Company Profiles
From multi-national corporations to SME’s, the PEI Bioscience Cluster boasts a diverse and dedicated workforce of local, national, and internationally-educated professionals who have chosen to work here. The number of bioscience-based companies has more than tripled in Prince Edward Island since 2008, with significant growth in business, revenues, employment, infrastructure, and investments. Most companies are located in the capital city of Charlottetown – the geographic hub of the PEI Bioscience Cluster.
Animal Health
Fish Health
Human Health
Industrial BioProducts – Clean Tech
Plant Health
AddiCan
ADDiCAN is a feed additive company that provides solutions to select commercial poultry and cattle markets. ADDICAN is committed to supporting the animal feed market with the highest quality nutrition products that ensure growth enhancement, maximized production, maximized food utilization and a selective protection against pathogens which will aid in maximizing profit for its clients.
Advanced Extraction Technologies
Advanced Extraction Systems Inc. (AESI) designs, engineers and fabricates manual and fully automated supercritical fluid botanical CO2 extraction systems for the medical marijuana and hemp industries in North America. AESI has an exclusive manufacturing agreement with Diversified Metal Engineering Ltd. (DME) an innovative engineering and manufacturing company located in Prince Edward Island, Canada with over 25 years of manufacturing experience to build the systems in their state of the art CRN, ASME and ISO accredited facility.
AlphaCognition Inc.
AlphaCognition, Inc. is a privately held biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of novel therapies to treat diseases of the brain and spinal cord. They embarked on research programs to find alternative ways of treating Alzheimer’s disease and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also called Lou Gehrig’s Disease. To date, both are very serious conditions that have major unmet medical needs. Formerly known as Neurodyn Inc.
AMAR Seafood PEI
AMAR Seafoods Ltd., headquartered in Norway with operations in Quebec and Newfoundland, has acquired the assets of the former Halibut PEI in Victoria, PEI. The new company is called AMAR Seafood PEI. At Amar Seafood, they want to contribute to developing successful food production with a sustainable focus – both in terms of diet and environment. Their aim is to contribute to sustainable business and industry growth through research and development partnerships, prioritizing fish welfare and growth, as well as contribute to a more sustainable seafood production that benefits future generations.
Aquatic Diagnostic Services – Atlantic Veterinary College – UPEI
Aquatic Diagnostic Services at the Atlantic Veterinary College offers a wide range off Fin-fish and Shellfish diagnostic testing, as well as aquatic animal health consultation for aquatic veterinary, aquaculture and aquatic research clients worldwide.
Atlantic Agritech Inc
Atlantic AgriTech Inc. is an agricultural and environmental research and consulting company located in Prince Edward Island, providing contract agricultural and environmental research services to clients from across North America since 1991. Facilities include a GLP compliant office and field/laboratory space, as well as a complete line of farm and research equipment suitable for conducting a wide range of agricultural and environmental research studies.
Au Naturel Solutions
Au Naturel Solutions Inc. is the first company to introduce a patented, all-natural handcrafted breast prosthesis to the marketplace, filling a need for those who are looking for a natural alternative. They are a small, fast-growing company located in Montague, PEI. They value comfort, confidence, wellness, and empowerment for their clients and employees.
Auxly Charlottetown
Auxly is a leading Canadian consumer packaged goods company in the cannabis products market, headquartered in Toronto, Canada. The Company operates a 52,000 square foot processing facility in PEI where it conducts its primary derivative cannabis product development, manufacturing and research and development activities. It also operates a 1.1 million square foot automated greenhouse cultivation facility in Leamington, Ontario that supports the Company’s extensive consumer-tailored product suite. Auxly’s mission is to help consumers live happier lives through quality cannabis products that they trust and love.
Avivagen Inc.
Avivagen is developing and commercializing products that promote health in animals and humans. The Corporation’s unique OxC-beta™ technology is a proprietary, first-in-class source of B-carotene-oxygen copolymer compounds that confer a variety of non-vitamin A health benefits. These benefits have wide, global utility, including replacement of antibiotics in livestock feeds, as well as for food-production conditions where antibiotics cannot be used, and supporting good health in companion animals. Commercial OxBC formulations include OxC-beta™ Livestock premix for livestock feeds and Vivamune™ Health Chews supplements for companion animals.
Bactana
Bactana is a Connecticut based start-up, developing a nutritional product platform designed to improve microbiome health in livestock and other animals. Bactana’s microbiome discovery platform enables development of products and therapeutics through the use of recent advances in molecular and DNA sequencing methods used to study microbial ecology. This platform allows Bactana to concentrate its product development on the interaction of an animal’s microbiome with its immune system & metabolism (immunometabolism) at an accelerated pace. Bactana’s initial focus is on its patented FPS-4™ product line which is supported by multiple calf trials that have demonstrated scours reduction, increased milk production, reduced mortality, improved feed efficiency, and growth.
