NB’s New $7M-a-Year Sidecar Funds

Opportunities NB has established two sidecar funds that could add $7 million in equity financing each year to the funding totals for New Brunswick startups.

The Crown corporation, which attracts and supports business in the province, said Thursday it has created new Seed and Series A funds to help startups access the capital they need to grow. Both funds are sidecar funds, which means they will

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Sydney Hosts #PitchTweet Next Week

A series of events next week in Sydney will teach participants how to use Twitter to promote their business.

Momentum and Twitter Canada will host Twitter 101, the #PitchTweet symposium, and the #PitchTweet competition on Monday and Tuesday. It is the first time such an event has been held in Canada, and the competition will feature two winners – one local and one global. Tickets are available

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Bird Takes SM-Heart to MassChallenge

Thomas Bird used a trip to Israel to make sure his Fredericton-based company SM-Heart was accepted into the MassChallenge Accelerator in Geneva, Switzerland.

This globe-trotting startup is developing an ankle bracelet that monitors swelling in the lower leg, which can be a key indicator of heart failure. The company now has a working prototype and hopes that within a couple years it will have

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SimplyCast Launches Version 9.0

SimplyCast, a Dartmouth-based leader in communication automation, is launching the ninth iteration of its multi-channel platform.

The company said in a statement this iteration, dubbed 9.0, will update the existing new user interface on the platform’s applications, introduce new features, and provide an updated navigation bar.

Other updates include enhanced 508 functionality and increased

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300 Attend Halifax Startup Celebration

Would-be entrepreneurs should build their businesses around problems worth solving, a large audience was advised Tuesday night as they gathered in the Halifax Central Library to learn from the experiences of eight successful local entrepreneurs.

The event, titled An Insider’s Look at Homegrown Startup Success, was hosted by John Hamblin, President of Startup Halifax.

The audience of about 300

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ACOA, Innovacorp Grant $2M to Volta

As it plots its expansion in downtown Halifax, Volta Labs has received $2 million in funding from the federal government and the province of Nova Scotia.

The two governments announced Tuesday that the federal government’s Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency will grant $1.5 million over three years to the Halifax startup house, while the provincial government will contribute $500,000 through

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Pond Wins EY Achievement Award

Gerry Pond, the dean of the tech movement in Atlantic Canada, will receive the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Atlantic Lifetime Achievement award next month.

EY said in a statement Tuesday Pond would receive the award in recognition of his enduring contribution to Canadian business, philanthropic endeavours and outstanding leadership.

“It’s because of people like Pond that we created the EY

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Nielsen Takes on Sentrant Assets, Staff

Sentrant Solutions, the Fredericton cybersecurity company that combats fraudulent online advertising, has quietly exited, with the media-rating giant Nielsen Holdings buying key assets and hiring its personnel.

Sentrant has never announced the transaction, and two Sentrant co-founders did not respond to emails last week. But a spokesperson for Nielsen confirmed that the deal has taken place.

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Venn Offers Pan-Regional Workshops

Venn Innovation, the Moncton-based tech support organization, has announced a series of workshops to be held across the region to help startups learn more about competitive intelligence.

The organization said last week the workshops this fall will be conducted by renowned competitive intelligence expert Jonathan Calof.

Venn Innovation said in a statement it is launching the educational series

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Innovacorp Unveils $1.7M in Funding

Nova Scotian startups will soon have the opportunity to access about $1.7 million in non-dilutive financing through new programs unveiled by Innovacorp in the last few weeks.

The Nova Scotia innovation agency and early stage venture capital fund has made several announcements in the past few weeks. It’s worth stepping back and taking a look at what they mean for startups in the province.

Until

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