The federal government has announced two new programs in the last week that should channel hundreds of millions of dollars into startups and innovative companies.

Last week, the government launched Innovative Solutions Canada, under which 20 federal departments will spend $100 million annually to work with innovative companies to develop new products. And on Monday, the government announced that

The federal government and Halifax-based Emera Inc. have committed more than $4.3 million to develop smart grid expertise and infrastructure at the University of New Brunswick.

The Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency issued a press release Wednesday saying the organizations are working on clean energy technologies that will advance Canada’s efforts to build a clean economy.

“The partnership

The Dartmouth-based company that developed a bionic knee brace has been listed in a Forbes article titled, “The Top Seven Startups for Souped-Up Senior Care”.

The American business magazine praised Spring Loaded Technology’s shock-absorbent knee brace Levitation and commended its potential to meet a real need in Canada, where seniors outnumber children under 15.  

The carbon-fibre brace is

Halifax-based Ocean Executive, which provides an online marketplace for the seafood industry, has signed enterprise software licensing agreements with two major clients.

The company said in a press release Tuesday that it has signed deals with Ocean Perfect, a live seafood supplier based in The Netherlands, and an oyster company based in New York City, Empire Oyster.

Ocean Executive is offering

GroupThinq is a Halifax startup that has been in stealth mode for a few years, and its coyness is surprising when you consider the international traction it’s gained.

The company, which grew out of Ekistics Planning & Design, has created a cloud-based software that helps consultancies with project management and other tasks associated with accounting. The product is now being tested with about

Job openings at UpFront Tickets and Forestry.io lead our Jobs of the Week column today.

Halifax-based UpFront Tickets uses blockchain technology to improve online ticket purchasing. By working with concert ticket sellers, UpFront aims to get rid of ticket scalpers and make sure customers are not buying fraudulent tickets.

UpFront is hoping to hire a lead developer to assist in designing and

The entrepreneurship program within the University of New Brunswick’s engineering school has bolstered its management team by selecting Joe Allen to head its accelerator programs.

The J. Herbert Smith Centre for Technology Management & Entrepreneurship, commonly known as TME, announced Friday that Allen has assumed the role of Managing Director of Accelerator Programs. Allen had previously

ConnexionWorks, Saint John’s collaborative co-working space, is welcoming a new owner.

Jayne Taylor, ConnexionWorks’ current facility director, will join Heather Acker and Doug Jenkens as one of the co-owners.

“I have enjoyed my role [as facility director] over the past 11 months and was taken out to supper by the three co-founders where I was advised of this new opportunity,” said Taylor, in

The rest of Atlantic Canada has a lot to learn from New Brunswick about developing startups.

That’s the conclusion that I came to after a quick visit to Fredericton this week. It’s an impression that’s been percolating for several years. All four Atlantic provinces can point to successful innovators and support organizations. But here are five features that make New Brunswick special:

HotSpot

Charlottetown drug manufacturer BioVectra Inc. announced Thursday it has signed a manufacturing agreement with Boston-based Keryx Biopharmaceuticals.

BioVectra will supply Keryx with a key ingredient for its Auryxia tablets, a medicine that treats people with chronic kidney disease.

BioVectra plans to manufacture and supply Ferric Citrate, the active pharmaceutical ingredient, or API, in