Women founders are getting $30 million from this Calgary venture firm

Shelley Kuipers and Lauren Robinson, The51’s general partners. Photo: The51

A Calgary-based venture firm is putting serious money behind women entrepreneurs. The51, which invests in women-led companies across Canada, has reached the first close of its $30 million Fund III, with BMO signing on as the lead anchor investor alongside 17 women co-investors.

The fund focuses on three sectors — health, wealth, and work — where women are both the primary consumers and, historically, among the most underfunded founders. Women-led companies currently receive just two to four per cent of venture capital in Canada, despite consistently outperforming their peers, according to The51.

The co-anchor model itself is part of the point. By bringing together a group of women investors at the anchor level, The51 is deliberately shifting who holds decision-making power over where capital flows.

"The question is never whether that capital will move — it is where it will go," said Shelley Kuipers, co-founder and CEO of The51. "The51 exists to make sure it flows toward the women building what's next."

By 2028, Canadian women are projected to control nearly $4 trillion in financial assets. The51, which has already backed women founders through two previous funds, sees that as both an opportunity and a responsibility.

🤝 Funding, Deals, and Partnerships

• Blackline Safety brings gas detection to Boston Dynamics’ spot. The companies have integrated Blackline’s cloud-connected portable detector with Boston Dynamics’ Spot, the mobile industrial robot used to collect inspection data in hazardous environments. Calgary.Tech

• Hanwha Ocean and Azure Sustainable Fuels announce MOU to explore investment and growth opportunities in Canada’s sustainable aviation fuel sector. The collaboration is intended to support the scaling and global competitiveness of high-potential Canadian technologies and businesses through potential future investment activities. Azure Sustainable Fuels

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• General Fusion and Eavor take top spots on Time Magazine cleantech list. Five Canadian companies are among 250 of the world’s “top-performing” cleantech companies. Betakit

• Kathairos hits million-tonne milestone for CO2 reduction at oil and gas sites. Calgary-based company replaces methane-rich natural gas with liquid nitrogen to reduce emissions. Betakit

• What's next for transportation and logistics in the Calgary region. To examine that question, Calgary’s business community — including its transportation and logistics sector — gathered at TELUS Spark Science Centre on June 11. Calgary Economic Development

Canada releases its national AI strategy

Photo: Government of Canada

The federal government has released Canada's National Artificial Intelligence Strategy, a six-pillar plan designed to accelerate AI adoption, build sovereign infrastructure, and position Canada as a global leader in the technology.

The strategy describes Canada as world-class in AI research, but lagging in adoption, with meaningful dependencies on foreign infrastructure. Only 12% of Canadian businesses currently use AI, well behind Nordic leaders at 29 to 42%. The plan sets out to change that.

Key targets include:

• Increase business AI adoption from 12% to 60% by 2034

• Create up to 250,000 new jobs through AI adoption by 2031

• Create up to 90,000 AI-related job and work placement opportunities for young Canadians by 2031

• Unlock nearly $200 billion in GDP gains from labour productivity

• Build a world-leading public supercomputer by 2031

• Reach 1 million entry-level post-secondary students with AI literacy training

The six pillars span protection, empowerment, adoption, infrastructure, champions, and partnerships.

The first pillar focuses on protecting Canadians from AI risks through updated privacy laws, online safety legislation, and a $50 million expansion of the Canadian AI Safety Institute. The second centres on AI literacy, including a National AI Literacy Initiative and a commitment to give all post-secondary students access to trusted AI agents.

The third pillar targets adoption across Canadian businesses, with a $500 million expansion of the Regional Artificial Intelligence Initiative and a $500 million LIFT program through BDC to help SMEs finance AI tools. The fourth addresses sovereign AI infrastructure — compute, data, and talent — including a $700 million expansion of the Compute Access Fund. Partnerships currently being finalized have proposed providing 850 megawatts of compute capacity by 2030, with potential scaling to 2.3 gigawatts.

The fifth pillar focuses on scaling Canadian AI champions at home through a new $500 million Canadian Tech Growth Fund. The sixth covers international partnerships, including the recently launched Sovereign Technology Alliance with Germany and 11 AI-specific agreements signed in the past year.

