18 Join Innovacorp Accelerate

Innovacorp, Nova Scotia’s venture capital Crown corporation, has announced 18 companies joining its five Innovacorp Accelerate streams: bluetech, healthtech, agtech, cleantech and software.

The participating companies, which have sales of less than $1 million each and equity investment of less than $250,000, will all receive up to $40,000 in grants -- up from $25,000 for previous cohorts. They

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Innovacorp Invested $9.7M in 20-21

Innovacorp made a total of $9.7 million in venture capital investments in its 2021 fiscal year, as the Nova Scotia government’s early-stage venture capital agency ramped up investment.

The provincial Crown corporation, whose fiscal year ends March 31, released its annual Accountability Report late last year, and we came across the document recently. Though it’s a bit out of date, the report

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Outcast Eyes U.S. Expansion

With production at its new Burlington, Ontario, facility underway and a newly hired Chief Financial Officer, a United States expansion is next on the horizon for  Halifax’s Outcast Foods.

Founded by Darren Burke and TJ Galiardi in 2017, Outcast makes powdered food products from rejected produce in a process the company bills as “upcycling.” Current CEO Dan McKeen, a former telecom exec who

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Let’s Donate $1500 to Mental Health?

Congrats to Atlantic Canadian startup founders! You've helped to ensure our fundraising for the Canadian Mental Health Association will surpass $1,000 this year. 

But it's not enough. 

As of Tuesday night, we had received 100 responses to our Entrevestor survey. We've promised that we will give $10 to the Mental Helath Association for every qualifying survey we receive by March 11. We're hoping

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Celebrating International Women’s Day

Atlantic Canada's innovation community is home to a host of impressive women, some founders and some working in support organizations. 

In honour of International Women's Day, we're showcasing five dynamic women who are helping to advance innovation-driven companies in the region. 

Gabrielle Masone: Devising Optical Solutions

Halifax-based ColourSmith Labs is developing filters for contact

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The Boom Box for Tired-A$$ Women

Carolyn Crewe, Halifax-based founder of Duckish Natural Skin Care, has teamed up with other female business owners to create a Boom Box, aka “a wellness box for Tired A$$ Women in hopes of inspiring women to take a break”.

The box, available as a one-time purchase or subscription, contains products centred around "sleep, skin, snacking, supplements, soul and surprise".

“As a business owner and

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BrunValley Raises $300K

Quispamsis, NB insurance technology startup Brunvalley has closed a $300,000 funding round, including a $100,000 follow-on investment from the New Brunswick Innovation Foundation.

The new round of financing comes in the wake of another $100,000 NBIF funding deal last year. This year’s money is earmarked for additional development work on LifeWallet, Brunvalley’s flagship product.

LifeWallet is

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Memorial Seeks Startup Co-Founders

Drawing inspiration from the fintech unicorn Verafin, the Memorial Centre for Entrepreneurship is looking for applicants to its Solvers program, which pairs industry professionals with would-be entrepreneurs to co-found companies. 

The industry professionals, who must have at least five years of experience in their sector, will invest $5,000 apiece in the companies they co-found and commit “a

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Tenera Signs Shannex Deal

With its foothold in the long-term care industry established, Halifax senior care startup Tenera Care is looking to diversify into other market segments — a push being led by an announcement Wednesday that Tenera will partner with retirement home company Shannex.

Under the deal, Shannex will pilot Tenera’s technology in an arrangement backed by the CAN Health Network, which acts as a national

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