John Ruffolo is leading an active drive to start an association for growth-stage startups in Canada and expects the body will be up and running in a few months.

After floating the idea online recently, the CEO of OMERS Ventures has identified a core of about 12 companies committed to funding and organizing such an association. He hopes to attract about eight more backers to launch the group

When you work around startups, you sometimes get the chance to go to an event in a far-flung city. So when Roger Power of Startup Newfoundland and Labrador invited me to be a pitch mentor at a Startup Weekend in St. John’s in June, I decided that it would be hard to stop me and that I’d take a few weeks to check the place out.

St. John’s is the eastern-most point of North America. In fact,

CollegeMix has gained 500 users for its app to connect students after launching on Sept. 6 during the University of New Brunswick’s orientation week.

Fredericton-based CollegeMix aims to act as a virtual bulletin board for university and college campuses. There are five categories for students to post and peruse on the mobile app: Vent, Spotted, Overheard, Meetup, and Ask. . The app gives

Moncton automotive technology company Selectbidder last week secured its first customer in the United States, Space Coast Auto Auction of Melbourne, Fla., after recently launching its new platform.

The company said getting its latest auction partner is validation for its new business model.

Selectbidder is a web and mobile app that helps accelerate and simplify the process of auctioning off

Toronto-based Flixel Photos Inc., whose software allows content creators to easily produce cinemagraphs, has closed a $2.2 million seed round led by Extreme Venture Partners.

Cinemagraphs are still photos that include an element of video – a portion of the picture that moves -- so the viewer’s eye is drawn to the moving part of the photograph. Flixel’s apps include a patent-pending feature

As in all startup ecosystems, there’s a crying need for more capital and coding talent on Canada’s East Coast. But in terms of structural improvements that would lead to economic growth, the region most needs expertise in helping established companies to scale.

To get an idea of the potential of Atlantic Canada’s startup community, consider a company like Kinduct Technologies. This

BioNB, the New Brunswick life sciences agency, has issued the following press release:

Bioscience Community Honours Laforge Bioenvironmental with New Brunswick Bioscience Achievement Award

Fredericton, New Brunswick (October 2nd, 2015) – BioNB, New Brunswick’s bioscience agency, awarded Laforge Bioenvironmental with the New Brunswick Bioscience Achievement Award on Friday, October 2nd at the annual industry event Innovation at the Station. Over 130 members of the business and research community gathered for the presentation of the award and the celebration of the substantial growth

Sarah Murphy, the CEO and Co-Founder of St. John’s-based Sentinel Alert, captured the $35,000 first prize on Thursday for the pitching event at the Women Entrepreneurs’ Bootcamp at Communitech.

Sentinel Alert, co-founded by a Murphy and Jason Janes, is developing software that works with wearable technology to help companies reduce worker accidents. It has already lined up two early adopters.

Atlantic Canadian entrepreneurs are often advised to aim for global sales. In assembling a new team of international advisers, Vendeve founder and CEO Katelyn Bourgoin is doing just that.

Vendeve is a women-only site that allows members to swap and buy business skills.

“We believe in building our company in Halifax, but we need world-renowned people on our advisory board,” said Bourgoin

The New Brunswick government is teaming up with TechImpact with the goal of producing the first truly digital government in North America.

Premier Brian Gallant and Ed McGinley, CEO of TechImpact (formerly the New Brunswick Information Technology Council), jointly announced the initiative at a press conference in Fredericton Thursday.   

Working together, they plan to create a digital hub