The strategy identifies five priority sectors where Canada's strengths converge with AI opportunity: health and life sciences, energy and natural resources, transportation, agriculture, and manufacturing and robotics.

🤝 Funding, Deals, and Partnerships

• The51 announces first close of Fund III, anchored by BMO. The51 Fund III will back women founders building the future of health, wealth and work – among Canada’s most underinvested entrepreneurs. The51

• Calgary’s SensorUp closes growth financing led by Pender Ventures. Financing will go toward scaling SensorUP’s agentic operations platform. Betakit

• HCLTech deepens Calgary investment with new AI lab. Global technology company HCLTech is opening the doors to its Calgary AI lab, marking the next phase of its Alberta expansion. Calgary Economic Development

📰 Need To Know

• Neo Financial aims for rewards flexibility with launch of four more credit cards. The largest product expansion in the Calgary fintech’s history gives users more choices than ever when it comes to spending rewards, according to a statement from the firm. Calgary.Tech 

• Calgary high school students develop wearable technology for those with Parkinson's disease. Tail-inspired tech designed to help users with their balance. CBC News

• Litus and UWin to blend nanotechnology innovation with hydrometallurgy expertise. The Alberta innovator is pioneering nanotechnology solutions for lithium extraction and recovery, while UWin is behind advanced hydrometallurgy technologies for precious metals recovery, e-waste recycling, and more. Calgary.Tech

• Supersized data centres are coming to Canada. One province is at the epicentre. So far, Canada has 5 hyperscale data centres. Another 96 are in development. CBC News

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Alberta research points to a growing AI skills gap — Google just launched a certificate to help close it

Photo: Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute

New research from the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute reveals a widening gap between what Canadian employers expect from new workers and what post-secondary institutions are preparing them for. The findings, released through Amii's AI Workforce Readiness program, show the majority of Canadian employers now expect entry-level workers to arrive ready to use AI effectively.

The research — two studies commissioned through Amii's AI Workforce Readiness program, which is backed by $5 million from Google.org — points to a patchwork approach to AI education across Canadian institutions that isn't keeping pace with industry needs. Amii has responded by expanding its AI Workforce Readiness consortium to 55 post-secondary institutions.

"AI is not changing who organizations hire; it is changing what they expect workers to do," said Cam Linke, CEO of Amii. "This research confirms that a patchwork approach to AI education is no longer enough."

The findings coincide with the launch of the Google AI Professional Certificate, a new course from Grow with Google designed to help Canadians build practical, job-ready AI skills. The certificate covers AI fundamentals, research, data analysis, content creation, and app building, and can be completed in under 10 hours. Every learner who enrolls will receive three months of no-cost access to Google AI Pro.

To support equitable access, Google is partnering with organizations including Canada Learning Code, ComIT, and the Canadian Council for Indigenous Business to offer scholarships to people from underrepresented communities.

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📰 Need To Know

• Carney announces refreshed national AI strategy will be released next week. The strategy, expected to outline Ottawa's vision for AI, has faced several delays. CBC News

• Accelerating clinical trials to bring new treatments and technologies to Albertans. The Alberta Fast-Track to Accelerate Start-up of Clinical Trials (FAST) Program is a coordinated provincial initiative designed to speed up how quickly clinical trials can get started. Alberta Innovates

• Innovation Catalyst Grant supports seven new science-based service and product startups at UCalgary. Grant provides recipients two years of entrepreneurial and commercialization support. University of Calgary

• AgSphere partners up to forge overseas pathway for agri-food tech and innovation. The organization is now partnering with the European Institute of Innovation and Technology’s food innovation arm, EIT Food in Belgium. Calgary.Tech

• UCalgary’s Hunter Hub to put student innovators in the spotlight. Taking place June 5th, the event will feature top teams from four Hunter Hub programs competing live for a share of $40,000 in prizes. Calgary.Tech

$6.8 million in federal funding backs five Alberta AI companies

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The federal government has announced $6.8 million in funding for five Alberta-based organizations through the Regional Artificial Intelligence Initiative, a program designed to help businesses bring AI technologies to market and speed up adoption across key sectors.

