Peer-to-Peer Commerce Startup Curbza Raises $83,000
Curbza, a new Dartmouth company that is developing a peer-to-peer mobile commerce platform, has raised $83,000 in seed capital from angel investors.
Curbza has developed a mobile application that lets individuals buy, sell and barter their household goods. It can also act as a personal inventory for their possessions.
“Curbza has been in development mode over the past eight months and this funding will help us
accelerate our development cycles,” CEO Scott Theriault said in a statement. “The current version has the potential of changing the way the sharing economy works by offering users more choices and
opportunities to customize their online bartering experience.”
Curbza, whose chairman is SimplyCast CEO Saeed El-Darahali, will launch its first commercial version in the coming months, enabling users to start listing an inventory of items in an innovative and secure way.
Venture for Canada Announces Scale-Up Partnership with BDC Capital
Venture for Canada has struck a partnership with BDC Capital as its National Scale-Up Partner.
The not-for-profit organization that recruits recent graduates for leading Canadian startups said it will organize the “BDC Canadian Scale-Up Speaker Series” featuring high-profile Canadian entrepreneurs who have built and grown successful companies. Mark Organ, Founder and CEO of Influitive, will be the first presenter in the series, at an event on August 18. Influitive recently raised a nearly $40 million Series B investment round, and has close to 200 employees.
Later this year, Annette Verschuren, Chair and CEO of NRStor, will be speaking as part of the speaker series. Ms. Verschuren was formerly president of The Home Depot Canada and Asia.
“We are proud to partner with BDC Capital to provide education to our fellows and partner startups on best practices for creating high growth companies,” said Scott Stirrett, Executive Director of Venture for Canada.
“BDC Capital helps build outstanding companies,” said Jérôme Nycz, Executive Vice President, BDC Capital. “We are excited to support the work of Venture for Canada in educating the next generation of Canadian entrepreneurs on what it takes to scale startups and create high growth firms.”
Cheep Insurance Launches in Nova Scotia
Cheep Insurance, Nova Scotia’s first online insurance brokerage, has launched and is now accepting clients.
The Dartmouth-based company provides online quoting, eSignatures, and a mobile app with the aim of simplifying the insurance experience for today’s busy, modern consumer.
“For a lot of people, insurance can be a hassle,” said Jennifer Jackson, who headed the company’s launch. “So we created a business model that simplifies the entire process – from comparing quotes to binding coverage to accessing your policy and filing claims.”
Cheep Insurance has an online quoting system that allows Nova Scotians to instantly compare insurance prices from their smartphones or computers. Clients can receive coverage over the phone with one of the company’s licensed insurance brokers who will review the policy and answer any questions clients may have. Instead of driving all the way to a broker’s office to sign the paperwork, clients can simply use their fingers to sign on the touchscreen of their phone.
