What is High Performance Incubation or HPi?
High Performance Incubation and HPi are registered trademarks of Innovacorp. The terms refer to the internationally recognized business model Innovacorp uses to help its clients commercialize their technologies for global markets. The unique approach integrates incubation infrastructure, business mentoring, and seed and venture capital investment.

What types of companies does Innovacorp work with?
Innovacorp focuses on high growth potential early stage companies with innovative proprietary technology and/or service offerings. Key industries include: information technology, life sciences, clean technology, advanced manufacturing and aerospace.

What does “early stage” mean?
“Early stage” does not refer to a specific number of years of business operation. Rather, “early stage” refers to the early phases of a company’s path to market success. “Early stage” for a company in the information and communications technology industry, for example, might be the first 12 months of operation, while “early stage” for a company developing pharmaceuticals might include the first eight years or more.

What does “high growth potential” mean?
“High growth” means the product or service has a large national/international addressable market and the company has the potential to reach significant (measured in millions of dollars) revenue in the first three years of being in the marketplace.

What does “mentoring” mean?
Mentoring involves providing hands-on business advisory services that are tailored to meet the unique – and evolving – needs of early stage technology companies. Every day, we work side-by-side with our clients to help them identify and address immediate struggles, and then the steps necessary for sustained competitiveness and business growth. A network of external advisors, mentors and service providers complements our in-house team’s expertise.

What is the criteria for becoming an Innovacorp client?
Innovacorp engages early stage technology companies with high growth potential.
Clients are considered through evaluation of the following criteria:

• Nova Scotia early stage company
• Business plan credibility, management experience, and entrepreneurial track record
• Unique proprietary technology (product, system, and/or service), with defendable intellectual property and/or a high barrier to competitive entry
• Large national/international addressable market
• Probability of obtaining fully-funded business plan

When should I contact Innovacorp?
If you believe you meet our client criteria, we encourage you to contact Innovacorp after you’ve identified an opportunity, researched the market and competitive landscape, and have reasonable evidence the intellectual property will work.

How do I approach Innovacorp for investment?
Innovacorp manages seed and early stage investments in emerging venture-grade Nova Scotia technology companies with high growth potential that meet our client criteria. If your company meets these requirements, we encourage you to contact us. One of our business ventures advisors will then arrange to meet with you in person or speak to you by phone.

Does Innovacorp invest in all of its clients?
Not all clients are considered for investment through our venture capital fund. However, all clients benefit from the tailored, hands-on business advisory services we provide. These services may include assistance in fundamental business planning; financial, accounting and cash flow management; value proposition development; and investor pitch creation – all of which can help strengthen a company’s ability to access outside sources of seed/venture capital and financing.

Do I have to be located in one of Innovacorp’s business incubation facilities to be a client?
Innovacorp serves both resident and off-site entrepreneurs across Nova Scotia. In fact, half of our clients are not located in our facilities. However, Innovacorp’s non-resident clients can access incubation business services both remotely and when they are in the Halifax area. These services are available over and above the business guidance clients benefit from as they work one-on-one with Innovacorp’s mentoring team.

Is Innovacorp holding another I-3 Technology Start-Up Competition soon?
Innovacorp's 2009-2010 I-3 Technology Start-Up Competition concluded in February 2010. Click here to learn more.

Is Innovacorp a government entity?
Innovacorp is a provincial Crown corporation, falling under the jurisdiction of Nova Scotia Economic and Rural Development and supporting the provincial government’s corporate path for creating a prosperous Nova Scotia. The Innovacorp team moves at the speed of business to help high potential Nova Scotia-based knowledge companies overcome traditional hurdles to business growth.