Something interesting happened in the startup world in April that deserves more attention than it received: a Startup Weekend was held April 1 to 3 in Corner Brook, Newfoundland.

It was the first Startup Weekend in the western Newfoundland community of about 20,000 people and it represents a big step forward in the efforts by several groups to expand the city’s entrepreneurial community.

With

Reno Sub-Systems Inc. has received US$14 million (C$18.1 million) in a Series B funding round led by strategic investor MKS Instruments Inc. of Andover, Mass.

Reno, which has developed new and disruptive technologies for the semiconductor and advanced microelectronic industries, originated in Bedford, though it is now headquartered in the U.S.

The company said in a statement Tuesday that as well as a US$9.3 million investment from MKS, the participants in the latest funding round include previous investor Intel Capital and an undisclosed strategic investor.

 “We are pleased that MKS has

IBM has selected the University of New Brunswick as one of eight universities in North America to help adapt its iconic Watson cognitive technology for use in cybersecurity.

The blue-chip tech company and university announced the partnership on Tuesday. Under the agreement, computer science students at UNB and the other universities will help Watson process and analyze massive amounts of

Eyeread Accepted into Google for Entrepreneurs

Halifax-based Eyeread, whose online product helps to teach children to read, has been accepted into the Google for Entrepreneurs program at Communitech in Kitchener.

“A six-month incubator with senior Google team members in Waterloo will allow us to get expert feedback on the Eyeread technology over the summer and fall,” said Co-Founder Julia

Entrepreneurs should seek financing for their businesses from unexpected sources, rather than just relying on equity investment and revenue, a conference in Halifax heard on Tuesday.

The TSX Ignite conference in Nova Scotia featured a series of panel discussions on entrepreneurship, including one titled “Funding Options that You’re Probably Ignoring.” Its panelists reviewed options like

Nine months after settling on a business model that analyzes market response to Instagram posts, Dash Hudson is working with some huge multi-national customers and growing revenues strongly.

The Halifax startup launched two-and-a-half years ago as an e-commerce site for menswear, and then morphed into a platform that helped clothing brands make sales through Instagram. Last summer, it developed

Chinova Bioworks, a spin-off from Fredericton’s Mycodev Group, has been accepted into the IndieBio accelerator in Ireland, and received a US$100,000 (C$130,000) investment on entering the program.

Chinova is a new startup that is developing applications for chitosan – Mycodev’s main product – and using the compound as an anti-microbial agent.  Chinova is now working with a major beverage company

Saint John has announced a series of events and initiatives that will use data analytics to improve life in the New Brunswick city.

The True Growth Network, the regional economic development partnership, announced last week that Saint John will use sensors, beacons, smart devices, and applications to collect and analyze data so the city can improve decision making. This will be complemented by a

Our Job of the Week column today highlights an opportunity to work for a fast-growing Fredericton startup, HotSpot Merchant Solutions, which is looking for a technical lead.

HotSpot developed a mobile application that allows drivers to pay for parking with their mobile phone. Addressing this problem provides users with a pain-free parking experience. It also helps merchants advertise directly to

Newfoundland and Labrador’s third annual Innovation Week will take place in St. John’s starting on Monday. The 17 different events will focus on bringing innovative ideas to market and growing key sectors in the province. 

Throughout the week, 16 partner organizations will offer varied events with the aim of firing up creative thinking and collaboration in sectors such as information technology,