Bait Masters Inc.
Bait Masters provides traditional and alternative bait options to fishers in the lobster and crab fishing industry. Based in PEI, Bait Masters tackles the real issues facing the industry: the shortages of bait, cost fluctuation, amount of annual waste due to spoilage, and messy preparation of fresh bait
BioSpa
BioSpa (Quann) Cosmeceuticals Inc. is a PEI company that manufactures and distributes a novel professional skincare line – Quannessence Skincare – botanical based technologies that improve skin conditions and assist in reducing the effects of aging. Several of the ingredients used in the products are derived from PEI based extracts and technologies.
BioTraceIT
BioTraceIT™ values the capacity to improve medical care and interventions by quantifying pain ultimately impacting quality of life and wellness. BioTraceIT™ focuses on novel technologies at the cutting edge of wearable health care. We deem new solutions as paramount to new paradigms. By measuring pain, we quantify wellness.
BioVectra
BioVectra Inc. is a leading bioscience business located in Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia, focused on contract manufacturing and product development of active pharmaceutical ingredients, pharmaceutical intermediates, and bio-reagents. BioVectra is an industry leader in microbial fermentation, with 64,000 L of fermentation capacity.
BLES Biochemicals
BLES Biochemicals Inc., is the market leader for pulmonary surfactant in Canada, and manufactures and distributes BLES® (bovine lipid extract surfactant). BLES® is a pulmonary surfactant for use in the treatment of premature infants suffering from Neonatal Respiratory Distress Syndrome. BLES® is unique; there is no generic form of this product. BLES Biochemicals Inc. is a privately-owned Canadian-controlled pharmaceutical company.
Canada’s Island Garden
Canada’s Island Garden Inc., known through their brands FIGR and Piper’s Punch, is a 100% PEI-owned and operated licensed cannabis producer located in the Charlottetown BioCommons Research Park. They produce, process, and distribute cannabis products for the legalized cannabis market. The facility is comprised of over 320,000 square feet with dedicated indoor and greenhouse growing environments, processing facilities, and offices.
Canadian Alliance for Skills & Training in Life Sciences
The Canadian Alliance for Skills and Training in Life Sciences (CASTL) provides world-class technical skills development and training in life sciences specializing in biopharmaceutical manufacturing. A national initiative of the Prince Edward Island BioAlliance, CASTL is a unique partnership between academia, industry, and government to address the future skills needs of Canada’s fast-growing bioscience sector.
CNS-CRO
CNS CRO (Contract Research Corporation) is a private, pre-clinical neurological disease specialty laboratory, offering a range of proprietary cell-based and animal models for pre-clinical evaluation of test compounds for neurodegenerative disease. CNS CRO also has extensive expertise in behavioural and cognitive assessment.
Direct NutriSciences
Direct NutriSciences is a full service healthcare company based in Canada that offers complete marketplace solutions for pharmaceutical grade OTC and nutraceutical products. We have developed a reputation for producing the gold standard in product efficacy, manufacturing excellence and delivering the best value equation for our customers.
EVAH Corp
EVAH Corp is a proud Canadian biotechnology company based in Quebec that is focused on developing animal health technologies. EVAH aims at developing promising technologies for sustainable food production, with a focus on production animal vaccines and alternatives to antibiotics.
EVAH’s platform develops the animal health technologies the planet needs. These will help build the resilience of the Canadian and global food supply chain and contribute to Canada’s climate change and human health goals.
Eversea
EverseaTM Inc. is an algae technology company and a world leader in research and development of natural micro algae strains for high value markets. The company has expertise in the latest algae-based biological technologies that are directed to develop and commercialize unique and proprietary technologies such as clean energy.
Food Island Partnership
Food Island Partnership is an industry led non-profit focused on helping Prince Edward Island food companies grow and prosper. Their vision is to establish Prince Edward Island as an internationally recognized place of origin for premium food products and a destination for culinary excellence.
Holland College Applied Research
Applied research projects are effective ways to solve practical problems; create new products, processes and services; and conduct social research. The Office of Applied Research supports economic prosperity in Prince Edward Island by actively seeking collaborations for Holland College programs with industry and community groups.
HZPC
HZPC is a specialist in breeding, growing and marketing of seed potatoes, with a comprehensive range of new varieties available that meet requirements of modern lifestyles. The Company has undertaken an extensive program of variety trialing and introduction in most potato production regions of North America. HZPC Americas Corp. has a tissue culture laboraty for in-vitro plant propagation which forms the basis for seed potatoes grown by the best Canadian producers.
