Seven startups from around the region will present at the Propel ICT Demo Day next Thursday, including three that have leap-frogged from the entry-level group to the main stage.
Propel ICT, the regional startup development group that began in New Brunswick 11 years ago, will display the most promising companies from its restructured acceleration program, formerly known as Launch36.
Launch 36 previously comprised a single cohort of five to 10 companies who met weekly in Moncton. Propel 2.0 has amplified the program, with five growth-stage companies enrolled in the “Build” phase in Moncton, and 15 seed-stage companies going through the “Start” phase at Planet Hatch in Fredericton or Volta Labs in Halifax.
The seven companies are:
Bungalo, Halifax and Reykjavik – Launched in Iceland, the company is now a tenant at Volta. It offers an online reservation system for cottages, and has been expanding rapidly in Nova Scotia.
Fundmetric, Halifax – Another Volta tenant, Fundmetric offers a software-as-a-service, or SaaS, product that helps charities organize fund-raising campaigns.
Pacta, Halifax -- Pacta has an SaaS products that helps companies ensure they are compliant with regulations in various jurisdictions, allowing companies to focus on their business not local rules.
Sentinel Alert, St. John’s – The first Newfoundland company in Propel has been working out of Planet Hatch in Fredericton. It is developing wearable technology that can tell companies or organizations if a remote worker has had an accident.
Simptek, Fredericton – Founded by three graduates of the University of New Brunswick’s Technology, Management and Entrepreneurship program, the Planet Hatch tenant is developing algorithms to help homeowners improve the energy efficiency of their homes.
Smartpods, Dieppe – Smartpods is developing workstations whose working surface moves up, down, left and right to help workers avoid being too sedentary during their work day.
Swapskis, Halifax – Another Volta company, Swapskis lets women to barter their skills with one another, so they can build up resumés and networks and eventually charge real cash for their services.
One thing to note about the Demo Day is that Pacta, Sentinel Alert and Simptek are presenting even though they were in the “Start” program. It’s an indication that they progressed quickly through the accelerator and impressed the organizers.
The Demo Day will also highlight the geographic expansion of Propel. It will have the first Demo Day presentation by a Newfoundland and Labrador company, and the first company that has come to the accelerator from another country.
Demo Day takes place at the Delta Fredericton on Thursday, starting with a reception at 4:30 pm.
Entrevestor receives financial support from government agencies that support startup companies in Atlantic Canada. The sponsoring agencies play no role in determining which companies and individuals are featured in this column, nor do they review columns before they are published.