The largest single investment goes to the University of Alberta, which will receive $3 million in non-repayable funding to build the Canadian AI Compute Vault — a secure, high-performance compute infrastructure initiative designed to strengthen Canada's AI sovereignty and give businesses access to trusted cloud environments for developing and deploying AI in areas including defence, security, and deep tech.

The remaining four investments are repayable. Darkhorse Emergency Corp. gets $1 million to expand exports of its AI-powered analytics platform, which optimizes risk analysis and resource allocation for fire and emergency departments.

NTWIST Inc. receives the same amount — $1 million — to accelerate commercialization of AI-powered productivity solutions for advanced manufacturing.

Vertical City Inc. lands $1.3 million to scale its AI and machine learning software for global market expansion.

Localintel Inc. closes out the group with $500,000 to commercialize its Location Intelligence Content Platform, which turns complex location data into narrative-ready content for municipalities and economic development organizations.

Threat informed defence for critical OT

As threat actors become faster, stealthier, and more resourceful, defending critical OT infrastructures requires more than traditional security measures.

Calgary Tech Journal • Partner Content

📰 Need To Know

• CURA chooses Calgary to scale low-carbon cement technology. Originally developed at the University of British Columbia, the company is focused on decarbonizing cement manufacturing — one of the world’s most emissions-intensive industries — through a lower-energy, lower-carbon process. Calgary Economic Development

• Leadership update: Innovate Calgary. Shawn Baxter will take on the role of interim president and CEO of Innovate Calgary, while continuing as associate vice-president (Strategy, Enterprise and Commercial) at the University of Calgary. University of Calgary

• How Alberta Innovates plans to streamline support system for local entrepreneurs. Alberta’s primary innovation engine is redesigning how it supports entrepreneurs in the province. Calgary.Tech

• Top 10 largest AI company funding rounds in 2025. Last year, Alberta tech companies using artificial intelligence raised $162M across 20 publicly announced funding rounds. Start Alberta

• Calgary’s CURA wins Web Summit Vancouver PITCH competition. CURA is developing electrochemical technology aimed at reducing emissions from cement production, one of the world’s most carbon-intensive industries. Calgary.Tech

The operational technology (OT) environments that underpin critical infrastructure face an urgent, evolving risk landscape driven by increasingly targeted, persistent, and automated cyberthreats. Drawing on the 2025 Fortinet Global Threat Landscape Report, Manky outlined a sobering picture: OT systems are not just collateral damage; they’re becoming primary targets. Cybercriminals are using advanced persistent threats (APTs) to home in on industrial networks not just to steal data but to disrupt critical services, demand ransoms, or embed themselves for future exploitation.

OT is in the crosshairs

“Attackers are working smarter, not harder,” Manky explained. Rather than indiscriminate campaigns, threat actors are investing in reconnaissance, scanning networks at a rate of 36,000 attempts per second. They’re pinpointing vulnerable services, such as Modbus TCP—a largely unsecured network protocol used to communicate with industrial devices widely employed in industrial environments—and weaponizing that intelligence with AI-enabled tools to automate the path from intrusion to exploitation.

This shift has made OT networks especially attractive to ransomware groups. “We’re seeing a pivot from data ransom to service ransom,” said Manky. In manufacturing, now the most targeted vertical for the second consecutive year, attackers are calculating how much financial damage a halted production line will cause and incorporating that into their extortion playbooks.

Industrial organizations can’t afford downtime, and attackers know it.

OT threats: Fast, focused, and often low-tech

While the cybersecurity community often fixates on zero-day exploits, Manky warned that “living off the land” techniques—abusing legitimate tools and credentials already in place—are far more common in OT breaches.

In one case study involving a critical infrastructure target in the Middle East, attackers spent over a year conducting reconnaissance, using stolen credentials and standard Windows tools, such as scheduled tasks, to maintain stealthy access across four segmented network layers. Only after two years of undetected access did they deploy custom malware, demonstrating patience and precision.

Their point of entry? A credential purchased on the dark web for under $150.

This underscores a critical reality: The weakest links are often unpatched systems, poor password hygiene, and remote access paths with inadequate control.