Island Abbey Nutritionals
Island Abbey Nutritionals is an innovative food science company based out of Prince Edward Island, Canada. With an impressive library of proven formulations, their state-of-the-art facilities specialize in manufacturing technology for gummy and honey lozenge production. As industry leaders, they provide full contract manufacturing, bottling, and packaging capabilities for a variety of supplementary and natural health-focused dietary needs.
Merck Animal Health
Merck Animal Health helps aquaculture producers and conservationists cultivate and maintain healthy and sustainable aquatic ecosystems. Our industry-leading biopharmaceutical and technology solutions monitor for insight, optimize for precision, and benchmark for performance. At their manufacturing and quality facility in Charlottetown, they produce fish vaccines that are shipped worldwide.
MicroSintesis
MicroSintesis is a new life sciences company focused on creating novel anti-infectives. By harnessing the natural defense mechanisms of probiotics, MicroSintesis is on the forefront of developing biotechnologies that fight antibiotic resistant bacteria and reduce the virulence of pathogens.
Mowi
Mowi is a leading seafood company and the largest producer of salmon. Every day, their 14 537 employees in 25 countries produce 6.4 million healthy and delicious meals, served to customers across the globe. Mowi covers the whole value and production chain, from feed to plate, and through their vision of leading the “Blue Revolution” they are dedicated to farming the ocean in a responsible and efficient way. Mowi is headquartered in Bergen, Norway, and is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange.
Nature’s Crops International
NCI is a premier supplier of organic, non-GM, and expeller pressed oils (Natures Crops Specialty Oils). They manage the supply chain of high value non-commodity products derived from specialty grown crops for a range of industries, including functional food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic and specialty channels.
Nautilus Biosciences Croda
Nautilus Biosciences Croda is a technology-rich marine biotechnology company based in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada. Founded in 2007 by Professor Russell Kerr, they focus on using marine microbial biodiversity to discover novel actives and materials. Croda International Plc, who creates, makes and sells speciality chemicals for some of the biggest, most successful brands in the world, recently acquired Nautilus – having worked closely together for the past six years developing specific applications for skin care and hair care, as well as crop care – Croda recently established Nautilus as the Croda Centre of Innovation for Marine Biotechnology at Nautilus’ existing base at the University of Prince Edward Island. Nautilus has exclusive global access to the Marine Microbial Library which is based at the University of Prince Edward Island.
North Atlantic Organics Ltd (NAO)
North Atlantic Organics Ltd (NAO) is a producer and distributor of organic sea plant (seaweed) products that serve as mineral supplements to animals and plants. By using traditional methods of hand and horse raking seaweeds from the shores of PEI, as well as solar drying, fossil fuels are not burned and the quality of the product is preserved. The company is currently in the process of developing natural plant enhancement supplements that can be used as fertilizer for crops such as potatoes, cranberries, strawberries, soybeans and more.
Nutracelle
Nutracelle is an innovative company focused on creating high-quality protein nutritional supplements for the health and wellness market in North America. The product was launched in 2016, and since that time, gross sales have reached well over $1.5 million. It took CEO, Melanie Wildman three years to develop a gluten-free and nut-free product that included prebiotic fibre to meet the nutritional needs of people who were trying to lose weight or maintain their weight loss. As a PEI BioAlliance Emergence client, Nutracelle has worked with BIO|FOOD|TECH and Canada’s Smartest Kitchen to develop additional natural and healthy products, including protein bars, smoothies, and baking mixes made in PEI.
Pegasus Biotech Inc.
Pegasus Biotech Inc. is an agile biotech company focused in providing high quality vaccine (DNA, autogenous, rProtein, VLPs) development services to the human and animal health sectors as well as developing accurate and reliable analytical testing methods for the human and animal health industry. Our areas of expertise include cell culture/fermentation and purification process development, analytical assay development, veterinary biologic product development and regulatory submission (EMA, CFIA, FDA, USDA), point-of-care and clinical diagnostic instrument and assay development, GLP/GMP lab quality standards and HSE.
PEI BioAlliance
The Prince Edward Island Bioscience Cluster is the location of choice for companies engaged in the research, development, and commercialization of bioactive-based human, animal, and fish health and nutrition products. Since 2005, the PEI Bioscience Cluster has more than tripled in size, with remarkable growth in business revenues and employment, and a marked increase in private and public-sector investments in our companies.
The PEI Cluster includes over 60 bioscience companies, several research institutions, and is home to Emergence – Canada’s virtual Bioscience Business Incubator and Natural Products Canada, North America’s first business accelerator dedicated to the commercialization of products and technologies based on natural product chemistry.
