Investing in What Matters: How NBIF is Expanding Innovation for Greater Impact

At the New Brunswick Innovation Foundation (NBIF), innovation has long been the cornerstone of their work. Now, NBIF is broadening that focus by embracing impact investing and supporting ventures that not only drive strong returns but also deliver measurable benefits for communities across the province.

This approach recognizes that some of the province’s biggest challenges ranging from access to health care to climate resilience – require solutions that traditional funding alone can’t always address. By investing in New Brunswick-based companies tackling these issues head-on, NBIF aims to help build a stronger, more sustainable future.

Impact investing, explained
While impact investing often evokes ideas of altruism, NBIF’s model is rooted in transformation. It’s about empowering ventures that can deliver real outcomes while also achieving scalable growth.

Examples include startups developing smart health care technologies that reduce missed appointments or innovations in energy management that cut emissions and reduce costs – solutions that benefit local communities while offering export potential.

Beyond returns: Creating ripple effects
Many of these innovations go on to create broader benefits across sectors. A technology developed for clinics could have applications in education or social services. Tools for commercial energy use may later reshape residential systems. With the right support, a single innovation can create far-reaching impact.

Shifting the narrative around growth
NBIF’s goal is to challenge the perception that impact and growth are mutually exclusive. Their investments aim to align entrepreneurial ingenuity with public value and supporting companies that tackle real problems and contribute to long-term systemic change.

A call to New Brunswick innovators
NBIF is actively seeking solutions-focused ventures aligned with this strategy. Whether it’s making essential services more accessible, reducing environmental impact, or strengthening community infrastructure, they want to hear from entrepreneurs who are thinking bigger about what innovation can achieve.

To learn more about NBIF’s impact investing approach or explore partnership opportunities, visit nbif.ca.