AI is a double-edged sword

AI is reshaping the threat landscape. On offence, attackers are using custom AI tools like FraudGPT and WormGPT to generate phishing emails, map attack surfaces, and automate realistic social engineering campaigns.

On defence, organizations are embedding discriminative AI for detecting novel malware and GenAI for summarizing and prioritizing alerts. “GenAI isn’t a silver bullet,” Manky cautioned, “but it can elevate analysts, reduce burnout, and help reduce mean time to respond.”

In OT, where skilled personnel are often limited, AI-driven threat intelligence, when paired with domain-specific context can significantly improve detection and response.

Turning intelligence into action

A central theme is that intelligence alone isn’t enough. To be effective, data about threats must also be actionable. Threat-informed defence models help organizations defend industrial systems, such as manufacturing lines, power grids, and refineries, by mapping their security operations to how real attackers actually behave, using frameworks like MITRE ATT&CK for ICS, which catalogues known tactics and techniques used against industrial control systems.

This enables defenders to:

• Detect attacker tactics like reconnaissance and lateral movement

• Map known techniques to current telemetry

• Prioritize response based on known risk to critical assets

The expanding OT attack surface

Industrial modernization is compounding industrial cyber risk. With the continued growth of industrial IoT, 5G, private cellular networks, and direct-to-cloud management models, more devices are online than ever—and they are increasingly exposed.

OT networks, once isolated, are now deeply integrated with IT systems, creating opportunities for attackers to pivot laterally between domains. And as operators continue connecting legacy OT equipment that was never designed with security in mind to IT networks and directly to the internet, compensating controls such as segmentation, multi-factor authentication (MFA), and virtual patching are no longer optional.

What organizations must do now: Three priorities

1. Close basic security gaps

   • Enforce MFA

   • Change default credentials and manage identities

   • Conduct regular external attack surface assessments

2. Invest in threat-informed SecOps

   • Build playbooks aligned with MITRE ATT&CK for ICS

   • Use deception technologies to detect lateral movement

   • Integrate threat intel with logging and analysis platforms

3. Plan for the inevitable

   • Run tabletop exercises

   • Train teams to detect phishing and AI-generated threats

   • Establish incident response readiness across IT and OT teams

“OT security is no longer optional,” Manky concluded. “You don’t just need visibility—you need context, speed, and actionability. That’s the only way to stay ahead.”

Awareness to action

As threat actors become faster, stealthier, and more resourceful, defending critical OT infrastructures requires more than traditional security measures. It demands situational awareness, active threat hunting, and the operational maturity to turn intelligence into action.

$9.3 million in federal funding backs six Alberta defence-tech companies

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The federal government has announced more than $9.3 million in repayable funding for six Alberta companies through the Regional Defence Investment Initiative, a three-year $379.2 million national program designed to integrate small and medium-sized businesses into Canada's defence supply chains.

The announcement was made in Calgary by Corey Hogan, Member of Parliament for Calgary Confederation, on behalf of Eleanor Olszewski, Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada.

Five of the six recipients are Calgary-based. Canadian UAVs is receiving the largest single investment at $3 million to deliver a fully deployable drone platform and intelligence suite providing reconnaissance and situational awareness for defence and security applications. The company's unmanned aerial vehicles are designed for long-endurance operations beyond visual line of sight.

VizworX is receiving $2 million to commercialize its Virtual Operations Environment platform, a mobile control room that integrates maps, live feeds, and data tracking into a collaborative 3D closed communication environment for mission planning and monitoring.

"We are excited to be able to accelerate the development and deployment of our Virtual Operations Environment, a Virtual Reality-based Command and Control solution, in support of the needs of the Canadian Armed Forces and our NATO allies," said Jeff LaFrenz, president of VizworX.

Microlynx Systems is receiving $2 million to improve high-power radio frequency amplifiers that support Arctic domain awareness, specifically the transmit power amplifiers used in Canada's Polar Over the Horizon Radar system. The project is designed to reduce sustainment demands and support NORAD modernization.

MRO Electronic Supply is receiving $1 million to strengthen domestic production of mission-critical components and expand manufacturing capacity for defence electronics.

