Venture for Canada unveils cohort
After receiving a record 1670 applications, Venture for Canada has announced its 2016 cohort of fellows, awarded to students representing 22 universities from across the country.
The group received twice the number of applications from a year earlier. This year’s applicants were vetted through a four-step process involving a written application, video interview, phone interview, and in-person Fellow Selection Day, where applicants went through an intense 10-hour series of interviews.
The new group of fellows includes a diverse mix of Canada’s best and brightest talent, coming from a variety of educational backgrounds and institutions. They include a Vancouver native who is graduating as valedictorian of an Ivy League university, an alumnus of The Next 36, and the 2016 HSBC Woman Leader of Tomorrow for Central Canada.
“We continue to be impressed by the high calibre of applicants and the many diverse ways they have been preparing for this opportunity,” said Scott Stirrett, Venture for Canada’s Executive Director. “They are inspired and committed to learning everything they can about startups.”
MMAAZZ launches advanced sensor tech
MMAAZZ Technology, a division of Moncton-based Masitek Instruments, has released its new advanced sensor technology, designed to transform how the packaging industry detects and prevents damage in the production process.
The result of two years of client consultation, the technology release is a complete overhaul of the sensor technology that drives the company’s products. ShockQC, PressureQC and VerticalQC are acrylic replicas of packaging containers that are placed in client’s production lines to generate real-time sensor data. The sensors measure variables in the production process such as shock or pressure which cause product damage and costly downtime.
In addition to a vastly enhanced sampling rate and Bluetooth beacons, the new sensors are enabled with a direct calculation of IPS (Inches per second) velocity measurement as well as Scuff Index, a revolutionary new indicator for the packaging industry.
“One of the most significant accomplishments of this release is the new Scuff Index,” MMAAZZ EVP of Global Business Development Pablo Asiron said in a statement. “Scuffing was identified as a significant problem as it reduced the recycled-life for returnable bottles and significant aesthetic damage to non-returnable containers. With this release, we offer the first and only sensor with a Scuff Index calculation that quantifies the scuffing that a container is experiencing when processed through the line.”
Volta hackathon set for April 29-May 1
Volta, the Halifax startup house, will hold an open hackathon April 29-May 1. Following on the success of the Global Game Jam in January, Volta is now hosting a hackathon at which participants can make anything – hardware, software, games, whatever.
The winner of the 48-hour event will take home $1,000, and tickets ($5 for individuals and $10 for teams) are available here.
Rather than have judges, the participants at the event will vote on the winner.
TSX Ignite set from Halifax
The Toronto Stock Exchange will hold TSX Ignite at the Marriot Harbourfront in Halifax on May 10. It is a free half-day conference that will focus on how to build and fund great businesses.
The speakers will include: Gregory Phipps, Managing Director, Investment, Innovacorp; Patrick Keefe, Partner, Build Ventures; Gillian McCrae, Vice-President and EIR, Propel ICT; Steve Nicolle, Board Member and Former CEO, STI Technologies Ltd.; Steven Uster, Co-Founder and CEO, Fundthrough; Som Seif, President and CEO, Purpose Investment; Brad Langille, President and CEO, GoGold Resources Inc.; and Frederic Ors, Acting CEO, Immunovaccine Inc.
The panel discussions will deal with such issues as transitioning from startup to a successful company, preparing to raise money and funding options that entrepreneurs are probably ignoring.
There is no charge for the event but seating is limited. Tickets are available here.
Hacking Health Launches in Halifax tonight
Hacking Health, a movement that encourages innovation in healthcare, will hold its first Halifax cafe and chapter launch this evening at 5 pm at the IWK Goldbloom Pavillion.
Luc Sirois, founder of Hacking Health, will attend the meeting as guest speaker.
This is the first in a series of cafes and workshops leading up to a healthcare-focused hackathon in November.
The organizers said 120 people have already signed up to attend the event, which aims to connect health professionals with developers, designers and innovators. The signup form can be found here.
