Roberta Schultz

Volta, cofounded by GoInstant CEO Jevon MacDonald, emphasizes a founder-first, quality-over-quantity approach to building startups. “It’s all about the founders," says MacDonald. “We want to create world-class founders, who in turn will create world-class companies, right here in Halifax."Although it sounds like an accelerator, Voltainsists otherwise: "We are a place of mentorship and community and we are not an accelerator," the site reads. Their goal is to provide mentorship, encourage new startups, develop growth in existing startups, develop support frameworks, and create a brand seen as "a beacon of the Atlantic startup community."Currently, Volta has 13 companies involved in its system, either as tenants or common space members. Those companies include TitanFile, FundMetric, and IntroHive. The non-accelerator is backed by big names including Omers and Deloitte.