An economy divided evenly between private and public sectors, with a strong presence of the military and academic institutions may have a familiar ring to it. And it’s no surprise that such a jurisdiction has nurtured economic growth by encouraging energetic entrepreneurs and innovators – especially those coming out of academic institutions.

In this particular case, the location is not Atlantic Canada but the historic city of Kingston, Ont., which is capitalizing on its strengths to develop a unique startup community.  It’s not the roaring showcase that is Kitchener-Waterloo on the other

Please don’t question my math if I say we’re about to start the second half of the year.

Technically, there’s only one-third of 2013 left, but we’re through the slow summer period and the final four months are so busy that it might as well be half a year.

I’m off next week so I want to take an opportunity to take a look at what’s on the calendar for the autumn, and highlight a few things to watch for.

There are a few events that have very quickly become fixtures on the calendar, and they all happen as the leaves are turning. Invest Atlantic will take place Sept. 25, and its PitchCamp

Entrevestor won't be publishing next week as we need a break to recharge our batteries. We will return as usual on Tuesday September 3 and hope everyone has a great Labour Day weekend.

Pitch Perfect, a Halifax-based startup that improves the process of making proposals, has released a range of new features in preparation for its full launch in the autumn.

The company is being spun out of the consultancy Headspace Design and has been gaining strong feedback through its beta testing — that is, controlled tests by end-users not affiliated with the company.

 “The thing we were pleasantly surprised by is that we tend to get a new trial user or two each day for the product; surprising because we have not done any marketing for it,” said design director Kyle Racki in an

When John Hamblin envisioned his retirement years ago, he didn’t foresee it including a turn as CEO of a tech startup that was building monitoring technology for the world’s trucking companies.

But Hamblin, who retired in the spring from Clarke IT Solutions Inc., last month took the helm at Fredericton-based Geode Technology, working remotely from his base in Halifax. As the leader of the young company that is now closing its first round of equity funding, Hamblin hopes to establish a structure that will help the company gain some traction with corporate clients by next summer.

 “What

Something interesting is happening: local government are discovering startups.

There are signs in a few places that municipal governments are working with startups on new projects that could increase governmental efficiency and provide a leg up to the young companies.

The city of Fredericton is on a roll right now. The city’s not-for-profit internet provider, e-Novations recently slashed its fees so businesses and startups in the city pay about 75 percent less than companies in other Atlantic Canadian cities.

The city is also working on another initiative with HotSpot Parking, a local

The fourth annual Invest Atlantic conference will focus on talent, strategic investment and startup communities, and include a new feature, PitchCamp, which will give startups from around the region an opportunity to deliver 60-second presentations.

Invest Atlantic began in 2010, before Radian6 had announced its groundbreaking exit and no one had even thought of the Atlantic Canadian startup community. Over the years, the program has evolved as the startup community became more of a presence in the region.

The 2013 conference, to be held at the Halifax World Trade and Convention Centre

If your app caters to the fashion industry, it can only help if one of the world’s most famous models invests in your company and features your product on her TV show.

Philippe LeBlanc certainly found that out last Thursday when the U.S. reality show America’s Next Top Model featured his company Flixel, which has developed an app for cinemagraphs — that is, digital photographs that highlight one thing by having it move. The show’s producer, former supermodel Tyra Banks, sought out Flixel last September and was so impressed that she became an investor.

Flixel, which works on Apple

Two leading Canadian authorities on startups and seed funding will hold an educational session on pitching in Halifax next month as part of a nationwide campaign to improve startups’ presentations.

Ian Jeffrey from FounderFuel and John Stokes from Real Ventures, both of Montreal, will host Pitch It at the Volta startup house on Spring Garden Road on September 26 at 2 pm. The Halifax date is part of a seven-city Pitch It tour.

Tickets cost $15, and could go quickly. The Montreal event is already sold out.

Pitch It consists of two lectures, and then an opportunity for the startups in

The Sobey School of Business at St. Mary’s University wants to measure and assess all the components of the Atlantic Canadian startup ecosystem, and is looking for a range of people to help out.

Professor Ellen Farrell, well known for her work in entrepreneurship, is conducting a survey of the members of the startup community and is asking that a range of people involved with startups take 15 to 25 minutes to fill out the team’s survey .

Yes, her team at Halifax-based St. Mary’s is hoping that founders of startups and young high-growth companies will fill out the survey, but she is also