The Atlantic Venture Forum has announced 22 companies that will present at the event later this month.

The AVF will be held June 26 and 27 at the Halifax Marriott Harbourfront Hotel in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The seventh annual forum features networking opportunities, an Atlantic Canadian technology showcase, and information sessions.

The program includes presentations from 22 companies in four categories – Oceantech, ICT, Health Technologies and Sustainable Technologies. These are the startups that will present at the event:

Oceantech Innovators

Ashored, Halifax -- Ashored is developing fishing equipment that reduces the risk of animals such as whales becoming entangled in ropes and the risk of lost equipment littering the ocean floor. Its first product, the Modular Ocean Based Instrument, or MOBI, is a lobster trap buoy that is positioned near the ocean floor and released only when the fishing boat approaches. 

Graphite Innovation and Technologies, Halifax -- The company has developed a marine coating out of graphene, a carbon-based material that is 200 times stronger than steel and efficiently conducts heat and electricity.  GrapheneCoat undercoats ships, buoys or unmanned marine exploration vessels with a hard coating that prevents corrosion and buildup and in turn, extends the life and efficiency of what it’s coating.

Global Spatial Technology Solutions, Halifax -- GSTS has developed a platform called OCIANA, which collects data from satellites and terrestrial sources then uses artificial intelligence to help crews plot the best route possible for their ships. The idea is that AI can assess weather patterns, ocean conditions and the traffic of other ships to help ships’ crews plot the safest route with the lowest greenhouse gas emissions.

ReelData, Dartmouth -- This startup uses artificial intelligence to collect and analyze data for fish farms. The software can analyze video from fish pens and produce meaningful data on the weight distribution of fish stock and the progress of certain diseases. It helps to automate manual processes like feeding fish.

Sedna Technologies, Dartmouth – Sedna is developing a traceability system for the seafood industry to reduce waste and improve profitability. It tracks the seafood through the various processing stages, from the ocean to the consumer.  

ICT

Global Intelligence, Fredericton – Global Intelligence has developed a digital product that helps law enforcement teams work together to fight crime. Its flagship product is the Anti-Child Exploitation System, which uses a business supply chain methodology to solve crimes.

Mesh/Diversity, New Brunswick and Toronto -- The company launched to provide an online platform that companies or organizations can use to assess whether their culture meets modern diversity and inclusion standards. The company has developed a Software-as-a-Service platform that helps organizations and their staff or members develop an inclusive culture. 

Proof, Halifax – Proof has developed a SaaS platform that helps governments go paperless and make better decisions. Instead of losing track of approvals as they shuffle paper from desk to desk, government officials can now track and route them digitally.

QRA Corp., Halifax -- QRA builds solutions for manufacturers and engineers that analyze complex systems and requirements during their development. Its products help engineers devise better requirements and detect design errors early in the design process.

R I D D L, Moncton – The company has developed a platform that will help impact investors assess the social or environmental effects of their investments. It has also arranged pilot tests with impact investment houses in Amsterdam, New York and Atlanta, which will help prepare the platform for a general launch.

Vinocount, St. John’s -- Serial entrepreneur Jon King and his team have developed an inventory tracking and ordering tool for restaurants and bars. The owners of these establishments can monitor their supplies and sales and order fresh stock from their suppliers. King said Vinocount now has $7000 in monthly recurring revenue, and this figure is increasing by 32% monthly.

Sustainable Technologies

Aurea Technologies, Halifax – Aurea is developing a portable wind turbine to create and store energy for USB devices. Its product Shine helps backpackers and adventurers recharge their phones or tablets when they’re off the grid for a period of days.

Beyond Food, Halifax -- The company was formed two years ago with a core of sports and health enthusiasts. Its mission is to reduce food wastage, which now amounts to $31 billion a year in Canada alone, by finding supermarket produce that is about to be tossed out and using it to make a nutritional food supplement. It sells nutrition products under the brand TDF Sports.

Canum Nanomaterials, Fredericton -- Canum has grown out of Professor Felipe Chibante’s research at University of New Brunswick, which has resulted in a new, cost-effective way of making fullerenes. These nanoparticles are spherical structures of carbon atoms that have a range of commercial uses, including in healthcare and solar energy. Canum believes it can cut the price of making fullerenes by half in five years.

EnergyX, Toronto – EnergyX has developed several online platforms that enable utilities and other stakeholders to engage with their customers, help them understand energy use and provide ways to save. Its goal is to help utilities and their stakeholders provide better services for their customers.

Nexus Robotics, Halifax -- Nexus is building a robot that can identify and remove weeds. A big issue in modern farming is that weeds have become resistant to traditional herbicides, forcing farmers to resort to old fashioned weed-pullin’ to deal with unwanted sprouts.

Stash Energy, Fredericton – Stash Energy has developed a system that works with conventional residential heat pumps to store energy for later use. Companies around the world are working on energy storage systems so that consumers can store electricity from the grid during inexpensive, off-peak hours and use stored energy when demand is highest.

Health Companies

Axem Neurotechnology, Halifax – Axem is developing wearable technology that enhances mental training for athletes. Axem’s device sits on top of your head, almost like a headband, and records brain activity and function. Its purpose is to allow users to “mentally train” for physical tasks and improve motor function.

Colorsmith, Halifax -- Colorsmith is developing the world’s first contact lenses that mitigate the most prevalent forms of color blindness. By saturating colours, its lenses allow users to unlock a new level of beauty and utility in vision and enjoy the experience of sight.

Eadie Technologies, Halifax – Headed by glaucoma specialist Dr. Brennan Eadie and his father Frank, Eadie Technologies is developing a wearable headset that will simplify the standard testing glaucoma patients undergo to manage their disease. The company built a proof-of-concept device last year and is now working on a functional prototype that could be used in clinical trials. The company hopes to have a product in the marketplace by the end of 2020.

EChart Healthcare, Fredericton – eChart has developed a cloud-based solution for seniors’ homes that simplifies the process of recording and sharing patients’ charts. Staff can enter all the data they need on to a tablet as they make their rounds of the home. And the information is available to family members, recognizing their right to be kept apprised of all developments in the patient's care.

Talem Health, Sydney -- Founded by physiotherapists Paul Travis and Matthew Kay, Talem has developed software that can help auto insurers understand the time and costs of an individual recovering from a car accident. Drawing on data from physiotherapy clinics, the software uses machine learning and data analysis to predict how someone who has been in an accident will recover.