Volta Seeks Democamp Applicants

Halifax startup hub Volta is looking for applicants to its annual Democamp, which gives startups the chance to showcase their technology for investors and other innovation community members.

Slated to be held at Volta’s Barrington Street offices Feb. 16, the event lets entrepreneurs expound on the technological aspects of their businesses. But they must do so without the help of a slide deck.

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BC Group Makes Recycled Ocean Plastic Commercially Available

British Columbia-based non-profit Ocean Legacy has begun producing what it calls the first commercially available plastic pellet in North America made from 100 per cent recycled ocean plastics. The foundation has also announced a partnership with Full Circle Plastics of Alberta, which makes recycled plastic products to replace traditional lumber used in commercial, industrial and residential

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Halifax Business Awards Feature Several Innovators

The Halifax Business Awards this year will shine a spotlight on several innovation-driven companies, showing that companies developing their own intellectual property are gaining prominence in the city's business community. 

The Halifax Chamber of Commerce last week released the shortlist for the awards, which will be presented as part of a gala scheduled for the evening of Jan. 26. Of the 35

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Tranquility Helps Anchor Green Shield’s Atlantic Push

A year and a half after its sale to Green Shield Canada, Halifax-based virtual therapy specialist Tranquility Online is helping to anchor an expansion push into Atlantic Canada by the health insurance giant.

Joel Muise, who co-founded Tranquility and is now running the platform for Green Shield, said in an interview that the acquisition has allowed his business to grow far faster than it could

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Profitual Raises $1.2M

A pair of former New Brunswick Innovation Foundation investors, Raymond Fitzpatrick and Daniel Hoyles, have left the organization to found financial intelligence startup Profitual and close a nearly $1.2 million funding round.

Fitzpatrick was the NBIF’s director of finance and investments for almost nine years, and Hoyles was an investment associate, as well as the former COO of cleantech

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Bluetech: Invest NS Announces OceanTech Pilot Program

Invest Nova Scotia has announced the first six startups participating in its OceanTech Pilot Program, which gives early-stage bluetech companies the chance to test their pre-commercialization products.

The participating companies will split $50,000 of non-dilutive funding to help launch their pilot programs, as well as access to SEATAC, a Nova Scotia Community College entity that offers research

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Audyse Readies for Funding Round

St. John's-based Audyse Technology is working on finalizing a noise-cancelling algorithm to protect motorcyclists’ hearing as it prepares to raise a funding round early next year.

Audyse is developing a noice-cancelling headset that will protect riders from the hazardously loud noises generated by both wind and their motorbikes themselves. A software suite will avoid blocking important sounds,

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NBIF Invested $5M in VC in 2021-22

The New Brunswick Innovation Foundation invested $4.98 million in equity funding for the province's startups in its 2021-2022 fiscal year, in what it said was a record fundraising year for its portfolio companies.

NBIF’s venture capital investments accounted for almost exactly a third of its total $14.3 million of spending, according to the organization’s 2022 Impact Report. Another $7.4 million

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ABK Raises US$30M

Halifax medical device maker ABK Biomedical has closed a US$30 million, or about C$40.9 million Series C funding round, marking one of the largest capital raises in Atlantic Canada so far this year.

The round was co-led by two new investors: Austin, Texas-based medtech venture capital fund Santé Ventures and “a significant, undisclosed MedTech strategic investor.” Existing shareholders F-Prime

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