Yarmouth-based Ignite Labs has opened a second rural innovation hub in Pictou County to support the startup community in the northern part of Nova Scotia.
Ignite is a rural innovation hub that provides mentorship and opportunities for startups. The new space at 39 Acadia Avenue in Stellarton will provide low-cost office space and internet, equipment and professional services to reduce the financial burden faced by new companies.
Tenants at the new location will be able to access mentors with expertise in technology, finance, governance, commercialization, marketing and law, organizers said in a statement. They will be able to work alongside like-minded creative people.
“Our goal in starting Ignite was to provide a space where an entrepreneur can work with other startups and access mentorship, resources, and advice that will help them grow and achieve success,” said Doug Jones, President and CEO of Ignite, in the statement.
“Along with this, we hope to create a culture of innovation where we can support and help grow the vibrant industries in Nova Scotia.”
Ignite Labs opened in 2018 to encourage entrepreneurial growth in the technology, oceans and tourism sectors in Southwestern Nova Scotia. It aims to create a technology culture by presenting youth with problems experienced in the region and beyond and helping them devise solutions. In June, Volta startup House in Halifax presented Ignite with an award for its work in growing the startup ecosystem.
The group earlier formed a partnership with Digital Nova Scotia, a non-profit that fosters the growth of the province’s ICT sector. The partnership helps the two non-profits collaborate to find and create new opportunities for tech-driven and business-minded Nova Scotians.