The pandemic presented tech startups with an opportunity to rethink the way they build their companies. Those that were able to adapt and embrace remote work flourished by building teams without geographic boundaries. 

VOLTA was no different. We, too, needed to adapt to remain valuable to startups in our community. In November of 2021, we opened our Virtual Residency program to support startups and their teams in any of the four Atlantic Provinces. We also made changes to our programming to focus on 1:1 tailored support designed around skill and capacity development for each team, amplifying the impact of the high-quality educational programming provided by our partner organizations.

In the 12 months leading up to our move, we conducted multiple rounds of research to better understand the evolving priorities of our startup teams. The results were very clear: community topped the list, followed by more hands-on support. While dedicated offices were still valued, there was less demand for physical space now that teams had embraced a hybrid or work-from-home policy.

Our research identified that prior to COVID-19, the average team size working out of our Maritime Centre location was 11 employees. While our resident teams remain similar in size, the number of co-located teams now averages less than 4, highlighting the decrease in demand for this type of resource.

Our new space at the Armoyan Center embodies our commitment to meeting the ever-evolving needs of the startup ecosystem in a post-pandemic world. By striking a balance between dedicated office space for founders and a central community space in downtown Halifax, we can cultivate connections and collaboration while supporting the flexibility that modern tech startups require.

This move positions VOLTA to offer an even higher level of tailored support to more founders and their teams in the coming years. As we continue to adapt and grow alongside our startup community, our upcoming move to the Armoyan Center signifies an exciting step in our mission to empower more tech founders in Atlantic Canada to take calculated risks in building massively valuable companies.

Join us in celebrating this new chapter at VOLTA, as we remain focused in our commitment to support the growth and success of early-stage technology startups in Atlantic Canada.