Government of Canada announces support for Halifax innovation hub and eight emerging ICT firms
HALIFAX, NS, Jan. 20, 2022 /CNW/ - Atlantic Canadian ingenuity creates jobs and brings talent and investment to the region. The Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA)'s strong connection with innovation-driven businesses and the ecosystem that supports them continues to ensure they are equipped to grow as the economy moves forward. That is why the Government of Canada is investing in innovation hub Volta and eight Atlantic Canadian companies to support their plans for growth, job creation and export expansion.
New federal support accelerates and expands Atlantic Canadian tech-based firms
Today, the Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Official Languages and Minister responsible for ACOA, along with Andy Fillmore, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry and Member of Parliament for Halifax, announced investments totalling $2,271,500 to startup hub Volta and eight technology and innovation-based companies in Halifax.
The funding provided to Volta will expand its LEAP startup accelerator program; to Milk Moovement Inc., Side Door Access, Inc., B4Checkin, Kangaroo Solutions Inc., and Dugo Systems Inc. to help the ICT firms move into new global markets; and to Bright, Mars VR Lab and JackHabbit to hire staff to advance product and software development and company growth.
Today's announcement further demonstrates the Government of Canada's commitment to helping Atlantic Canadian businesses seize opportunities and bring new solutions to market, building a strong innovation ecosystem to fuel economic recovery and growth.
Additional details are available in the backgrounder.
Quotes
"Atlantic Canada knows how to launch great ideas. These ideas and the networks that nurture them are driving economic growth through the jobs and opportunities they create. By investing in innovation, we are supporting growth and strengthening a system that will keep succeeding well into the future."
- The Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Official Languages and Minister responsible for ACOA
"Halifax is proud to be home to Volta, the beating heart of our region's start-up ecosystem and a launchpad for a growing number of emerging ICT companies. Volta is helping our innovation-driven entrepreneurs and companies create highly-skilled jobs and attract investment to our region. The federal government's ongoing partnership with Volta, including today's investment, supports the continued growth of the innovation sector here in Halifax."
- Andy Fillmore, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry and Member of Parliament for Halifax
"We are thrilled to support our thriving startup ecosystem in Atlantic Canada, and the funding from ACOA is further assurance in our efforts of establishing our region as a hub for entrepreneurship and innovation. Many Volta resident and alumni companies continue to create jobs and attract talent to our region, and we're excited to support them in their pursuit for growth and talent to help their startup scale in Atlantic Canada and beyond."
- Martha Casey, CEO of Volta
Quick facts
- Residents and alumni of Volta employ more than 500 full-time staff and have raised $170 million in equity financing.
- Milk Moovement Inc. was named Genesis Startup of the Year in the techNL Tech Industry Awards in October 2021.
- Side Door Access Inc. raised $3 million USD in seed funding in June 2021.
- Incorporated in 2005 in Halifax, B4Checkin specializes in Property Management Systems (PMS) for hotels to make them work more effectively by developing an innovative suite of cloud-based products.
- Kangaroo Solutions has developed and operates a new Couriers-as-a-Service (Caas) model to bring on-demand delivery to the 100,000,000 people who live in the 6,000 small towns in North America.
- In September 2021, Dugo Systems Inc. secured a Fortune 500 company as its first American client.
- In July 2020, Bright repurposed its technology to partner with organizations to provide live and virtual wellness classes for their employees. In June of 2021, Bright raised over $1,000,000 and now serves more than 50 companies across Canada and the United States.
- Mars VR Lab develops games in Virtual Reality to provide a safe environment that improves the effectiveness of pediatric therapy. It has partnered with the IWK to co-develop the program, which is currently in clinical research trials.
- JackHabbit has developed an intuitive learning platform for health insurance providers to increase user engagement with their digital health content to improve mental health and decrease the need of costly professional counseling.
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Backgrounder
The Government of Canada invests more than $2,200,000 in eight technology and innovation-based companies and one not-for-profit organization to stimulate local economies, create jobs, and improve the quality of life of Canadians.
CLIENT NAME |
PROJECT |
TOTAL |
MEDIA |
The following projects are being funded through the Regional Economic Growth through Innovation (REGI) Program. |
|||
Milk Moovement Inc. |
Support Milk Moovement further expand into the United States market with its cloud-based tracking for the dairy supply chain analysis tool. |
$550,000 repayable |
Katherine Alexander
|
Side Door Access Inc. |
Support Side Door as it promotes its live |
$499,500 repayable |
Michelle Kafka
|
Volta Labs Incorporated |
Enable the Volta LEAP program to continue for another two years with added follow-up advisory services, helping startups participate in accelerator programs to scale up, increase revenue and establish new partnerships. |
$450,000 non-repayable |
Laura Sinclair
|
Kangaroo Solutions Inc. |
Hire sales representatives and software development experts to prepare for a market launch in the United States. |
$150,000 repayable |
Logan MacGillivray,
|
Dugo Systems Inc. |
Support new jobs and export growth at Dugo Systems, a firm that helps telecommunications companies manage their battery energy use. |
$100,000 repayable |
Kianoosh Yandazi |
10432423 Canada Limited (Operating as Bright) |
Manage growth through the addition of five new employees in development, sales, and product design to help scale-up the company.
|
$99,750 repayable |
Jared Perry, |
Mars VR Lab Inc. |
Hire additional software development expertise to further develop its hardware/software wheelchair training solution for clinical testing; and to assist with the company's continued growth. |
$99,000 repayable |
Daniel Baldwin
|
Habit Forming Technologies Inc. (operating as JackHabbit) |
Assist with the hiring of a technical lead and product designer to move its product from the prototype stage to large-scale production, which will help the company reach more than one million post-secondary students in hopes of improving their overall health and wellness. |
$99,000 repayable |
Darren Steeves |
The following project is being funded through the Business Development Program (BDP). |
|||
B4Checkin Limited |
Assist the company increase its technical knowledge, further commercialize innovative products and expand its customer base to European markets to increase revenues through targeting marketing. |
$224,250 repayable |
Martin MacKinnon |
SOURCE Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
Marianne Blondin, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Official Languages and of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, [email protected]; Chris Brooks, Communications Director, Nova Scotia, Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, 902-830-3839, [email protected]
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