Innovation Lives Here
New Brunswick has a deep track record of tech firsts and digital breakthroughs in business and government. Our innovation ecosystem is thriving.
NB Tech Scene
New Brunswick is a small place where big things happen. With a population of just over 750,000, we have seen epic exits and a technology sector that continues to produce astounding success stories.
Q1 Labs and Radian 6, acquired by IBM and Salesforce, respectively, sold for more than a reported $1 billion combined. In 2021, Introhive, a CRM software company with headquarters in Fredericton, our provincial capital, and offices worldwide, raised $100 million USD, the biggest funding round ever for a New Brunswick company.
These headline-grabbing wins stem from a tech sector that’s been building for 30 years into a mature, supportive ecosystem. In the 1980s, NBTel, our provincial utility, became a global telecommunications leader. As NBTel was riding the brave new digital wave, New Brunswick’s provincial government’s revolutionary experiments in e-government garnered international prominence.
From this solid foundation in the public and private sectors, our tech industry has flourished. Today, many of the world’s biggest technology companies have offices and operations here, including IBM, Salesforce, and Siemens. Beyond the tech sector, New Brunswick companies in more traditional industries have been avid tech adopters, driving research and innovation in advanced manufacturing, geomatics, ocean tech, digital health, and energy. Another highly strategic niche is our cybersecurity industry, including blue-chip companies, ambitious startups, and the internationally recognized Canadian Institute of CyberSecurity at the University of New Brunswick.
UNB, the first university in Canada to have a Faculty of Computer Science and the country’s most entrepreneurial-minded university, is one of 10 post-secondary institutions offering a variety of digitally-focused programming. These programs and institutions are at the heart of our talent development.
Beyond our universities and colleges, you’ll find a robust technology and innovation ecosystem. Our earlier successes have created fertile ground from which a solid network of industry associations, accelerators, investors and other supporting organizations have sprung. Organizations like TechImpact, NBIF, PropelICT, ONB, ACOA, Venn, Planet Hatch, Block One, and others support the growing group of impressive start-ups from applied research and university programs, serial entrepreneurs and existing companies with ideas worth exploring. New Brunswick has significant experience building successful companies from idea to exit. We know how to start up and scale up, drawing on our technological prowess, connectedness, and entrepreneurial mindset to thrive
As remote work and quality of life become more important than ever, New Brunswick’s advantages increase. Our thriving tech cluster, our talented and generous technical minds, our culture of entrepreneurship and support and strong relationships at every level–it all adds up to an unbeatable package. Our doors are open to students, newcomers, entrepreneurs, and businesses with big goals. There's a place for you here in New Brunswick.
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