Export Ready

iRing Inc. president Mark Sherry is clear about his company’s goal. “We intend to be the dominant player in the field.” The field is mining and iRing’s product is Aegis, a revolutionary software that allows underground mine planners to design optimal drill and blast patterns – with potential savings in the millions of dollars. But having a leading-edge solution and getting it to market are two different things, which is why Sherry took advantage of the Northern Ontario Exports Program, funded in part by the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation. It’s designed to kick open the door, and capture world-wide opportunities for companies with innovative products or services, and it has helped iRing do just that.

“It was very valuable,” says Sherry. “It helped us to develop a strong international marketing program.” As a result, Aegis is now used in mines on six continents by some of the world’s biggest mining companies, including BHP Billiton, Vale, AngloGold and Goldcorp. And in 2015 sales were up 275 per cent over 2014.