venn innnovation UNDERGOING MAJOR FACELIFT @ THE JUNCTION!

New offices, new meeting areas, new work spaces for startup tenants at Venn

We’re under construction! Painters, plumbers, electricians and builders have invaded The Junction, home to Venn Innovation. The large workspace that has been known as the Venn Garage is being transformed into the Technology Entrepreneurship Centre (TEC), where Venn startup tenants can share space and resources. The renovation will make the space more efficient, adaptable and appealing, says Doug Robertson, Venn’s CEO.

“Venn Innovation is a place for what’s next!” he states. “The work we’re doing now is simply elevating our vision of providing a focal point, a gathering place, a real community for tech startups, all under one roof. Our new TEC will now be able to offer a mix of smaller dedicated offices, co-working modules and meeting/event rooms. This will augment the full range of essential services (work space, wi-fi and internet connectivity, mail service, kitchen facilities, parking, etc.) that we’ve always had available for startups. It will be a flexible hybrid working environment for resident tech companies, community partners and facility users.”

The whole project involves repainting the existing space, revamping the attached café/kitchen (it will now be known as the Golden Mile Café, an homage to an early nickname for St. George Boulevard, The Junction’s address), and constructing a series of new office spaces that will accommodate up to 37 workstations.

In addition to these facilities, the Junction TEC will feature a dedicated learning centre/events room for workshops, seminars, pitch competitions and more.

“We’ve been planning this renovation almost as soon as we moved into the building in the summer of 2022,” continues Doug. “This space suits our needs well, we have a great landlord (Fibre Centre, which is also an anchor company in The Junction), and we have a number of startups who not only share the space now, but more who are waiting to join us. This renovation will enhance our offering to them and help continue to nurture terrific tech startups for years to come.”

For the Venn’s current tenants, this renovation did mean shifting their workspaces to accommodate construction crews, but that didn’t affect their work much, says Norbert Demps, Entrepreneur-in-residence and head of startup services.“It’s a little bit of a work-around, but we’re pretty flexible,” he states. “Our teams here are focused, many use noise-cancelling headphones anyways, and we all know how to work together well. Also, we’re excited to see the final result, so it’s all good.”

The renovations will continue through the summer and it’s anticipated that the new spaces will be ready to use by late summer/early fall.

Stay tuned for more information on how to become a resident company in the TEC.

____________________________________________________________________________

fintech drinks! at Credit Union Tech Forum, halifax

LET'S TALK ABOUT IT OVER DRINKS ...
Atlantic FinTech and our friends at Fintech Cadence are hosting the first Fintech Drinks at Halifax's Citadel on June 8th from 5pm to 7pm ADT! 
This event will feature panelists Ken Shea MBA, ICD.D, President and CEO of East Coast Credit Union, Carrie Forbes, CEO of League Data, and Atlantic FinTech’s own Alicia Roisman Ismach. It's the perfect way to wrap up your time at the 2023 Credit Union Technology Forum. This amazing trio of industry leaders will discuss why fintechs and credit unions are the perfect partnership to create the ultimate customer experience!
So, we'll see you at the stunning Halifax Citadel from 5 pm to 7 pm ADT for a great panel discussion followed by networking with drinks and snacks. Register here to secure your spot and don't forget - there's also a virtual option available!
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

we’ll meet again - in halifax! at the ATLANTIC VENTURE FORUM

The entrepreneurial landscape has changed significantly since the first Atlantic Venture Forum (AVF) in 2013.
As the ecosystem continues to gain momentum, the AVF is transforming to meet the needs of this dynamic region.
New ventures and growth-stage companies need more than just financial capital to succeed. Innovation, partnerships, ingenuity, and expertise are just a few of the ingredients for an entrepreneur’s tech success story.
Find out how to grow your business with:
* premium networking with tech industry executives, entrepreneurs, investors, strategists, research partners and more;
* a technology showcase featuring outstanding Atlantic Canadian early-stage and mature growth-stage companies; and
* news of the latest investment and innovation trends, direct from industry experts!

Register here for the 2023 Atlantic Venture Forum in Halifax, NS, June 13 and 14, 2023.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

FINDING fintech opportunitIES IN THE U.S.

