Bassam Kamal, a fourth-year computer science student at the University of Prince Edward Island, won first prize at the Spark Tank pitching event hosted by the PEI IT Alliance last week.

Kamal presented Adaptiv, an AI-driven fitness coaching app designed to adjust training and nutrition plans around real-life changes. Users enter personal metrics, goals, schedules, food preferences, and injury

Focus FS has launched a multi-year, $8 million artificial intelligence initiative aimed at improving safety and operational control in offshore oil and gas operations, with significant funding from the Hebron and Hibernia projects.

The St. John’s–based industrial software company said the two offshore oil and gas projects will each contribute more than $2.45 million toward the research and

Seline from Mount Allison University was the big winner last month at the BMO Apex Startup Challenge in Fredericton, taking home $8,500 in prizes.

The Apex event is an annual pitching competition hosted by the International Business and Entrepreneurship Centre at University of New Brunswick. Some 55 competitors from universities across Canada entered the competition to vie for $30,000 in cash

Oberland Agriscience, the Halifax company that turns insect larvae into agricultural feed, has received a $1 million investment from HCi3 as part of a funding round with a target of $10 million.

HCi3, which is the investment subsidiary of Efficiency Nova Scotia, issued a press release this week saying the $1 million cheque represented the largest single investment it had ever made in a company.

The sixth cohort of the Lab2Market Oceans/Validate program is beginning work with 18 new teams that aim to tackle challenges in the blue economy.

The eight-week program, hosted by Memorial University in Newfoundland and Labrador and delivered by the Ocean Startup Project, is designed to cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset among post-doctoral fellows, graduate students, and faculty. Participants

Halifax-based Stroke of Luck is focused on creating affordable, AI-powered hardware and software that offers home-based brain-training therapy for stroke patients. 

Founder Steve MacDougall himself suffered a stroke four years ago that affected his entire right side. He is still working to recover completely and has realized what he calls “a critical gap in accessible physiotherapy”. 

Therapy

The New Brunswick Innovation Foundation has announced the 10 semi‑finalists for its Breakthru Startup Pitch Competition, which will conclude on the evening of March 19.

The New Brunswick government’s innovation agency announced last year it was resurrecting the Breakthru brand. The competition had been held every two years before the pandemic and was a major part of NBIF’s mission.

The revised

Dartmouth-based startup Aruna Revolution, which produces compostable hygiene products, was named Innovative Company of the Year at the 2026 Halifax Business Awards last week.

Led by CEO Rashmi Prakash, Aruna was selected from five innovation-driven finalists at the annual awards program hosted by the Halifax Chamber of Commerce. The company focuses on reducing the environmental impact of

Pelorus Venture Capital has launched fundraising for its third Newfoundland and Labrador–focused venture capital fund, reportedly nailing down 40 percent of its $50 million target.

The St. John’s–based firm issued a press release Monday saying Venture NL III builds on the work of its previous two funds, the first of which launched in 2015.

The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is

DeepSense, Dalhousie University’s initiative to spread artificial intelligence through the broader community, is expanding its mission to the point where its Executive Director is talking about DeepSense 2.0.

In an interview last week, Iaian Archibald said the organization has already ventured beyond its original mission of working with oceantech companies and is targeting several sectors of the