Briefs: V4C, Masitek, Volta, TSX

Venture for Canada unveils cohort

After receiving a record 1670 applications, Venture for Canada has announced its 2016 cohort of fellows, awarded to students representing 22 universities from across the country.

The group received twice the number of applications from a year earlier. This year’s applicants were vetted through a four-step process involving a written application, video

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Google Invites PACTA, Knowledgehook

Google has invited two up-and-coming Canadian startups – Waterloo-based EdTech company Knowledgehook and Halifax-based contract management startup PACTA – to pitch at its annual Demo Day next month in Silicon Valley.

They are the only Canadian companies to pitch to investors and respected judges at the event at the Google Headquarters in Mountain View, Calif., on May 4. In total, 11 companies

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FDA Grants Appili Orphan Drug Status

After growing quietly for several months, Appili Therapeutics Inc. of Halifax announced Tuesday it has received a key U.S. regulatory designation for a drug that treats Clostridium difficile infection, or CDI, in children.

The company said in a statement the Food and Drug Administration has granted orphan drug designation to its drug candidate ATI-1501. This medicine removes the bitter taste

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Dal Launches $100K Competition

Entrepreneurs with new ideas are invited to apply for Dalhousie University’s third annual $100K Competition, part of the university’s LaunchPad Accelerator.

The $100K Competition is one of several Launch Dal initiatives organized by the Norman Newman Centre for Entrepreneurship. The contest is modelled after the $100k competition at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It’s the entry point

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Kira Awards Finalists Announced

The organizers of the Kira Awards have announced the finalists for the awards, which are presented annually to members of New Brunswick’s knowledge industry.

In a statement, the organizers said the awards, which will be presented at a gala in Fredericton on May 5, are focusing this year on innovation and entrepreneurship.

“In business we know that ‘knowledge’ is a fundamental component of how

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CARIS To Be Acquired by Teledyne

CARIS, a Fredericton company that has developed over 37 years into a leading producer of marine mapping software, has agreed to be acquired by Teledyne Technologies Inc. for an undisclosed price.

The companies said in a statement that the deal is expected to close by the end of June. In joining Teledyne’s digital imaging segment, CARIS will remain in Fredericton and expand its advanced software

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Taylor Wins Sea++ Competition

Dartmouth marine biologist Lawrence Taylor won first place in the Sea++ Competition on Sunday for an automated visual inspection system that can improve efficiency and data analytics for seafood producers.

Sea++ was organized by Louisbourg Seafoods as means to bring in tech experts to help a traditional industry improve its productivity. The idea was that startups or researchers have ideas and

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Lux Tests New Crowdfunding Rules

Halifax-based Lux Wind Turbines wants to revolutionize the wind energy industry. But its first big impact may be in the way equity crowdfunding is carried out in Canada.

The company has launched a campaign to raise between $500,000 and $800,000, which would fund the test project for its new form of wind turbine. The campaign is worth examining because it involves several different regulatory

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Jobs of the Week: Startup Zone, HealthQR

This week in Jobs of the Week, we are featuring three positions in the marketing, managerial, and software categories.

Startup Zone out of Charlottetown, is looking for an Executive Director, while Halifax-based HealthQR is seeking a Marketing Coordinator, and McKenzie College of Moncton wants a Software Tester Instructor. 

Startup Zone is a new incubator launching in Prince Edward Island with the goal of connecting start-ups in the region and forming a community of support around them.

HealthQR is an early stage startup and the developer of an app that helps patients manage their

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Sustane Aims to Open Facility in 2017

A disruptive technology that eliminates the need for landfills will soon be operational on Nova Scotia’s South Shore, according to Peter Vinall, CEO of Chester-based Sustane Technologies Inc.

Sustane has developed technology that allows solid waste destined for landfills to be made into clean and valuable products such as fuel pellets.

The Sustane facility to be built near the Chester landfill

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