PEI Potato Quality Institute
The PEI Potato Quality Institute is a not-for-profit organization consisting primarily of potato producers to provide testing, research and other related services in a timely and cost effective manner to potato growers. The Potato Quality Institute is the only lab on PEI accredited by CFIA and is one of five accredited in Canada.
Phytocultures
Phytocultures Ltd. has established itself as a cutting-edge horticultural company and a respected leader in plant propagation specializing in the in vitro propagation of plants. Their innovative research and development programs include commercial projects with low-bush and high-bush blueberries, cranberries, sweet potatoes, aquatic plants, and Maritime wine grapes, as well as their recent endeavour into Haskap plant production. Their diverse work in plant propagation projects extends globally.
Remidose
Remidose Aerosols Inc is federally licensed cannabis processing company located in Stratford, PEI that manufactures rapid acting, accurately dosed cannabis devices. Remidose recently completed its manufacturing facility and is expanding into the Canadian recreational and medical cannabis markets.
RPS Biologiques
Sekisui Diagnostics PEI Inc.
Sekisui Diagnostics P.E.I. Inc. is a global leading manufacturer and developer of in-vitro diagnostics products, focused on bringing general and specialty clinical chemistry reagents to diagnostics manufacturers and clinical laboratories worldwide. Based in Japan, the company purchased an existing bioscience company in Charlottetown which each year, produces 1.5 billion clinical chemistry tests in P.E.I. that are then shipped around the world. Sekisui was named one of Canada’s top 100 Employers in 2018.
Sentry
SENTRY and has pioneered a biology activity and water quality monitoring platform that provides real-time microbial performance data in locations never possible before. From untreated, variable wastewater at a treatment plant’ headworks (consumable BOD) to fluctuating anaerobic digester (AD) biomass (consumable VFA), our robust bio-electrode sensors provide early-on, always-on insights into biological processes that exist wherever water is used, stored, or treated.
Somru BioScience Inc.
Somru BioScience Inc. is an emerging biotechnology company dedicated to developing breakthrough antibody technology for research, diagnostic and therapeutic applications. The company currently uses antibodies to generate reagents that will accelerate biosimilar research and development.
Springboard Atlantic
Springboard Atlantic is a member-based organization, supported by the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) and our 19 University and College members throughout Atlantic Canada. We work to grow the region’s economy by encouraging collaboration among academia, industry, and government and by helping innovators bring great ideas to market.
STEAM PEI
STEAM PEI is a non-profit organization, located in Charlottetown. STEAM PEI’s mission is to inspire young Islanders to pursue learning and careers in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) fields by fostering their curiosity and confidence through engaging experiential learning opportunities. STEAM PEI strives to reach youth all across PEI, with a special focus on girls, Indigenous youth, and youth from low socio-economic backgrounds who are traditionally under-represented in STEM fields.
Stepscan Technologies
Stepscan Technologies Inc. is a Prince Edward Island-based technology company dedicated to improving lives with their patented Stepscan® Gait Analysis flooring system. This medical-grade equipment combines pressure sensitive electronic floor tiles and footprint tracking software that can be used to assess and rehabilitate patients with mobility impairing conditions. The technology’s capabilities also have exciting potential in the fields of health research, sports performance, military training, and biometric security.
Timeless Veterinary Systems Inc.
Timeless Veterinary Systems Inc., part of the Timeless group of companies, is a specialized tech company based in Charlottetown, PEI, with a focus on creating innovative web-based technologies for today’s veterinarian. Timeless has been developing HL7 / HIPAA compliant medical technologies for over 20 years and has been collaborating with veterinary academics and researchers since 2007 to port its medical technologies into veterinary medicine which started in Laboratory: creating VLA’s web based worldwide Quality System. Today our core expertise focuses in web / cloud-based management systems for referral practices, telemedicine and mobile specialists including Diagnostic Imaging (PACS & RIS), Radiology, Cardiology, Pathology, Dentistry, Nutrition, Laboratory, and others. Timeless also develops evidence-based applications for diagnosis and treatment in web, iOS and Android applications. The Timeless portfolio of products includes the Timeless Veterinary Telemedicine System, Timeless Veterinary Cloud PACS, Vet Drug Index and VPR Cloud drug reference applications.
Wellfish Tech
WellFish Tech is a fast-growing company that started as a university spin-out in Paisley, Scotland. Since its initiation in 2021, the company has expanded into Norway and is now looking to hire key team members in North America. Wellfish tech is focused on revolutionizing the way in which the health of aquaculture, wild stocks, and research animals are evaluated and managed using non-lethal blood assessment. The company combines production data, clinical chemistry, and AI tools to bring context to health monitoring and insights that allow for data-driven decisions.