Also receiving $1 million is Red Deer-based Technalogix, which is designing high-frequency power amplifier products for monitoring airspace and waterways across large geographical areas and in harsh conditions, including Canada's Arctic.

Rounding out the six is 3-Ci Manufacturing, receiving $300,900 to expand production capacity for military-grade cable and wiring systems.

All six investments are repayable.

🤝 Funding, Deals, and Partnerships

• CFIN and CDL-Rockies announce community partnership to strengthen Canada’s agrifood innovation ecosystem. This collaboration creates a powerful "producer-to-plate" pipeline, leveraging CFIN’s national network and industry expertise with CDL’s world-class, objectives-based mentorship program. CFIN

📰 Need To Know

• Inside the Calgary medtech company born from one man’s determination to treat his own son. Saving Adam was the first mission. Selling the science is the next. Betakit

• Alberta to become testbed for autonomous trucking tech targeting forestry sector. Kodiak AI is slated is conduct pilot operations for autonomous driving technology in Alberta. Calgary.Tech

• Punchcard Systems, College of Registered Nurses of Alberta expands digital platform to modernize nursing regulation. College Connect replaces paper-based licensing applications, approvals, and renewals with a mobile-first platform, cutting renewal times from days to minutes. Punchcard Systems

• Slalom expands Calgary presence with new downtown office. Slalom said the investment will help the firm attract and retain talent in Alberta while deepening its engagement with clients across the province. Calgary.Tech

• Leaders gather to shape next phase of Calgary’s economic action plan. Discussions focused on how Calgary can continue building a more resilient, competitive and inclusive economy amid rapid global change. Calgary Economic Development

$41 million in new funding for Alberta's energy and industrial sectors

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Emissions Reduction Alberta has announced more than $41 million in funding for nine projects across Alberta's energy, construction, and manufacturing sectors, as part of its annual Industrial Transformation Challenge. The funding is sourced from the Government of Alberta's industry-supported Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction (TIER) fund.

The nine projects span a range of technologies, including geothermal power generation, pairing battery storage with hydroelectric power, advanced grid management, nuclear micro-reactor development, real-time weather analytics to increase transmission capacity, and improvements to building materials manufacturing. Together, the 15 projects funded through the full 2025-26 challenge are estimated to reduce one million tonnes of emissions by 2030, create approximately 1,300 jobs, and inject $212 million into Alberta's economy.

Calgary-based AltaLink received $1.84 million toward a $5.4 million project using real-time weather data to safely increase transmission capacity and reduce grid congestion.

"By investing in these technologies across the province, we are strengthening Alberta's energy and industrial systems," said Justin Riemer, CEO of Emissions Reduction Alberta. "These investments are cutting emissions, creating opportunities for Albertans, and positioning Alberta as a global leader in the development and deployment of clean technology."

The 2025-26 challenge projects are estimated to deliver annual greenhouse gas emissions reductions of 294,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent, and approximately 5.7 million tonnes by 2050. All funded projects have the potential to be replicated at additional sites in Alberta, meaning both environmental and economic impacts could scale significantly over time.

📰 Need To Know

• Canada’s plan to ban crypto ATMs worries industry, advocates. Nearly 4,000 cryptocurrency ATMs are located across Canada. Betakit

• eStruxture to unveil CAL-3 data centre at Platform Calgary. Originally announced in 2024, CAL-3 represents a $750 million investment and is set to become Alberta’s largest data centre. Calgary.Tech

• A match made in innovation: How UCeed’s founder matching program is bridging labs, leaders, and markets. Launched in July 2025, The Founder Matching Program (FMP) aims to match 16 pairs of Ideators and Builders over an 18-month period. Alberta Innovates

• Tetra Digital Group launches CADD, Canada’s first CAD-backed stablecoin issues by a financial institution. CADD is Canada’s only stablecoin issued through a Canadian financial institution, bringing CAD settlement on-chain under full regulatory oversight. Tetra Digital Group

• Calgary students get real-world look into computer science. In recent years, school districts and the Alberta Government have increased access to dual-credit trades programs in response to widespread tradespeople shortages. Livewire Calgary

Keeping homegrown innovation in Alberta

Photo: Alberta Innovates

Alberta is setting up a dedicated intellectual property office, with the goal of keeping more homegrown innovation in the province rather than watching it generate jobs and economic growth elsewhere.

