Volta Announces AI Cohort

Halifax startup hub Volta has announced the five companies participating in its second Volta AI cohort for artificial intelligence startups focused on supply chains.

The program is the result of a partnership with Scale AI, the federally backed supercluster that funds research partnerships using the same model as Canada’s Ocean Supercluser.

To participate, companies must be based in Canada, be

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Oceantech: Startup Challenge Names Winners

The Ocean Startup Project has announced the 30 idea- and early-stage bluetech startups from across Canada to win this year’s Ocean Startup Challenge.

Each year, the startup competition awards development capital, as well as training and mentorship services to dozens of emerging companies with the goal of building out the pipeline of Canadian bluetech businesses. This year, the 30 winners are

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OSC Expands Diversity Project

Canada's Ocean Supercluster has announced an extension and expansion of its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion-focused Ocean Allies project.

Ocean Allies 1.0 aimed to improve the inclusiveness of the blue economy in Atlantic Canada through training, mentorship and “awareness building” about systemic barriers. Ocean Allies 2.0 will expand the program nationally, with a particular focus on the Arctic

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Oceantech: Kraken Receives NATO Purchase Order

St. John’s-based Kraken Robotics said Monday it has received a $1.1 million purchase order for its AquaPix synthetic aperture sonar systems from two NATO navies.

Delivery of the systems is scheduled for the first half of next year. The AquaPix is an off-the-shelf sonar system designed to be mounted on unmanned vessels. It boasts a lower price and longer range than competing products, Kraken said

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Venture Grade Backs Emma Labs

Venture Grade, a student venture capital fund based at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, has invested $12,500 in online life insurance distributor Emma Labs.

Based in Montreal, Emma Labs targets younger life insurance buyers, aged 29 to 40, who have young children or are expecting kids. The company aims to streamline the sales process by waiving the usual mandatory health evaluation and

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COVE, Innovacorp to Host Panel on Raising Capital in the Blue Economy

Provincial venture capital crown corporation Innovacorp is organizing a panel discussion on raising capital in the blue economy, to be held at Dartmouth’s Centre for Ocean Ventures and Entrepreneurship, as part of its Business over Breakfast series.

Scheduled for Nov. 10 at 8:00 a.m., the event will see panelists Sally Ng, Rob Barbara and Jennifer Fuccillo discuss fundraising tactics for

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Volta Pitch Competition Nov. 23

Halifax startup hub Volta is looking for companies to participate in its next quarterly Pitch Competition, but entrepreneurs who want to participate must apply in the coming week.

The competitions offer budding founders the chance to practice giving a three-minute pitch to a panel of judges. Winners are chosen based solely on the quality of their pitches — not the quality of their companies.

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3 East Coast Companies Pitch on Dragons’ Den

As of Nov. 3, Atlantic Canada will have watched three of its startups pitch to angel investors and venture capitalists on the CBC’s popular reality show Dragons' Den this fall, with two of the three companies having so far secured investment.

In September, an episode aired in which Mahone Bay entrepreneur Mark Lowe agreed to sell 32 percent of his company, Lobster Made Easy, to marketing

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Spark Announces Winners from 2 Regions

The annual Spark Nova Scotia startup competition, which offers companies up to $50,000 of non-dilutive funding, has announced the winners for two of its three regional categories: Nova Scotia Southwest and Nova Scotia North. The Cape Breton division has been deferred until Spring.

Now in its ninth year, the Spark program aims to nurture Nova Scotian startups based outside of metro Halifax. The

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ReportMate Rebrands as SiftMed

St. John’s-based ReportMate, which sells software for cleaning up disorganized medical records, has rebranded as SiftMed as it enters commercialization.

The newly dubbed SiftMed’s artificial intelligence platform automatically organizes medical records into a clearly labelled, searchable database for use by insurance company employees as they assess some types of claims, such as accident-related

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