The Atlantic Canada Cleantech Scale-up and Investment Challenge will hold a pair of demo days for its 21-company cohort in Halifax March 6 and March 20.
The challenge is notable because it aims to develop not just innovative new businesses, but also Canada’s talent pool on the investor side, with participants receiving a crash course in the basics of angel investing. It is organized by Vancouver-based angel network Spring, Imaginal Ventures, Halo Health, Foresight Canada and the Nova Scotia Health Innovation Hub.
The first of the two events will focus on cleantech companies, and the second on healthtech, with in-person and virtual attendance options for each.
Accredited investors must be prepared to invest $10,000 in the company that wins the startup competition portion of Spring’s initiative, while non-accredited investors can start with as little as $2,500, and participation is open to anyone with the capital to join. The two demo days will decide who receives the investment.
The 10-week program began in January — its first time being held in Atlantic Canada — and offers both entrepreneurs and investors training in fundraising and related skills, as well as individualized support. Topics covered include skills like due diligence, negotiating and structuring deals, but also more specialized training about how to objectively evaluate the impact component of impact investing.
Here’s a look at the two events, including the finalist companies for each:
Cleantech Finale
Wednesday, March 6
5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Emera Place
5151 Terminal Rd, Halifax
You can register here.
Acuicy
Halifax
Acuicy sells business intelligence software designed to help reduce emissions from supply chains.
Collaskins, formally 3F Waste Recovery
St. John’s
3F Waste Recovery is a life sciences manufacturer focused on converting fisheries and natural resource waste into natural food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical ingredients. Its Collaskins product is a brand of pet treats made from cod skins.
KorrAI
Halifax
KorrAI is working on a data-as-a-service platform that consolidates geological data into digital maps for use by mining companies.
Health Finale
Wednesday, March 20
5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Nova Centre
1625 Grafton St 13th floor, Halifax
You can register here.
AIMA
Vancouver
AIMA has developed a vaginal suppository that uses non-psychoactive cannabinoids to control period pain.
DeCell Technologies
Halifax
DeCell is best known for DermGEN, a natural scaffolding made from donated human skin, which can be placed over an ulcer to encourage the regeneration of skin cells and keep the wound clean to avoid infection.
PragmaClin Research
St. John’s
PragmaClin is building solutions to allow for remote medical assessments of people with movement disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease.
MIMOSA Diagnostics
Halifax and Toronto
MIMOSA is developing a handheld device to identify wounds like bedsores via ultraviolet light before they become visible to the naked eye.
NeoCare
Halifax
NeoCare is building a device to non-invasively, painlessly and instantly detect diseases in newborns, including anemia, jaundice and hypoxia.
