Twelve start-ups selected for first cohort of 2026-2027 Accelerate

Members of the Playfinder team pictured L-R: Laura Duggan, Gina MacInnis & Steph Spencer

Join us in congratulating the start-ups selected to participate in the first cohort of Invest Nova Scotia Accelerate 2026–2027. 

This year, companies were accepted into one of two newly launched streams, the Growth Stream and the Development Stream. In total, twelve Nova Scotia start-ups will receive tailored support: companies in the Growth Stream will receive $30,000 in funding plus dedicated sales training and guidance, while companies in the Development Stream will receive $40,000 in funding and targeted advisory services.  

Growth Stream

Awardly – Zack Wilson, Karim Mamlook – Halifax  
AI-powered platform to find, evaluate, and pursue Canadian government opportunities

Clarity Case – Sarah Kehoe – Halifax
A website to help survivors document abuse & generate organized evidence for family court.

Home and Health – Alan Mackeen, Matt Shaw, Anthony Probert – Bedford 
A digital marketplace connecting families with independent care and home service providers.

Mettara AI – Yash Mehta, Steve Day – Halifax  
Embedded AI agents that execute work inside SaaS products to increase customer adoption.

Playfinder - Laura Duggan, Martin McLaren – Pictou
SaaS platform enabling effective management and increased access to community recreation through shared digital navigation.

Table Touch – Ciaran Doherty, Lacey Doherty – Halifax  
Software that monitors restaurant employee table visits and displays service timing in real time.   

Development Stream

Finleaf Technologies - Danielle Maitland, Myrna Gillis, Mike O’Keefe - Hebb’s Cross
Circular economy technologies for converting aquaculture waste into phosphorus rich fertilizers for agriculture.

iFormit Solutions - Abdul' Onabanjo – Halifax  
AI platform retrofitting both smart and legacy utility meters for real-time utility intelligence.

Leap Volt Tech – Renfei Ge – Halifax
Polymer functional materials for improving the cycle life of lithium-ion batteries.

Pividl Bioscience – Craig Jackson, Anriban Ghosh – Ingonish
Patented bio-native micelle technology redefining how active ingredients are built and delivered.

ThaliosAI – Bruno Padovese, Samual Silver, Noah Barrett, Jessica Doman, Harvey Wang – Halifax
AI-powered underwater acoustic monitoring and vessel detection for maritime surveillance.

ZEMÎ Technologies – Peyton Baird, Farzaneh Mami Khalifani – Halifax
AI-driven process that analyzes mineral exploration datasets to identify optimal drill targets and highly-prospective zones.