Sixteen early-stage startups – most of them based outside Metro Halifax – will pitch for as much as $25,000 each in equity funding at the next Volta Cohort Pitch Event on Nov. 25.

And for the first time, Volta has announced that members of the Volta Cohort are eligible for follow-on funding.

Volta, the Halifax innovation hub, initiated the funding program three years ago, and so far 29 startups have been selected. At each pitch event, as many as five companies are chosen for up to $25,000 in funding. They also receive mentorship and office space in Volta or another innovation hub in the region.

When the Cohort program – which is supported by BDC, Innovacorp and the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency – started several years ago, almost all the pitching companies were from the Halifax area. The event in three weeks will be virtual, and the participants hail from all four Atlantic Provinces. Only seven are from the Halifax area.

Volta also announced that up to six Cohort participants will be eligible for follow-on investment as long as they meet specific criteria. It means these companies will receive total investment of $50,000 from Volta Cohort. This follow-on funding is open to participants chosen in the November 2019 in-take or later, and recipients have to have been in the program for at least six months to qualify.  The funding will be awarded on a company-by-company basis in the coming months.

“We are always looking at ways to improve our program and service offerings to better support entrepreneurs and startups in the innovation ecosystem,” said Volta CEO Martha Casey in a statement. “By expanding the Cohort fund, we are thrilled to be able to make follow-on investments in high-performing companies participating in the program.”

The sixteen finalists include:

● Cohability (Halifax) eases the anxiety and guesswork of finding roommates by matching lifestyles and suggesting the best roommate.

● Cultivated EcoSystems Ltd. (Egerton, NS) is a women-led biotech company aiming to improve the quality of organic soil at an affordable price.

● Dear Life (Halifax) is an online platform that aims to help users tell their life stories more beautifully and preserve them for future generations.

● Essvai (St. John’s) merges artificial intelligence and mathematical algorithms to support drilling processes for the oil and gas industry.

● Granville Biomedical (St. John’s) is a women's healthtech company that designs anatomical models to enhance healthcare training and advance patient education.

● Haven Villages (Dartmouth) is building modern eco-villages that are close to nature and reimagined to support remote work.

● Macro Movements Inc. (Sydney) is a biomechanics company whose platform lets athletes monitor and improve how they move to improve performance.

● MICC Financial (Charlottetown) is a collaborative platform that helps groups of people save money, access capital and build credit.

● Nextcheck Software Inc. (St. John’s) has developed a cloud-based aircraft maintenance tracking software.

● Owlya Inc. (St. John’s) has developed an artificial intelligence-powered assessment platform.

● Parados Cerebral Solutions Inc. (Fredericton) is developing a mouth guard with sensors that will allow athletes to know whether they have sustained a head injury that is likely to lead to a concussion. Eventually, an artificial intelligence system will be able to offer insights into the cumulative effects athletes face when they suffer repeated brain injuries.

● Pocket Finance (Halifax) is developing a personal finance mobile app that minimizes waste, highlights banking fine print, and improves financial literacy.

● Scarcity Analytics (Halifax) uses environmental models to help agriculture-dependent businesses avoid price spikes in their supply chains to improve their climate resilience.

● Smooth Meal Prep (Dartmouth) delivers healthy fitness-focused meals to your door.

● Subait Inc. (Dartmouth) makes a sustainable lobster bait substitute using seafood co-products that replace dwindling fish species.

● Swiftsure Innovations Inc. (Pasadena, NL) is developing a device to facilitate the moisturization and cleaning of ventilator patients’ mouths and noses by flushing them with fluid. The process is meant to limit the creation of aerosols, which can sometimes spread disease.

The Pitch Competition will be taking place virtually via video conference on Nov. 25, beginning at 5:30 pm. Members of the public are invited to watch for free, and can register here.