Sixteen Atlantic Canadian companies will present at the Atlantic Venture Forum next week – a virtual event due to the pandemic.

Calgary-based Critical Path Group, which stages the forum for startups and investors, had considered waiting until next spring to hold its next in-person event. But given the uncertainty about how long the pandemic will last, the company has decided to proceed with a virtual event on Oct. 28 and 29 this year. 

The AVF, which already has 300 registrants, will feature a range of speakers as well as presentations from 16 companies. The full program and registration forms are available here.

Here are the companies that will present:

3D Planeta, Fredericton

This company provides three-dimensional maps to search and rescue crews, emergency responders, mining companies and other groups that require precise knowledge of an area’s terrain. More recently, it has launched a SaaS product to help stores and restaurants manage social distancing during COVID-19.

Anessa, Fredericton

Anessa is a software company whose products improve the efficiency of organizations converting waste to energy. Its software supports decisions on complex project design and operating conditions for anaerobic digestion facilities.

Axem Neurotechnology, Halifax

Axem is developing wearable devices that can track brainwaves and help people recover from such neurological conditions as strokes.  Its first product, the Axem Home, is being developed to support neurological rehabilitation at home.

Beauceron Securities, Fredericton

Beauceron has developed a cloud-based risk-management platform that monitors the human elements in cyber-risk.  In other words, it helps companies and organizations make sure their staff are doing the right things to ensure they are protected against cyber-attacks.

Clever Fruit Products, Halifax

Clever Fruit Products has developed a new berry-based food ingredient that can reduce cholesterol by as much as 40 percent. It has devised a two-phase fermentation process that results in a powder that could be added to foods to reduce bad cholesterol.

Food Byte, Halifax

The company sells regulatory compliance-tracking software for food producers, which must adhere to increasingly stringent World Health Organization guidelines. Its software allows employees to track food safety activities (like the cleaning of equipment) via smartphones, tablets and desktop computers. 

Kraken Sense, Nova Scotia
An Ontario company that is moving east, Kraken Sense is bringing real-time testing, with results in two minutes, to automated food and water systems, from farms to kitchens. It is making an in-line autonomous device with refillable, single-use cartridges that can measure the concentration of pathogens, not just their presence. The company is in the current cohort of the IndieBio accelerator.  

Leadsift Halifax

LeadSift uses data analytics to help small and medium-sized technology firms in the business-to-business market find sales prospects. In August, the company launched a new software feature that it believes will increase the value of its annual contracts by about a quarter.

Parados Cerebral Solutions, Fredericton

Parados is developing a mouth guard with sensors that will allow athletes to know whether they have sustained a head injury that is likely to lead to a concussion. Later, the company plans to release a spine-mounted device using similar technology.

Peer Ledger, Halifax

This company uses blockchain – the technology that underpins cryptocurrencies – for various industrial purposes. Its MIMOSI product tracks gold shipments as a means of battling conflict metals, or precious metals that are mined to finance wars, often using slave labour.

Picomole, Moncton

Picomole is developing a device that will be capable of diagnosing cancer via a breath test. Patients will provide a breath sample, which will then be sent to a lab for analysis by an AI system trained to identify specific “volatile organic compounds” that indicate cancer.

Reazent, Halifax

This company, which is moving from India to Halifax, is developing fertilizers and pesticides using natural ingredients, with the goal of selling them in Canada and the U.S. The company has also been accepted into the IndieBio accelerator.  

Seddi, Halifax

Seddi is a software company that creates accurate “digital twin” simulations of textiles, clothing and bodies. These digital simulations, which show how textiles or clothes will look once they are manufactured, help the industry go digital and become more efficient while improving customer engagement.

Simptek Technologies, Fredericton

SimpTek is dedicated to helping a range of electricity purchasers measure their consumption, analyze how it might be reduced and help them make the changes that reduce consumption. The company is working not only with the consumers of energy but also with vendors who sell products that can help lower energy use.

Talem Health Analytics, Sydney

Talem has developed software that can help auto insurers understand the time and costs of an individual recovering from a car accident. Drawing on data from physiotherapy clinics, the software uses machine learning and data analysis to predict how someone who has been in an accident will recover.

The Rounds, Halifax

The Rounds is a closed social network for Canadian doctors, a place where they can discuss medical issues among themselves to improve the treatment of patients. A few years ago, the team launched QID, a similar network for pharmacists, which has a global following.