Potential Motors, Chinova Bioworks, Introhive honored at New Brunswick Innovation Awards. | So Good News

Potential Motors and Chinova Bioworks are among the winners at the inaugural InnovateNB Awards, which recognize people in New Brunswick startups and nonprofits, government and other organizations.

InnovateNB presented awards in nine different categories in St. John’s in late November.

“Their influence deserves to be celebrated.”
– Kathy Simpson, TechImpact

Potential Motors won the Most Innovative Startup title. The Fredericton-based startup creates artificial intelligence-powered vehicle control software for electric side-by-side ATVs and has developed an electric off-road recreational vehicle.

Potential Motors recently secured $4 million in seed funding to further develop its technology, grow its team, and begin demonstrating software. The startup previously raised $2.5 million in seed funding in 2020.

Chinova Bioworks, which developed a mushroom-based natural preservative for food and beverages, won the Most Innovative Product or Service award. Fredericcia-based Chinova also raised $2.6 million in seed funding in 2018 to build its team and expand the manufacturing and production of its product.

Another Fredericton startup, Introhive, was honored, winning the Economic Impact Through Innovation award. Founded in 2012, the startup offers a customer intelligence platform powered by artificial intelligence.

The startup claims it has more than 350 employees and more than 250,000 customers in more than 90 countries. However, Introhive was unscathed by the economic downturn and announced layoffs in July. Previously, Introhive raised $121.3 million in Series C funding in 2021.

Agunbiade was named Seun Richards Emerging Innovator. Richards is the founder of Door2Door food delivery service and an ambassador for the Global Entrepreneurship Network.

Jerry Pond was also honored with a Hall of Fame Induction. Pond was the former CEO of NBTEl and president of its successor, Aliant Telecom. He is chairman and co-founder of Mariner Partners, a group of four technology companies; and co-founded a number of Atlantic Canadian information and communications technology firms. Pond also founded the Propel ICT startup accelerator.

Cathy Simpson, CEO of TechImpact and one of the organizers of the InnovateNB Celebration, said the success of the innovators recognized at the awards ceremony bodes well for the future of New Brunswick.

“We have people in startups, established businesses, non-profits, academia and government executing innovative solutions at the forefront of technology in New Brunswick,” said Simpson. “Their influence deserves to be celebrated.”

A full list of award winners can be found here.