Incubators collaborate to deliver market intelligence
Moncton-based Venn Innovation said Wednesday that market intelligence services will be available to qualifying technology companies across Atlantic Canada through organizations that are part of the Canadian Digital Media Network, or CDMN.
Volta Labs and Innovacorp, based in Nova Scotia, Genesis Centre, based in Newfoundland and Labrador, and Venn Innovation are collaborating to deliver market intelligence to their clients. In addition, P.E.I. companies will be able to access the service through referral to Venn by Innovation PEI.
The service will be provided by sector-specific analysts based at MaRS in Toronto.
“For the past two years, Venn has been providing market intelligence to New Brunswick-based companies through a partnership with MaRS,” said Venn CEO Doug Robertson in a statement. “The opportunity to extend the access to market intelligence across Atlantic Canada was facilitated through our participation in the Canadian Digital Media Network and the relationships that we have forged with the other participating organizations in the network.”
The Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency’s Business Development Program contributed $170,000 to the project.
Sequence to work with Twillingate hospital
St. John’s genetic data analytics company Sequence Bio on Wednesday named the Notre Dame Memorial Health Centre in Twillingate, Newfoundland and Labrador, as the first investigator site for the pilot phase of the 100k Genome Research Project.
Sequence, which announced US$3 million in venture capital funding this month, is leading a 100,000-person genome research project. It will engage people from across the province to provide samples of their genes. Sequence will analyze this data and use the findings to produce new cures and develop better, safer medicines.
Dr. Mohamed Ravalia of the Notre Dame centre will head an investigative team that will invite patients to enroll in the pilot phase of the project. It will provide feedback on the study process, and aid in the development of a continuing education program to increase genomics literacy.
“This community project will directly impact the people of Newfoundland and Labrador,” said Ravalia in a statement. “By changing how we look at healthcare and engaging in this study, the people of this province will be on the forefront of cutting edge initiatives and technologies that have the potential to realize significant clinical benefits.”
Added Neala Quigley, Director of Community Engagement of Sequence Bio: ““We couldn’t be more proud to have Dr. Ravalia and his team on board. He has been recognized as one of the best physicians in the country and brings a forward-thinking and patient-first mindset to everything he does.”
CarbonCure competing in $20M NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE
Halifax-based green building materials company CarbonCure Technologies said Wednesday it is leading a team that has entered the NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE.
Team CarbonCure, whose members represent the entire cement and concrete value chain, is among 47 teams from around the world vying for their share of the $20 million prize purse.
The Carbon XPRIZE is a competition that challenges teams to develop breakthrough technologies that convert the most CO2 into one or more products with the highest net value. Co-sponsored by NRG and COSIA, the multi-year competition is designed to address CO2 emissions from fossil fuels, a leading contributor to climate change.
“We believe that our technology will fundamentally change the way concrete is made globally,” said CarbonCure CEO Robert Niven in a statement. “Competing in the Carbon XPRIZE drives us to push the envelope on innovation, and establish partnerships with influential industry players, in order to demonstrate to the world that this technology will play a key role in driving down global CO2 emissions.”
CarbonCure’s technology injects carbon dioxide captured from nearby smokestacks into concrete during manufacturing. Once introduced into the concrete mix, the CO2 chemically converts into a solid mineral and never escapes.
Team CarbonCure was formed to develop new approaches to capture and convert CO2 from industrial sources and sequester it into concrete. CarbonCure’s technology is installed in 35 concrete plants, which have supplied material to more than a hundred construction projects across North America.
Broadening the team to include leaders from the entire value chain will enable the company to collaborate with suppliers and end users alike, in order to facilitate rapid deployment of the technology. CarbonCure said it is competing in the Carbon XPRIZE challenge to demonstrate that its technology is the most cost effective, highest impact, and most scalable solution available today to recycle CO2 to make better building materials.
