The ecosystem, mapped.

Every organization, fund, and program across Atlantic Canada — what they do, what they actually fund, and how long it takes.

Organizations

Provinces

$2.75B

Largest exit (Verafin)

How money flows to founders.

Federal Government

ACOA, IRAP, SR&ED

Provincial Bodies

NBIF, Innovacorp, VNL, Innovation PEI

Funds & Accelerators

Concrete, Propel, Volta, Genesis

Founders

You

By province.

New Brunswick (NB)

Strong university pipeline from UNB (TME program is a proven startup on-ramp). Active angel community. NBIF is founder-friendly. Growing tech presence in Fredericton and Moncton. Cost of living advantage for hiring — you can attract people who want to build cool things and also have a house and a family.

Gaps: Limited growth-stage capital. Smaller talent pool than Halifax (though co-ops from UNB are excellent). Less startup density than Halifax. Travel is a challenge — getting people to come to NB basically kills a day. No dedicated growth-stage accelerator.

Notable exits: Radian6 (exited $326M), Q1 Labs (exited ~$600M), Introhive, Potential Motors, Resson Aerospace

Nova Scotia (NS)

Highest density of founders and support organizations. Volta is the region's largest hub. Ocean tech cluster via Dalhousie and Ocean Supercluster. CDL-Atlantic provides structured scaling program.

Gaps: Volta can feel gatekept. Many programs target the same early-stage cohort. Growth capital still requires going to Toronto or the US.

Notable exits: Dash Hudson, Proposify, Swept, Manifold, ProcedureFlow, Affinio

Newfoundland and Labrador (NL)

Verafin exit ($2.75B) created a generation of experienced operators reinvesting locally. Genesis Centre has launched 1,000+ startups. Ocean tech is world-class. Memorial's MCE is ranked top 5 globally for emerging entrepreneurship centres.

Gaps: Geographic isolation — flights to Halifax/Toronto are expensive and infrequent. Very small talent pool. Limited diversity of investors beyond VNL and Killick. Ecosystem is concentrated almost entirely in St. John's.

Notable exits: Verafin (exited $2.75B), Spellbook ($350M valuation), CoLab ($100M+ Series C), HeyOrca!, Mysa, Kraken Robotics ($1.84B market cap)

Prince Edward Island (PE)

Strong bioscience cluster (two acquisitions exceeding $1B). Tight community — everyone knows everyone. Lower cost of living than Halifax or St. John's. UPEI Startup Zone provides incubation.

Gaps: Very limited risk capital. Only one VC fund. One incubator. Founders who need significant funding almost always have to look off-island. Smallest talent pool in the region.

Notable exits: BioVectra (acquired for $1B+), Nautilus Biosciences, Forestry.io, Silverorange

31 organizations

NBIF

New Brunswick Innovation Foundation

Investment Fund

Make smart risk investments in innovative New Brunswick start-ups and early-stage companies.

$50K-$500K. Under $200K is faster and simpler. Over $200K triggers more approval.Dilutive

Atlantic

Investment Fund

Early-stage venture capital for Atlantic Canadian technology companies.

$1.5M-$4MDilutive

View details →

Propel

Atlantic

Propel (formerly Propel ICT)

Accelerator

Atlantic Canada's leading virtual accelerator for tech startups.

View details →

UNB TME Program

UNB Technology Management & Entrepreneurship

university_program

University program supporting student-led startups through coursework, prototyping funding, and a summer institute.

$10,000 TCP grants (can access twice — undergrad and Masters)

View details →

Energia Ventures

Accelerator

Early-stage accelerator program in New Brunswick.

~$25,000 (verify current amount)

View details →

Planet Hatch

Hub / Incubator

Startup hub providing workspace, programming, and community for NB entrepreneurs.

View details →

Futurpreneur

Atlantic

Futurpreneur Canada

loan_program

Financing, mentoring and support tools for aspiring business owners aged 18-39.

Up to $75,000Non-dilutive

View details →

Ignite Fredericton

loan_program

Early-stage funding and programming for Fredericton-area startups.

$25K grant + $25K loan (verify current terms)Non-dilutive

View details →

BDC

Atlantic

Business Development Bank of Canada

loan_program

Canada's bank for entrepreneurs.

Non-dilutive

View details →

Opportunities NB

Opportunities New Brunswick

Government Funding

Provincial economic development agency for New Brunswick.

~$30,000 for marketing/conference programs (verify current)Non-dilutive

View details →

Co-op & Youth Hiring Programs

Atlantic

Various Federal Co-op and Youth Employment Funding Programs

Government Funding

Federal programs subsidizing hiring of students and young workers.

Non-dilutive

Creative Destruction Lab — Atlantic

Accelerator

Structured scaling program for massively scalable science and technology-based ventures, hosted at Dalhousie University.

Memorial Centre for Entrepreneurship

university_program

Memorial University's entrepreneurship centre, engaging 400+ students annually through programs, competitions, and founder support.

View details →

techNL

industry_association

Newfoundland and Labrador's technology industry association, providing networking, advocacy, and programming for the tech sector.

View details →

Startup Zone

Hub / Incubator

PEI's primary startup incubator, housed at UPEI, supporting entrepreneurs on the island.

View details →

Innovation PEI

Innovation PEI — Ignition Fund

Government Funding

Provincial innovation agency providing grants and support to PEI entrepreneurs and businesses.

Up to $25,000 (Ignition Fund)Non-dilutive

View details →

Island Capital Partners

Investment Fund

PEI's only dedicated venture capital fund, providing equity investment to island-based companies.

Small relative to fund size — likely $100K-$500K rangeDilutive

View details →

Finance PEI

loan_program

Provincial Crown corporation providing business loans and financial assistance to PEI businesses.

Non-dilutive

View details →

Venn Innovation

Hub / Incubator

Moncton/Dieppe-based startup hub providing coworking space, programming, and community for entrepreneurs in southeastern New Brunswick.

View details →

Not sure where to start?

Try the Navigator for instant recommendations, or meet the people behind these organizations at The Gathering.

The Gathering Try the Navigator