As our faithful followers know, Venn’s Atlantic MI Speaker Series offers insights into various aspects of marketing, competitive and operating environments, and other critical elements impacting your company success.
Speaker Series, Session #3:
June 22, from 3:00pm to 4:00pm ADT.
Venn Innovation’s third speaker in this series will focus on fintech opportunities with independent banks in the United States! Join our guest host Charles E. Potts, Executive Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer of Independent Community Bankers of America® (ICBA).
Charles will speak to how Canadian fintech companies can partner with ICBA and utilize its innovation approach to grow into the U.S. market. He will also provide insights into the broader U.S. banking landscape, especially community banks, which are an integral part of their banking system. Community banks are responsible for:
- roughly 60% of all small business loans;
- more than 80% of agricultural loans;
- nearly 50,000 locations nationwide; and
- nearly 700,000 employees.
Register here and please be sure to let us know your questions so we can include them in the discussion!

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

atlantic canada shineS in switzerland!

Three East Coast startups to participate in MassChallenge

Four startup companies from Canada are joining the 2023 cohort of the MassChallenge Switzerland accelerator and three of those companies are from Atlantic Canada!
Bonavista, NL-based MycoFutures North Atlantic, Pleax Building Systems of Dieppe, NB, and Dartmouth-based Clean Valley CIC will attend boot camps and connection events in the Alpine country this summer. All three of these startups specialize in sustainability and technology.
Pleax Building Systems was also a participant in the Valhalla Investor Readiness boot camp held earlier this year at Venn Innovation’s Junction!
A total of 112 international companies have been selected for this program, which helps startups grow their businesses across multiple industries. Its flagship program is the early-stage startup accelerator, which accepts startups from any industry, and in 2023 will be comprised of the agnostic program and 4 industry-specific tracks: Sustainable Food, Sustainable Industry, Climate Solutions and HealthTech. 
In addition to the accelerator, MassChallenge Switzerland runs a Challenge program matching later-stage startups with corporate partners in the food industry: The Sustainable Food Solutions Challenge.
Congratulations MycoFutures North Atlantic, Pleax Building Systems and Clean Valley CIC!

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

not a bad start!! NB’s picketa raises $1.4 in seed money

Fredericton-based Picketa Systems, which makes hardware and software for analyzing plant tissues, has raised a $1.4 million seed round led by the New Brunswick Innovation Foundation ahead of an early adopter program. 

The agtech startup’s first product, LENS (Leaf Evaluated-Nutrient System) is a data-collection tool that allows agricultural personnel to perform plant tissue analysis in real-time. They can also check the health of a crop while they’re in the field, rather than sending samples to a lab and then waiting days for the results.

Picketa is preparing to ship 10 LENS units for testing this summer to locations ranging from Alberta, to Prince Edward Island, to the United Kingdom.

So far, the company employs 12 people, including two recent hires and a handful of co-op students, with plans to soon add more staff.

Read more about this great startup that is helping to reinvent how the agriculture industry grows!

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

MEMBER NEWS

Atlantic Lottery has received its Level 4 – Continuous Improvement Recertification of the World Lottery Association (WLA) Responsible Gaming Framework. This is the highest level of certification available under the WLA framework, which Atlantic Lottery has now held since 2010. To maintain Level 4 certification, organizations are required to recertify every three years and have the submission externally audited. The final phase of the recertification process is to have the submission reviewed by the WLA Independent Assessment Panel, which determines if recertification is warranted. Kudos, Atlantic Lottery!

InteliSys Aviation, an Atlantic Canadian company and global leader in airline software solutions (with headquarters in NB and Vietnam, and markets around the globe) has just wrapped its 20th annual Airline Growth Summit (May 29 - June 2) in Ho Chi Minh City. Open to airlines of all sizes and types, this year's Summit attracted a number of airlines including VietJet Air, Calm Air, Pacific Coastal Airlines, Lao Airlines, Skytrans, Air Timor, Lao Skyway, Perimeter Aviation, Advanced Air and SKS Airways. We look forward to hearing more about the results of the conference in the coming weeks!
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

in case you missed on our social media

Venn Innovation celebrates
its interns!

We are fortunate to have a great group of interns working with us at Venn. They are a great mix of local students and newcomers to Canada from around the world (Philippines, Brazil, Nigeria, India, just to name a few)!

We profiled four of these outstanding interns who are just starting their careers in tech: read more about Yuriko, Edwin, Brooke and Ankita!
___________________________________________________________________

Do you have a story you’d like to share with the community or would you like to see something specific in our newsletter? Or, just say hi to us? We’d love that.

Did you receive this as a forward? You can sign up here for your own copy.
If you received this via email because you signed up with us, and want to manage your subscription, go here.