This Blog Now Fortified with an Extra Column and New Sources of Funding

As part of the first major update to the Commercial Space blog, you'll notice a couple of changes to the layout including the addition of an extra column on the right side to help organize some of the recently added links and blog feeds.

I'm hoping regular readers will also notice a couple of new links to Canadian specific sources of funding for technology focused start-ups and established firms looking to grow.

Some of these new links include:

• The Canadian Association of Business Incubators (CABI), dedicated to creating employment and economic activity through the development of enterprises supported by the business incubation industry
• The Canadian Venture Capital Association website and their blog "Capital Rants" focused on "the good, the bad and the ugly of venture capital in Canada."
• The "MaRS Blog on Canadian Innovation" focused on something called "Convergence Innovation" and activities occurring at the MaRS Development District.
• The National Angel Capital Organization, an umbrella organization of various Canadian based angel investment groups.
• The Secure World Foundation blog. Although not the typical source of funding, the Secure World Foundation maintains financial relationships with a number of space focused media outlets and publishes various documents relating to space situational awareness, traffic management, orbital debris, Earth observation, international law and the avoidance of a space arms race. Secure World Foundation Technical Advisor Brian Wheeden will be session chair for near Earth orbit at the upcoming 2009 Canadian Space Summit.

Scientists looking to commercialize space focused scientific activities and entrepreneurs looking to build a business are well advised to acquaint themselves with these organizations.