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.

“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 

• 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. 

Marianne Blondin
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Official Languages and of the
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
Marianne.Blondin@acoa-apeca.gc.ca

Chris Brooks
Communications Director, Nova Scotia
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
902-830-3839
chris.brooks@acoa-apeca.gc.ca

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