When Innovacorp investment manager for life sciences Lidija Marusic was nominated to the board of the Canadian Venture Capital and Private Equity Association, she saw it as an opportunity to become a national voice for the Atlantic Canadian innovation economy.

The CVCA represents institutional startup investors across the country. Marusic’s new board seat is not her first – she also serves on

Nova Scotia life sciences industry association BioNova is inviting early-stage health and life sciences companies in the region to apply for its BIC2020 contest.

The BioInnovation Challenge, known as BIC, will give early-stage ventures a chance to compete for a $55,000 prize package during a digital BioPort 2020 event on Nov. 3 and 4.

BIC semi-finalists will receive pitch training from

Fearing the pandemic may be deterring entrepreneurs from founding companies, the regional tech accelerator Propel has announced a new pitch contest that will award $10,000 in cash to a pre-revenue startup.

The Startup Summer Showdown’s winning company will also receive in-kind services that Propel said in a statement are worth about $40,000. These include coaching services, free advertising and

Halifax-based Sona Nanotech has announced that strategic adviser David Regan will replace Darren Rowles as CEO and that it will pursue a listing on the NASDAQ stock exchange in New York.

Sona has been a darling of the Canadian Securities Exchange since it said in March it would use its nanoparticle technology to develop rapid diagnostic kits for diseases that include COVID-19. The share price

The number of graduates from Dalhousie University’s Computer Science program has jumped by more than one-quarter in the past year, driven by rising enrolment and an insatiable demand for tech talent.

The Faculty of Computer Science awarded just over 260 degrees at the recently held convocation for its 2020 Winter Term – a 26 percent increase over same period in 2019.

The rising number of

St. John’s-based Oliver POS, which offers digital payment solutions to retailers, has raised $3.2 million from European angels, an impressive seed round for a company that is only two years old.

The company has developed a Software-as-a-Service product that enhances retailers’ point-of-sale, or POS, capabilities. Its sales – which now extend into 70 countries – have surged with the global wave

Halifax-based Cribcut, known for its at-office haircuts and beauty services programs, is rebranding as Bright and adding new personal well-being and fitness services to its platform.

Bright will continue to sell its on-site services to employers to be included in employee well-being packages. But it has added a virtual arm to its business during the COVID-19 pandemic to offer online services

A trio of Atlantic Canadian entrepreneurs is encouraging technology companies and funding organizations to sign a pledge aimed at increasing the number of women working in the sector.

Sarah Murphy, Maddie Coombes and Chris Gardner are the creators of the 12-step Gender Diversity Pledge, which is designed to produce measurable progress towards workplace equality. It asks signatories to commit to

Well, another day, another $70 million.

That’s what life has been like for Sona Nanotech recently. The Halifax nanoparticle maker’s shares gained 18 percent to $8.25 on Monday, lifting its market capitalization (the total value of its stock) by almost $70 million to $443 million. That came after Sona shares gained 123 percent on Friday, giving it a market cap of $374 million. This all happened

As it prepares for its next round of accelerator and incubator programs, the Joint Economic Development Initiative is hoping it can build stronger ties with startup organizations throughout Atlantic Canada.

Based in North Fredericton, the Joint Economic Development Initiative, or JEDI, fosters economic growth for First Nations communities. One of its key missions is to help Indigenous