The Alberta IP Office, which will operate under Alberta Innovates with $8 million in provincial funding, is designed to help researchers, entrepreneurs, and innovators protect and commercialize their ideas in Alberta. The province points to a significant gap: more than 40 per cent of Canadian inventions are currently owned by foreign firms, with little commercialization activity happening in Canada.

Alberta has research strengths in areas like artificial intelligence, quantum computing, energy transition, agriculture, and health sciences — but the province says gaps in IP awareness and commercialization have limited how much of that innovation actually translates into economic benefit for Albertans.

The office will provide support across the full IP lifecycle, from building awareness to legal support and market analysis, and will work with post-secondary institutions, technology transfer offices, and public funding programs across the province.

🤝 Funding, Deals, and Partnerships

• Calgary’s Questor Technology secures NRC funding to commercialize cleantech. Questor is an environmental emissions reduction company focused on clean air technologies that support energy efficiency. Calgary.Tech

• Serenity Power announces $1 million pre-seed investment. Operating out of both Calgary and Toronto, Serenity Power develops solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) that replace diesel and conventional combustion engine generators with lower-emission power. Betakit

• Government grant to reimagine biotech from NanoTess for defence applications. The Calgary-based biotechnology startup, a developer of innovative catalytic healing solutions, is known for NanoSALV Catalytic, a proprietary technology that leverages copper to help re-establish key biochemical signals. Calgary.Tech

📰 Need To Know

• Calgary’s XPrize Canada hub builds foundation in its first year. The company runs large-scale innovation challenges, which often last for years and have millions of dollars at play. Livewire Calgary

• Calgary’s high-compute advantage: powering Canada’s next digital leap. As global demand for high-performance computing surges, the Blue Sky City has emerged as one of the few places in Canada where the conditions for growth already exist. Calgary Economic Development

• Calgary’s Answir targets AI for investor relations. Rather than relying on open-ended AI models, Answir’s assistant pulls responses exclusively from authorized sources such as SEDAR+, EDGAR filings, corporate websites, stock data feeds, and other formal disclosures. Calgary.Tech

$150 million securitization marks Neo Financial's institutional debut

Neo Financial, a Calgary-based fintech that has raised more than $650 million in funding since its 2019 founding, has closed a $150 million inaugural credit card securitization, marking the company's first entry into institutional capital markets. BMO Capital Markets structured the facility.

For Neo, the transaction marks the first time the company has tapped institutional capital markets to support its credit card portfolio. Co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer Jeff Adamson says the deal validates the quality of the company's credit data. "Institutional capital markets evaluate credit quality with complete objectivity," Adamson said. "Getting this done at this scale tells us the data is there and is a testament to the approach we've taken."

The deal also pairs Neo with fellow Calgary company SAF Group, a private credit firm that has deployed over $5 billion across more than 70 investments since 2014. SAF says the transaction reflects broader demand for Canadian-based structured credit. "We have been extremely impressed by the Neo team and the platform they are building to provide consumers with more accessible financing options," said Nur Khan, Managing Director at SAF Group.

Neo serves over one million customers across a range of products including credit cards, savings accounts, investing, and mortgages.

🤝 Funding, Deals, and Partnerships

• Alberta Enterprise Corporation invests $7.5 million into Mistral Venture Partners. AEC expands investment options for Alberta’s enterprise AI startups with $7.5M investment into Mistral Venture Partners – already an investor in nine Alberta startups. Alberta Enterprise Corporation

• Flora secures seed capital to rethink fertility insurance in North America. The Calgary-born fertility insurance platform raised US$5 million from a long list of investors including ManchesterStory, Slauson & Co., TruStage Ventures, BDC Capital, Marathon Fund, Adara Venture Capital, and undisclosed angels. Calgary.Tech

📰 Need To Know

• Next phase of tech and innovation strategy. The new and improved strategy builds on three years of progress under the original Alberta Technology and Innovation Strategy (ATIS), targeting three outcomes: more jobs, greater access to homegrown capital and faster pathways from research to market. Government of Alberta

