“Entrepreneurship is key to growing the economy of Prince Edward Island and we want to encourage entrepreneurs and start-ups across this province. The Ignition program can help businesses in the crucial early stages of business development,” said Minister Roach.

Applicants must be a startup in Prince Edward Island or entrepreneurs committed to establishing and operating a new venture on PEI.

The Ignition Program was launched in June of 2014 to assist startups on Prince Edward Island by providing them with an investment of $25,000 to develop their businesses. Innovation PEI received 46 submissions from individuals interested in pursuing entrepreneurship in the province.

Winners under the first round of Ignition included: Queen Bee Games, Pownal; Island Gold Honey, Murray Harbour North; Can’t Check This, Charlottetown; Sun Country Safety Wear, Vernon River; Island Artisan Cheesehouse, Mont Carmel; Skip the Waiting Room, Cornwall; BamText Corp, Charlottetown; and Serene View Ranch, Alexandra.

“Ignition was perfect to help me reach the market. It allowed me to install a packaging line. This helped me control my costs and have a better presence in the marketplace,” said Mathieu Gallant, owner of the Island Artisan Cheesehouse.

For more information on Innovation PEI and the Ignition program, visit www.innovationpei.com/ignition.

Backgrounder

Queen Bee Games Incorporated - Kathleen & Steven Cassidy - Pownal

Queen Bee Games is an independent video game studio in PEI. Kathleen and Steven develop high quality, cross-platform video games that stand out because of their signature art style, intriguing characters, fun and challenging game-play.

Island Gold Honey – Sean Murray – Murray Harbour North

Island Gold Honey produces and sells pure unpasteurized Prince Edward Island Honey. Island Gold Honey was recently purchased by Sean Murray who is leading the growth and development of the business, including expanding his sales beyond Prince Edward Island.

Can’t Check This – Heather & Brian Howatt - Charlottetown

Can’t Check This was created as a necessity to provide female athletes with sport apparel branded and made specifically for them. After conducting a few initial trial runs, Heather Howatt decided to pursue the idea and create a business around this female focused brand.

Sun Country Safety Wear – Rouben & Vicky Edgar – Vernon River

Sun Country Safety Wear will be the exclusive distributor in North America of Italian-made Grisport leather safety footwear. The company will have safety boots and shoes suitable for almost all work environments including a welding boot, chainsaw boot and cold weather boots.

Island Artisan Cheesehouse – Mathieu Gallant – Mont Carmel

Island Artisan Cheesehouse will make fresh locally crafted curd cheese snacks for the restaurant and food service/retail industries. Island Artisan Cheesehouse will be the only fresh, off-the-shelf snack cheese product offered in PEI.

Skip the Waiting Room – Mark Richardson – Cornwall

Mark Richardson is developing a way for walk-in clinics to help patients avoid sitting in a waiting room. The product will provide online scheduling and automated phone and text messages that will inform the patient when they should leave for their walk-in clinic visit.

BamText Corp – Jordan Fraser - Charlottetown

BamText is a customer feedback system allowing customers to send instant, free, and private text messages to business owners or managers with compliments, complaints, suggestions or questions, all while remaining 100% anonymous.

Serene View Ranch - Caroline Leblanc – Alexandra

Serene View Ranch is owned and operated by Caroline LeBlanc, a Registered Psychologist to provide mental health services to clients suffering from trauma and Post Traumatic Stress. The Ranch will offer equine-assisted psychotherapy to treat the trauma in the general population as well as first responders and veterans.