founded in 2012 by Brown and Jennifer West, with a goal of solving challenges for industrial worksites. Brown has over a decade’s worth of experience in the oil and gas sector, including work off the Canadian east coast and underground in mines across the country. He also had a senior role at IBM. In July 2018, Focus FS raised $1.4 million in a round led by BDC Capital, which contributed $800,000.
“Through this investment and global partnership, we will accelerate our growth plans, forge into new markets, and use the knowledge gained to enhance and deliver innovative products,” Brown wrote in a company blog post.
Image courtesy Focus Field Solutions