• What Live Nation’s antitrust loss could mean for one Canadian competitor. CEO of Calgary’s Showpass says monopoly ruling means new opportunities for competitors, venues, and fans. Betakit

• Tech Stampede Social returns to Calgary. Hosted by Platform Calgary, the event aims to bring together founders, builders, investors, and ecosystem partners for an evening of networking, celebration, and community-building in the heart of Stampede festivities. Calgary.Tech

• AgTech-turned-crypto company aims to build data centre near Calgary. Avax One will spend $30-35 million to develop the 10MW natural gas-powered facility. Betakit

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Calgary startup lets people control devices with their thoughts

Photo: Possibility Neurotechnologies

A Calgary neurotechnology company has launched an app that allows people to control devices using only their brain signals — no physical interaction or voice input required.

Think2Switch, developed by Possibility Neurotechnologies, pairs with affordable EEG headbands to translate brainwave signals into real-time actions. Users can interact with apps on Apple devices or control their environment through smart home integrations. The system requires no specialized training and can be set up by a teacher, parent, or caregiver.

The app was co-founded by Drs. Dion Kelly and Adam Kirton, drawing on Dr. Kirton's pediatric neurology research at the University of Calgary and Alberta Children's Hospital. While the technology has potential for anyone curious about brain-computer interfaces, it was designed with a specific population in mind: children and individuals with significant physical disabilities who have limited or no other means of interacting with their environment.

One early user is Claire, a 10-year-old with cerebral palsy who uses Think2Switch at school to choose library books, pick colours for art projects, and make her own choices throughout the day. Her mother described the moment Claire first turned on a light using only her thoughts as the moment she started thinking about milestones instead of inch stones.

Think2Switch is available now on the Apple App Store, with a free first month followed by a $35/month subscription.

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🤝 Funding, Deals, and Partnerships

📰 Need To Know

• Mistral Venture Partners sets up shop in Alberta. Following fifth fund closure, VC firm eyes Calgary as the home base for a permanent Alberta expansion. Betakit

• AI data centre, power plant proposal in Olds, Alta., back on the table. Synapse has resubmitted its power plant, data centre complex application to Alberta's regulator. CBC News

• Calgary seeks out ‘long-term resilience’ by delivering local solutions to global stage. Alberta-based companies supported by Calgary Economic Development programming leveraged Canada’s free trade agreements in 2025, according to Farkas, expanding overseas rather than the US. Calgary.Tech

• TechJutsu launches browser extension to bring MFA to the web. The cybersecurity company aims to protect users from “vishing” risks. Betakit

Blackline Safety agrees to $850-million acquisition by Francisco Partners

Photo: Blackline Safety

Calgary-based Blackline Safety has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by an affiliate of Francisco Partners, a global technology-focused investment firm, in a deal valued at up to $850 million.

Blackline develops wearable devices, gas detection hardware, and cloud-connected software designed to keep industrial workers safe in demanding environments. The company has customers in more than 75 countries across industries including energy, public safety, transportation, and utilities, and has reported over 323 billion data points and initiated more than eight million emergency alerts.

For Blackline, the deal represents a significant shift — the company has been publicly traded on the TSX and, following completion of the transaction, its shares will be delisted and it will cease to be a public reporting issuer in Canada.

CEO Cody Slater says the move to private ownership will support the company's continued growth. "As Blackline transitions to a private company, this new partnership with Francisco Partners provides the financial strength, sector expertise and shared vision to continue our growth and strengthen our technology leadership."

Francisco Partners principal Mac Fountain and partner Christine Wang say the firm sees strong demand ahead for connected worker safety technology. "Blackline has built a leading platform in connected worker safety, combining hardware, software, and data to protect industrial workers in some of the most demanding environments in the world. We look forward to partnering with Cody and the leadership team to continue driving product innovation and expanding Blackline's reach."

Blackline's largest shareholder, DAK Capital — owned by Daryl Katz — has agreed to roll over its equity into the acquiring entity. The transaction is subject to shareholder approval and is expected to close in the second quarter of 2026.

