A report by industry group BioTalent Canada warns that the Atlantic Provinces face a potentially crippling labour shortage in the bioeconomy, deepening a staffing crunch that BioNova Executive Director Scott Moffitt and PEI BioAlliance CEO Rory Francis have previously warned could constrain future growth in the sector.

The report, called Close-up on the bio economy: Labour market intelligence,

Halifax startup hub Volta is adding a virtual version of its Residency incubator program for companies based outside the city at a $100 per month price point, instead of the floor space-based invoicing system used for in-person companies.

Virtual resident companies will have access to Volta’s advisors and mentors, as well as office hours with industry experts and workshops, the same as in-person

Charlottetown-based Sentry, whose technology gives utilities real-time analyses of their wastewater, has received a $1.9 million grant from Sustainable Development Technologies Canada, or SDTC.

Sentry, which uses real-time bio-electrode sensors to collect and analyze waste-water data, issued a press release on Monday announcing the funding. It said the money would allow Sentry to automate

Halifax food delivery startup Smooth Meal Prep has hired organizational design firm Symplicity Designs to help with a franchising strategy and is eyeing expansion into a second community.

CEO Nevell Provo told Entrevestor in an interview that he expects to spend the next two or three years preparing to sell franchises. Meanwhile, he sees the possible expansion outside Halifax as a way to show

New Brunswick startup hub Venn Innovation has added a new board member: Welkom-U Chief Executive Oluwatosin "Tosin" Ajibola, whose company finished a closed test of its software last month.

Ajibola, a recent immigrant to Canada, started Welkom-U with his three co-founders last year with plans to help newcomers to Atlantic Canada integrate into their communities. Now, he oversees a team of 11

Halifax startup hub Volta has opened applications for its free LEAP program, which aims to prepare entrepreneurs to submit an application to a startup accelerator, such as Creative Destruction Lab or Techstars.

Created in 2019 and headed-up by venture capital veteran Toon Nagtegaal, training will be held over four half-day sessions. Nagtegaal was a co-founder of Cambridge, Massachusetts-based

Halifax’s Centre for Women in Business will launch a virtual accelerator for women tech entrepreneurs beginning Feb. 25. Its aim is to introduce founders of companies with revenues to the fundamentals of running a business before they join more advanced accelerators and incubators.

The new accelerator, dubbed Grow Now, will last for six months with twice-monthly classes and will be free for

Halifax science museum The Discovery Centre and rural innovation hub IGNITE have announced a joint project to encourage Grade 12 students to pursue careers in “STEAM” fields -- science, technology, engineering, arts and math.

The Discovery Centre uses interactive exhibits to encourage young people to be interested in science. IGNITE, meanwhile, runs four centres across Nova Scotia that provide

Guelph, Ont.- and Bible Hill, NS-based vertical farming startup GoodLeaf Farms has inked a deal with Alberta for the provincial government to pay $2.73 million towards a 74,000-square-foot facility in Calgary.

GoodLeaf, a subsidiary of TruLeaf, uses high-tech vertical farming facilities to grow microgreens, such as micro radishes and baby spinach. Its process relies on LED lights designed to

Venn Innovation, a New Brunswick startup hub, has added a pair of ideation-stage software companies to its Venn Garage incubator via one of its open pitch events. Judges chose Oz Health and DYOFOX from a field of largely immigrant-led businesses.

Of the five startups that took part in the most recent pitch competition on Oct. 21 and 22, four had immigrant founders, Venn spokesperson Nandhini