Invest NS to Host Startup Showcase Feb. 6

Invest Nova Scotia will host a virtual Investor Showcase presentation showcasing 17 of its portfolio companies to an audience of international investors Feb. 6 at 1:00 p.m.

The provincial agency, which invests in startups via its venture capital fund, says the companies are chosen to highlight the cleantech, oceantech, information technologies and life sciences industries.

“The showcase will be

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MUN Seeks Social Enterprises

Memorial University’s Centre for Social Enterprise is looking for applicants to its year-long Social Ventures Incubator, which offers $2,500 of funding.

The program is open to current Memorial students and alumni who graduated within the last 12 months, though the university adds that applicants will ideally have a track record of social entrepreneurship or other relevant experience.

In

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Invest NS Made $8.8M of VC Investments in Fiscal ‘22-‘23

Invest Nova Scotia spent $8.8 million across 16 venture capital deals for its 2022-2023 fiscal year, which ended last March, and dispersed just under another $6.5 million to VC funds.

With another year-end on the horizon for Invest Nova Scotia, Entrevestor took a look back at the prior year’s performance with the help of the organization’s annual report, released in late 2023.

The largest

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Spellbook Raises US$20M

Spellbook, the St. John’s legal software-maker, has raised a US$20 million or about C$27 million Series A funding round after being approached by returning investor iNovia Capital with an offer late last year.

The deal, which was signed just before Christmas, is Spellbook’s second eight-figure capital raise in less than twelve months. The previous, US$10.9 million or C$13.8 million round also

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Lab2Market Oceans Announces Cohort

Memorial University and the Ocean Startup Project have announced the 19 companies in the latest cohort of their seven-week Lab2Market Oceans program.

Part of a national group of accelerators, Lab2Market Oceans is aimed at helping academic researchers in the oceans space commercialize their work. Participants will each receive $15,000 of funding.

The Oceans stream of Lab2Market is part of the

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Pond Named Chair Emeritus at Mariner

Saint John-based diversified technology company Mariner Partners has named its Co-Founder and Chair Gerry Pond to the new position of Chair Emeritus two decades after he helped to found the company. 

Pond has spent decades as one of Atlantic Canada’s most strident advocates for innovation and entrepreneurship, first as the CEO of NBTel and president of Aliant Telecom, and then as a founder and

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SMU’s Arena Pitch Contest Offers $10k Grand Prize

Halifax-based Saint Mary’s University has extended the application deadline for its biggest pitching contest, formerly March Madness, now The Arena.

The month-long contest offers the best student entrepreneur a grand prize of $10,000, and is open to students from across the country, including recent grads.

Modelled after the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) March Madness

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Propel Announces Vision and Validation Cohort

Virtual startup accelerator Propel has announced the companies participating in its Vision and Validation program for very early-stage founders.

Nova Scotia companies have made a particularly strong showing, comprising eight of the 14 participants, with four hailing from New Brunswick and two from Prince Edward Island.

The program focuses on teaching new entrepreneurs how to validate their

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AI and Technical Sales Focuses of TechNL Upskilling: CEO

Despite short-term economic uncertainty, Newfoundland and Labrador industry group techNL is preparing for long-term growth in the sector and increasing demands on the labour force, CEO Florian Villaumé said in an interview last week.

The organization is focused on developing a labour force skilled at working with artificial intelligence, as well as filling a particular deficit the organization’s

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