Ten start-ups each receive up to $50,000 in Federal funding to spark growth
Middle Musquodoboit, NS — Ten of Nova Scotia’s innovative new businesses have won a total of $375,000 through the ACOA-backed Spark Nova Scotia 2021 startup competition. The winners were announced at a private celebration held Monday evening, in-person and over Zoom.
The 2021 program — delivered by Nova Scotia’s Community Business Development Corporations (“CBDCs”) — offered business training to dozens of qualified applicants across the province. Eighteen finalists advanced to one-on-one pitch training and in-person pitch competitions in Bridgewater, New Glasgow and Sydney. Independent judges selected winners and corresponding award amounts in each region, as follows. Additional details attached.
Cape Breton Winners
- Reno Tree – $50,000
- SGS Innova Solutions – $40,000
- Energy-absorbing Breakwater – $35,000
NS North Winners
- Liven Beverages – $45,000
- Enzebra – $40,000
- GeoHazard Integrity AI – $40,000
NS South West Winners
- Foodimprover – $50,000
- MotionBed – $45,000
- Mycaro – $20,000
- The Tenderhood Inc. – $10,000
“We were thrilled to see so many great ideas from all regions, and in increasingly important sectors,” said Erinn Smith, Executive Director of the Nova Scotia Association of CBDC’s. “We were able to hold in-person pitch competitions this year, too, and we know the judges had a tough time selecting winners.”
Spark Nova Scotia is an initiative of Nova Scotia’s CBDCs, funded by ACOA, emphasizing community-based business learning. The competition focuses on Nova Scotia communities, and ensures support and programming for startups outside metropolitan Halifax. Sponsors are Cox & Palmer, Grant Thornton, OKR Financial, Innovacorp and Nova Scotia Business Inc. Winners also receive support packages from Amazon Web Services.
CONTACT: Sandra Goodwin: 1 (902) 441-5476; Sandra@SparkNovaScotia.com
