Alberta’s technology leaders were in the spotlight Thursday evening as Start Alberta hosted its 8th annual Tech Awards at the Betty Andrews Recital Hall, celebrating standout achievements across 10 categories and highlighting the province’s growing innovation momentum.
The event recognized companies and founders shaping Alberta’s tech economy, including Ontopical earning Deal of the Year, Orennia taking home Scaleup of the Year, and Artificial Agency winning A100 One to Watch.
“These awards are a testament to the bold ideas and resilience driving Alberta’s tech sector forward,” said Tamara Woolgar, Executive Director of A100. “Recognizing this excellence not only highlights the remarkable leadership shaping our industry, but reinforces our collective commitment to building a stronger, more inclusive innovation community that attracts global attention.”
Calgary-based companies and founders were among the night’s most prominent winners.
Ontopical Wins Deal of the Year After High-Profile Acquisition
Calgary’s Ontopical earned Deal of the Year, presented by Alberta Enterprise Corporation, following its August 2025 acquisition by SOVRA, the KKR-backed procurement technology leader.
Founded in 2017 by Derrick Koenig, Ontopical built an AI-driven market intelligence platform helping businesses identify early-stage government contract opportunities. The acquisition was one of Alberta’s most significant tech exits this year and led SOVRA to establish a Calgary-based AI Center of Excellence.
“Alberta is a tremendous place to build a business,” said Clayton Feick, now President of SOVRA Supplier. “We decided to build an AI Center of Excellence in Alberta because of all the talent and the opportunity and promise that the province shows.”
Tech Thursday Named Ecosystem Supporter of the Year
Tech Thursday, the grassroots networking initiative co-founded by Philippe Burns, won Ecosystem Supporter of the Year for its province-wide community-building impact.
Since launching in 2022, the organization has hosted 175+ events and welcomed more than 20,000 attendees, expanding to Calgary in June 2023 and Edmonton in May 2025. Its weekly gatherings have strengthened connections between founders, operators, and investors, helping create the flywheel effect fueling Alberta’s tech economy.
“We want to elevate everyone and build really great companies here in Alberta,” Burns said. “We do it because we want to create a step change in the ecosystem.”
Blackline Safety Recognized as Anchor of the Year
Calgary-based Blackline Safety took home Anchor of the Year, presented by Profound Talent, recognizing its role as one of Alberta’s most enduring and influential tech companies.
Founded in 2004, the connected safety technology firm operates in more than 75 countries, employs 600+ people, and recently surpassed $105 million in trailing 12-month revenue. Blackline was also honoured with the 2025 Calgary Award for Social Impact – Business for its STEM outreach, nonprofit support, and employee-led volunteer programs.
“Winning the Start Alberta Anchor of the Year Award is incredibly inspiring,” said Brendon Cook, CIO. “We see this award as recognition of everybody’s collective contributions to the business.”
Calgary Founder Lourdes Juan Wins Woman in Tech
Lourdes Juan, co-founder and CEO of Knead Tech, received the Woman in Tech award for her leadership in both entrepreneurship and social impact.
Knead Tech’s logistics platform supports food rescue organizations, helping reduce waste and improve distribution. Under Juan’s leadership, the company secured $800,000 in pre-seed funding this year, won the SXSW AgTech & Food Pitch category, and has enabled the rescue of more than two million pounds of surplus food—equivalent to 1.67 million meals and 236 metric tons of avoided CO₂ emissions.
“To build a tech company, particularly one focused on social impact, is such a team experience,” Juan said. “We believe we can make profits while also making the planet better—so it’s really great to have this recognition.”
Orennia Takes Home Scaleup of the Year
Energy transition analytics firm Orennia earned Scaleup of the Year, presented by Osler, for its rapid team expansion and growing influence across North America.
Co-founded in 2021 by Brook Papau and Tanya Baeza, the company has grown from 30 to more than 150 employees and closed a Series C round in January. Orennia provides data and predictive analytics for investors and developers in solar, wind, storage, hydrogen, and clean fuels, and was named one of Alberta’s Top Employers for 2025.
“There’s going to be ever-increasing demand for energy to power AI—and daily life,” said Papau. “That insight was the nexus of the company’s founding and has driven everything since.”
UCeed Named Investor of the Year
The Investor of the Year award went to UCeed, Canada’s most active pre-seed investor and a cornerstone of Alberta’s early-stage funding landscape.
Launched in 2020 at the University of Calgary, UCeed provides $50,000–$300,000 investments alongside mentorship and commercialization support. Its evergreen model reinvests all returns into future startups, enabling long-term sustainability.
“We believe universities—and particularly the University of Calgary—are a gold mine of untapped opportunity,” said Peter Santosham, Executive Director. “There’s a unique energy in Alberta, a community prepared to roll up its sleeves to help the ecosystem evolve.”
Calgary’s Growing Presence in Alberta Tech
From major exits to high-growth scaleups and ecosystem builders, this year’s winners demonstrate Calgary’s strengthening position in the province’s innovation economy.
Companies such as Ontopical, Orennia, Blackline Safety, Knead Tech, and UCeed—along with community initiatives like Tech Thursday—underscore the city’s expanding influence across both early-stage and established sectors.
That is amazing! Congratulations Derrick and company!!