The Junction, a new downtown 16,000 square-foot innovation centre in Moncton, has been opened by startup hub Venn Innovation, which describes it as the largest tech-focused facility of its kind in New Brunswick.

“Today, we are opening a place where the tech sector, from startups to global market leaders, can come together to meet, network, learn and share. This is a place to build what’s next,” said Venn President and CEO Doug Robertson in a statement.

Launched on July 8, the Junction is now home to the two anchor companies, Venn Innovation and Fibre Centre, as well as resident tech companies, SnapAP and Cloud&More, and startups participating in the Venn Garage incubator program.

Co-working desks and rental spaces for meetings, training programs, and events are available. The next steps will be to bring together a building committee to finalize the Junction’s design. 

“The focus will be on transforming this space into a hybrid model that can meet the different needs of tech companies at varying stages of growth and circumstance, all aimed at creating a true tech community,” said Robertson, as he unveiled the artist renderings of this proposed second phase.

Last year, Venn staff won the TECNA Award for its innovative programming. Unlike many incubators, Venn Garage is not cohort-based. Instead, it is self-paced, and companies compete to gain entry at quarterly pitch competitions.

Venn said they work with around 100 organizations. Partners include municipalities, colleges, universities, private sector companies, funders, and industry organizations.