INNOVATE™ Atlantic Canada

Life Sciences Nova Scotia (LSNS) is more than just an organization; it is the cornerstone of Nova Scotia’s life sciences community, fostering growth, innovation, and collaboration across the province and Atlantic Canada. At its core, LSNS is driven by the belief that transformative ideas in biotechnology, healthcare, and pharmaceuticals can...

“In the past decade, retailers have been forced to innovate, and in some cases transform themselves in response to several external factors. Changing consumer behavior and employee expectations, the advent of AI, and the need to meet sustainability targets are just some of the factors driving big changes in the...

Many online users face a similar dilemma: they love supporting local but are too tempted by the ease of filling up their Big Box Store online shopping cart and pressing “Order.” If only there was another option—one that could effortlessly help users find and buy from local businesses instead. Good...

Students come to the Arthur L. Irving Entrepreneurship Centre from all disciplines and for many reasons. Some come with an idea they want to test. Others come to learn the habits and skills of an entrepreneurial mindset – skills like agility, resiliency, design thinking, and leadership. Some come looking for...

SuperNOVA: Empowering Youth Through STEM Education Across Atlantic Canada SuperNOVA, a non-profit organization based at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and a network member of Actua, has gained widespread recognition for providing high-quality STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) programming across Atlantic Canada. Founded in 1996, SuperNOVA provides hands-on...

INNOVATION AT THE EDGE: Located in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador (NL), Co. Innovation Centre (COIC) is redefining how we think about collaboration and innovation in NL. As a globally focused, industry-led hub, COIC is accelerating the province’s journey toward an innovation-driven economy. It’s more than a building—it’s a vision...

Poised on a cliffside overlooking historic St. John’s harbor, the oldest city in North America, Genesis is literally, and figuratively, on the cutting edge of creating the world’s best startup community. Founded in 1997, Genesis helps build amazing tech companies, with the higher mission of creating widespread opportunity for Newfoundland...

Launched in 2022, Startup Atlantic has quickly become a key supporter to Atlantic Canada’s innovation ecosystem. Composed of a network of founder-focused accelerators, incubators, investors, government, and ecosystem builders, Startup Atlantic is dedicated to supporting the growth and success of entrepreneurs across Canada’s four Atlantic provinces: Newfoundland and Labrador, New...

While the recruitment industry changes faster than ever, CareerBeacon stands apart through a fundamental principle often overlooked in tech innovation: empathy. When Yves Boudreau and co-founder Benoit Bourque acquired CareerBeacon in 2021, they saw more than just a job board – they saw the opportunity to transform how talent connects...

CELEBRATING 10 YEARS Welcome to Planet Hatch, a vibrant entrepreneurial hub, incubator, and collaborative workplace. We empower startups across diverse sectors by providing the essential resources to turn bold ideas into successful ventures. In partnership with Ignite, Planet Hatch is dedicated to nurturing first-time entrepreneurs and newcomers, shaping the future...

When Sean Fahey, CEO of VidCruiter, was faced with a challenge of hiring 200 people in a time crunch, he learned how frustrating and inefficient it was to find and hire candidates the traditional way. He asked, “What if there’s a way to improve and scale the interviewing process for...

THE IMPACT OF MITACS IN ATLANTIC CANADA Mitacs, a national not-for-profit organization, drives innovation across Atlantic Canada through strategic collaborations. With a network of over 197 postsecondary institutions across the country and more than 25 years of experience, Mitacs employs a collaborative approach to research and innovation, matching need with...

It was March 2016 and VeroSource had to lay off its sole employee. Picture it: Everything was looking great for VeroSource, the digital healthcare start-up based out of Fredericton, New Brunswick. The company was about to celebrate its second anniversary. It had just landed a deal with a large company...

TACKLING THE CHALLENGES OF WATER QUALITY MANAGEMENT: XELEMENT TECHNOLOGY LEADS THE WAY As climate change accelerates, the effects on our environment become more pronounced. Rising temperatures, erratic weather patterns, and dwindling resources create a host of problems, with water quality being acritical concern. Warmer temperatures and oxygen depletion disrupt the...

The Atlantic Venture Forum (AVF) serves as a beacon of innovation and investment in Atlantic Canada, providing a vital platform for high-potential startups to connect with investors, industry leaders, and policymakers. Atlantic Canada’s technology innovators, startups, and leaders come together at AVF to focus on: Mission & Vision The Atlantic...

Newfoundland and Labrador (NL), long celebrated for its rugged coastlines, vibrant culture, and rich history, is transforming into a thriving tech powerhouse. At the forefront of this evolution is techNL, a not-for-profit industry association with a bold mission to accelerate the growth of NL’s tech sector and position it as...

Founded in 2020, BWIE is a pioneering organization dedicated to providing Black women with the tools, resources, and community necessary to thrive in the business world. Through a combination of mentorship, education, and funding opportunities, BWIE has cultivated an ecosystem that uplifts Black women and fosters economic development in Canada....

Making Healthcare in Nova Scotia Better There is a smarter way to deliver quality healthcare, but achieving it requires fresh thinking, a forward-focused approach, and the courage to move beyond traditional methods. That is exactly what the Nova Scotia Health Innovation Hub is designed to do. Established in 2023, the...

Since 2010, Venn Innovation has been helping founders and startup entrepreneurs who want to build scalable technology companies. We help them validate their technology, understand their markets through research and insights, connect them with mentors and experts, and access talent and capital through the collaborative technology ecosystem we are nurturing...

Perched on a cliffside above the historic harbour of North America’s oldest city, Genesis is literally and figuratively at the edge of innovation, helping shape one of Atlantic Canada’s most vibrant startup communities. Since its launch in 1997, Genesis programming has been the starting point for over 1,000 aspiring tech...

Atlantic Canadian Fintech Jybe is developing an innovative buy now, pay later (BNPL) twist to the digital subscription economy. Jybe helps digitals ubscription companies increase the number of subscribers opting for their annual subscriptions by offering monthly payments for their larger annual plans. Jybe integrates into a subscription businesses checkout...

IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR A ONE-STOP DESTINATION TO TURN BOLD IDEAS INTO GAME-CHANGING TECHNOLOGIES, LAUNCH THRIVING BUSINESSES, OR EXPAND ESTABLISHED COMPANIES GLOBALLY, LOOK NO FURTHER. Ignite equips entrepreneurs and businesses with the tools to succeed in an evolving marketplace. Together with our partners at Planet Hatch, we are committed to...

With digital adoption and transformation now vital, Digital Nova Scotia (DNS) leads the charge in championing the growth of the province’s digital economy. DNS is the industry association for Nova Scotia’s$3.6 billion ICT and digital technologies industry – and it has been representing the sector for more than three decades....

Tribe Network is a community of racialized people pursuing technology, entrepreneurship, and innovation. They envision a world where Black, Indigenous, and people of colour are at the forefront of these disciplines, fully armed with the knowledge, resources, skills, and connections they need to start, build, and scale thriving businesses. TRIBE...