The New Brunswick Innovation Foundation has announced the five finalists for its breakthru pitch competition, which features a total prize pot of $200,000.

The New Brunswick government’s innovation agency announced last year it was resurrecting the Breakthru brand, which is designed to offer coaching and capital to the best new tech companies in the province. More than 80 teams entered the competition and the finalists were chosen from a group of 10 semi-finalists.

The process will conclude with the breakthru Live Finale at the Fredericton Convention Centre on March 19, which will bring together entrepreneurs, business leaders, and ecosystem partners from across the region. Tickets and event details are available here. 

“The breakthru pitch competition is about identifying companies with the potential to build globally competitive businesses from here in New Brunswick and connecting them with the capital and networks to do it,” said NBIF Chief Executive Jeff White in a statement. “This year’s finalists demonstrate the strength and ambition of New Brunswick founders. They are tackling real global challenges with scalable solutions.”

Each company will pitch to a live audience for the opportunity to secure equity investment from NBIF and accelerate their growth. The top three teams will enter due diligence with NBIF for an equity investment of $100,000 for the first prize and two second prizes worth $50,000 each.

The finalists are:

 • Hexoris (Founder: Lance Keddy) – Developing bio-sourced battery materials that replace oil-derived graphite, reducing carbon impact in electric vehicle supply chains.

 • Ozone (Founder: Michael Doiron) – Developing an intelligent robotic puck-passing system designed to transform hockey training and skill development.

 • Intralytix (Founder: Ethan MacLeod) – Creating advanced bridge weigh-in-motion technology to improve infrastructure monitoring and overweight enforcement with minimal installation.

• Urai AI Corp. (Founder: Shanthi Shanmugam) – Building a programmable, realtime voice AI platform that dramatically reduces deployment complexity and cost for enterprises.

 • Mulli Swing Solutions (Founder: Brycen Munroe) – Creating a smart golf grip with embedded sensors that provides real-time feedback to improve swing consistency.