Building on signals of strength with the province’s tech economy, Alberta Innovates this week announced $13.6 million in investment across 19 partners.
Through the Alberta Innovates Ecosystem Development Partnerships Program, the organization is investing this new funding to support small and medium-sized technology companies in the region.
The Program supports the ecosystem by providing services for entrepreneurs, supporting markets, accelerating the development of emerging technologies, and building out platforms and networks.
“Alberta’s technology sector is growing, creating jobs and attracting investment—the Ecosystem Development Partnerships Program will build on that momentum, further strengthening and diversifying Alberta’s economy,” stated Nate Glubish, minister of technology and innovation. “Our investment in this program will ensure that Alberta is one of the most innovative jurisdictions in Canada.”
Investment recipients include innovation catalysts such as the 500 Startups Incubator; educational institutions such as the Universities of Alberta and Lethbridge; and companies such as Smart Technology Innovations.
Led by Dr. Vivian Mushahwar, ST Innovations is receiving $1.8 million to provide health technology development and validation to Alberta small and medium-sized enterprises. Using state-of-the-art equipment and expertise at the University of Alberta’s SMART Network, ST Innovations will advance Alberta-based digital and health technologies from concepts to prototypes, right through the validation stages of health products, ultimately ensuring market fit, according to a statement from Alberta Innovates.
“This funding will allow us to utilize our state-of-the-art facilities, skills and resources to advance Alberta-based digital health technologies, taking innovations from concepts to prototypes and right through to validation to make them market-fit and suitable for additional investment, manufacturing and upscaling,” stated Mushahwar. “This pushes the health technology ecosystem in Alberta to critical capacity so that it can explode on the national and international scene.”
Mushahwar’s project, alongside others, will help create Alberta as a cluster for digital and health technology product development and validation to attract investment and talent globally.
“A healthy entrepreneurial ecosystem has strong support from the entire spectrum,” believes Laura Kilcrease, chief executive of Alberta Innovates. “The Ecosystem Development Partnership program creates a healthy business environment by addressing gaps in the innovation continuum. From ideation to commercialization … this program will spur entrepreneurial growth in every part of Alberta.”
Employing nearly 600 professionals across science and tech, Alberta Innovates manages 1,300 projects in a portfolio valued at $1.3 billion.
| Applicant | Funding Amount | |
| 500 Startups Incubator, L.L.C. | $400,000 | |
| Alberta IoT Association LtD | $750,000 | |
| Brightsquid Secure Communications Corp. | $425,000 | |
| ELIXR Simulations Association | $800,000 | |
| HaloHealth Association | $653,295 | |
| InterGen Canada Inc | $600,000 | |
| Lethbridge College | $709,202 | |
| Movement51 | $125,000 | |
| NeurAlbertaTech Neurotechnologies | $150,000 | |
| SAIT | $1,493,200 | |
| Shred Capital Ltd. | $750,000 | |
| SSR Infrastructure Association | $404,700 | |
| Tacit Edge Inc. | $287,899 | |
| University of Alberta | $650,000 | |
| University of Alberta | $1,750,000 | |
| University of Alberta (ST Innovations) | $1,853,750 | |
| University of Calgary | $706,036 | |
| University of Lethbridge | $1,000,000 | |
| Walkthrough Entertainment Society for the Interactive Arts in Alberta | $100,000 | |
| TOTAL | $13,608,082 |
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