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UNB students are making waves in the golf industry with their start-up, Mulli Swing Solutions. Their journey from a senior design project to winning first place in a prestigious pitch competition showcases the power of entrepreneurship and collaboration.

The University of New Brunswick (UNB) continues to be a fertile ground for innovation and entrepreneurship, as evidenced by the recent success of Brycen Munroe, a master of technology management and entrepreneurship (MTME) student.

Munroe, along with his team—Ethan Belliveau, a current candidate for a master of science in electrical engineering, and two UNB alumni, Matt Ryan (BScME'23, MTME'24) and Alex Khoshbakhtian (BScME'23, MTME'24)—won first place in the Growth Category at the J Herbert Smith Centre's 19th annual Student Pitch Competition for their start-up, Mulli Swing Solutions.

Originally from Moncton, Munroe moved to Fredericton in 2019 to pursue a bachelor's degree in engineering.

“After the first year, I branched off into the electrical department,” Munroe said. His dedication and hard work culminated in his graduation last spring, after which he joined the MTME program.

The inception of Mulli Swing Solutions can be traced back to Munroe's senior design project in engineering. “In engineering at UNB, students have the option to take a full-year course called TME 4025 - Product Design and Development, where you can essentially start a business as your senior design project," Munroe said.

This unique opportunity allowed Munroe and his team to transform their innovative ideas, as well as their love for golf, into a viable business opportunity.

“We wanted to find what a need in the market of golf products, so we made a list ourselves. One of those things was measuring grip pressure,” Munroe explained.

After consulting with golf professionals, the team realized that their observation of this market need was well founded, so this became the focus of Mulli Swing Solutions.

“There are swing training aids that can measure motion, but we're trying to really focus on looking at how to train golfers to grip the club properly through sensor-based technology,” he said.

Proper grip pressure is crucial for improving golf performance.

“If you're gripping the club too tight, it messes up the rest of the mechanics. It kind of tightens up the muscles in your arms,” Munroe noted. By focusing on this aspect, Mulli Swing Solutions aims to help golfers enhance their skills and enjoy the game more.

Currently, the team is in the prototyping stage, working to bridge the gap between prototype and product development.

“The biggest challenge is that it's a hardware product. We're currently trying to prototype it to a stage where we can sell something valuable to a customer,” Munroe said.

“But we have confidence that we’ll get there.”

Munroe emphasized his team’s perseverance, commitment and collaboration as instrumental to their success so far.

“The J Herbert Smith Centre has been absolutely phenomenal in providing support,” he said. This support has been crucial for the team, allowing them to focus on their start-up while balancing their academic responsibilities.

Support from the J Herbert Smith Centre extends beyond graduation, with opportunities such as a prototyping fund and an accelerator program through local partner, Energia Ventures.

“We want to keep working with them after graduation. We've applied to take part in the accelerator program,” Munroe said. This ongoing support ensures that UNB alum remain connected and continue to benefit from the resources available.

“This entrepreneurial journey has helped me apply things I've learned through electrical engineering in a more practical business sense, which I feel has been really valuable,” he said. The experience has equipped Munroe with the skills and knowledge needed to thrive in the business world.

Munroe encourages other engineering students with entrepreneurial interests to consider taking TME 4025.

“Choosing to take TME 4025 completely changed my academic and professional trajectory at a time that I didn't see coming. I never thought I would do a master's degree, and it's opened so many doors,” he said.

Munroe emphasizes the importance of the connections made through the J Herbert Smith Centre.

“There are some amazing people in the Centre that students will get to know, and those connections will provide invaluable supports to students on their entrepreneurial journeys.”