brad meikle

SIX Safety Systems has agreed to acquire WorkSMART Ergonomics Ltd, an ergonomic and human factors consulting business with offices located across Canada. The financial terms of the transaction, which will be completed in May, were not published. The acquisition will enhance SIX Safety Solutions' comprehensive worker fit for duty solutions and monitoring technologies, the company said. The Cochrane, Alberta-based SIX Safety Solutions received an investment from Canadian angel organization VA Angels in Nov. 2013. With its headquarters in Calgary, VA Angels has invested $28.5 million in 57 deals since 2003.

Primus Power Corp, a provider of grid-scale electrical energy storage solutions, has raised US$20 million in Series C financing. The deal, led by South Africa's Anglo American Platinum Ltd, included the participation of PGM Development Fund and existing investors, including Canadian venture capital firm Chrysalix Energy Venture Capital and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. The Hayward, Calif.-based Primus said it has secured US$35 million since its founding in 2009. Proceeds of the latest investment will support customer shipments, transitioning the company's manufacturing to a contract manufacturer, and expanding its sales and customer support organizations.

Toronto-based content optimization platform Atomic Reach Inc has raised a new financing round. While the amount was undisclosed, the company said the deal brings its total funding to date to $4 million. Atomic Reach last year obtained $1.25 million in seed-stage financing from Canadian venture capital investors Genwealth Ventures and MaRS Investment Accelerator Fund. The latest funding will be used to accelerate development of the company's audience engagement platform, boost marketing, and increase activity with its target market, which includes publishers, brands and bloggers. Founded in 2010, Atomic Reach was named one of Canadian Innovation Exchange's 20 hottest innovative companies in 2013.

Bench Accounting said Thursday that it closed $1 million in funding. The investors were Contour Ventures, Alpine Meridian, Lerer Ventures, Quotidian Ventures and various unnamed angels. This $1 million is an add-on to the $2.1 million in seed funding that Bench raised last summer, bringing the total tally to $3.1 million. With offices in Vancouver and New York City, Bench Accounting is a provider of virtual bookkeeping services.

CrowdCare Corp, a provider of app-based technology support for smartphones, has raised an additional $1 million in financing. The sources of the investment were not disclosed, but one report said the deal was led by Canadian early-stage venture capital firm Mantella Venture Partners. CrowdCare is also backed by MaRs Investment Accelerator Fund. The company said it will use funding proceeds for the deployment of its Wysdom beta app, a codified knowledge base that can deliver answers to subscriber questions about their smartphones. Founded in 2012, CrowdCare has its headquarters in Richmond Hill, Ontario.

SaskWorks Venture Fund, a retail venture capital fund managed by Regina, Sask.-based PFM Capital, has raised a total of $40 million in its latest fund-raising year, reaching its allotted subscription limit.  Tax-assisted subscriptions are available under federal and provincial legislation to individual residents of Saskatchewan. SaskWorks Venture Fund invests in small and medium-sized private companies. It currently has over 27,000 shareholders and has approved for investment $310 million in 96 companies, according to the fund.

Medical device startup Surface Medical Inc has received undisclosed funding from the Accelerate Fund LP, an angel co-investment fund managed by Canadian early-stage venture capital firm AVAC, and local angel investors. Founded in 2010, and based in Calgary and Edmonton, the company specializes in innovative products that reduce healthcare-acquired infections. Investment proceeds will be used to execute Surface Medical's global expansion and enable it to continue working with healthcare practitioners in developing its technology platform. Accelerate Fund was launched in 2012 with backing of Alberta Enterprise.

University of Waterloo incubator Velocity has reported that startups supported by it have raised more than $100 million over the past five years. Funding obtained by Velocity clients includes the backing of angel investors, venture capital firms, government programs, and grants from the Velocity Fund. Successful fund-raisers include companies featured in major 2013 deals, such as: KiK Interactive, developer of a smartphone messaging platform, which secured a $19.5 million Series B round; smartwatch maker Pebble, which netted US$15 million in a Series A deal; and Thalmic Labs, a developer of gesture control and wearable technology, which attracted a Series A financing valued at $14.5 million.

IntelliView Technologies Inc, a manufacturer of solutions for industrial video surveillance applications, has obtained $1.5 million in funding from a subsidiary of Canadian energy company Enbridge Inc. The investment will support IntelliView's continued development and deployment of its pipeline leak detection solution employing multi-spectral sensors and proprietary video analytics. Founded in 2003, the Calgary-based IntelliView is a portfolio company of venture capital firm AVAC. AVAC is a direct investor in early-stage businesses based in Alberta, and an indirect investor in national national venture capital funds.

Aquinox Pharmaceuticals Inc, a clinical-stage company focused on developing novel and targeted small molecule therapeutics for the treatment of inflammatory disease, has filed for an initial public offering (IPO). The report came from investment advisory firm Renaissance Capital, which said the Vancouver-based company filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission to raise an IPO on NASDAQ under the symbol AQXP. The company aims to generate proceeds of up to US$58 million. Founded in 2004, Aquinox has been primarily backed by a mix of Canadian and U.S.-based venture capital firms, including BC Advantage Funds VCC, Baker Brothers Investments, Pfizer Venture Investments and Ventures West Capital. In Apr. 2013, Aquinox secured a US$18 million Series C financing led by Johnson & Johnson Development Corp. New investor Augment Investments participated in the round along with existing investors.