Canada needs a method to help early-stage startups access pools of capital that are generally targeting larger companies to help develop national champions, Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne said Wednesday.

In the closing fireside chat at Invest Canada, Champagne was interviewed by Benjamin Bergen, the Chief Executive of the Canadian Venture Capital and Private Equity Association,

Dartmouth-based AI company Arken Innovations has received a round of investment from MaxWave Capital Inc., cementing a relationship in which the Arken technology will be used across the MaxWave portfolio of companies.

Founded by serial entrepreneur Sam Sanandaji, Arken has developed a product called the Knowledge Fusion Engine, which employs artificial intelligence to help clients in regulated

Tribe Network, the Halifax hub that supports BIPOC entrepreneurs, is seeking applicants for its Tribe Innovation Hub: AI Stream, a 16-week applied venture validation program for Nova Scotia founders who are building AI-enabled startups.

In a newsletter, organizers say the program can help founders whether they are shipping their first MVP or have a business idea in mind.

The program offers:

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Fredericton-based cybersecurity company Lastwall has closed a $16 million round led by BDC Capital’s StrongNorth Fund and plans to use the money to expand sales to the Canadian government.

The round also included investments from the New Brunswick Innovation Foundation, Frostbite Capital and existing investors Blue Bear Capital, 18West and Blue Wing Ventures.

Lastwall develops identity and

Halifax-based health-monitoring venture HealthEMe has signed an MOU with Mexico's Ministry of Economy that allows the use of the platform in Mexico and collaboration on research and training.   

HealthEMe has developed its own platform which supports pre, during and post care for individuals with chronic diseases.

“Paired with HealthEMe’s expertise in digital health technology, this partnership

Fredericton area economic development agency IGNITE has announced new funding from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency to support the launch of the second cohort of its MERGE program at startup hub Planet Hatch.

The MERGE program connects municipal needs and startup solutions, creating opportunities for new startups to validate their businesses while offering cost-effective solutions to

When Canada’s leading venture capitalists gather in Halifax this week, one hot topic will be a $750 million tug-of-war over the best way for Ottawa to support the innovation economy.

The Canadian Venture Capital and Private Equity Association, or CVCA, is hosting its annual Invest Canada conference in Halifax Tuesday through Thursday. It will be the first time the CVCA has met on the East Coast

Angel investment in both Atlantic Canada and the country overall was distressingly weak in 2025, recent data shows, prompting calls for more capital to be channeled into early-stage startups.

The National Angel Capital Organization, or NACO, issued a paper last week saying that investors within its network deployed $113.8 million via 490 funding rounds in 2025. That amount of capital was down

After 20 years of focused efforts to nurture the innovation economy, New Brunswick can now claim a more mature ecosystem with stronger companies emerging, said Jeff White, CEO of the New Brunswick Innovation Foundation.

Speaking at the Venture Capital Outlook held Wednesday in Fredericton’s Planet Hatch, White said the new environment is an improvement on the unpredictability of the last few

Eight first-year startups have been named to our list of Rookie All-Stars, which we publish each year in our Atlantic Canada Startup Data Report to showcase promising young companies.

While several of the companies are in the artificial intelligence space, the list this year touches on a range of disciplines, from creating packaging from seaweed to modernizing the weighing of trucks. All of