🤝 Funding, Deals, and Partnerships

• Canada invests in energy innovation to become a clean energy superpower. The Honourable Tim Hodgson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, announced investments totalling $28.9 million for 12 projects across Canada that will accelerate the development and deployment of clean energy technologies. Government of Canada

• Carbon Upcycling secures $10M in financing from ATEL Ventures to support clean cement manufacturing. It will support the company’s flagship project at the Ash Grove Mississauga Cement Plant, which will permanently sequester CO₂ from the cement kiln and utilize it to transform locally produced industrial byproducts into high-quality, low-carbon supplementary cementitious materials Carbon Upcycling

• Marvel Biosciences secures Alberta Innovates funding to support the Phase I testing of MB-204. The $600,000 AICE-funded project represents a significant contribution toward the overall cost of the Phase I clinical trial of MB-204 and supports the advancement of the program into human trials. Marvel Biosciences

📰 Need To Know

• Alberta companies go global as Trade Accelerator Program reaches 50 cohorts. With the completion of its 50th cohort, TAP Alberta has now supported more than 660 companies, helping secure more than 200 trade deals and expand into over 50 international markets. Calgary Economic Development

• When Magic meets machines: Calgary’s role in a $300B collectibles boom. Calgary-based TCG Machines is exporting advanced automation technology around the world, helping trading card retailers and distributors process massive volumes of cards while creating high‑value manufacturing and engineering jobs in Alberta. Alberta Innovates

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Calgary's Denvr to build Canada's first sovereign AI defence simulation environment

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Calgary-based Denvr has partnered with Ottawa defence firm Dominion Dynamics to develop what the companies are calling Canada's first sovereign AI simulation environment purpose-built for Autonomous Collaborative Platforms — unmanned aircraft designed to fly alongside and support next-generation crewed fighter jets.

The simulation environment will be built on Denvr's Canada AI Platform (CAIP), a fully sovereign AI infrastructure platform designed to handle classified workloads entirely within Canadian jurisdiction. By operating on Canadian-owned infrastructure, the platform eliminates exposure to foreign legislation — a meaningful consideration for defence applications.

"The Canada AI Platform was built for exactly this purpose," said Denvr CEO Geoff Gordon. "A sovereign AI platform, designed to Canadian defence standards, operating entirely under Canadian jurisdiction."

For Denvr, the partnership is a significant validation of the platform it has been building. CAIP is the infrastructure backbone of the CAIP Defence Coalition, a consortium of Canadian sovereign defence technology companies developing a national AI platform for defence, of which Dominion Dynamics is a founding partner.

Dominion brings considerable momentum to the collaboration. The defence firm completed a $21-million seed round in January to accelerate development of sovereign defence technologies and is currently conducting Arctic trials with the Canadian Rangers. Its advisory board includes General Wayne Eyre, former Chief of the Defence Staff. Earlier this month, Dominion announced an initial $50-million investment to develop autonomous collaborative platform capability.

Dominion CEO Eliot Pence says the goal is to establish Canada as a leader in autonomous systems built for extreme environments.

"We believe Canada can be a world leader in building autonomous systems that operate in extreme environments. By partnering with Denvr, we will create a secure, Canadian-owned simulation environment to train and validate ACPs for the Canadian Armed Forces and our allied partners."

The joint simulation environment will support NORAD modernization, Arctic defence, and next-generation readiness for the Canadian Armed Forces, as collaborative combat aircraft and AI-enabled defence systems become central components of modern air power.

🤝 Funding, Deals, and Partnerships

• Calgary’s new cleantech research centre gets $4.25-million boost from federal government. CFI investment will help CeFar improve low-carbon tech like batteries and fuel cells. Betakit

• Citing ‘strong alignment,’ Calgary’s Shift Connect acquires Alberta fintech firm. Shift, a provider of foreign exchange and global payment services, says the acquisition brings together two respected Alberta fintech firms, combining decades of experience, client relationships, and technology. Fintech.ca

• Calgary’s Knead wins investment at DMZ Summit. Earlier this year Calgary.tech named Knead one of 10 homegrown Calgary startups to watch in 2026. Calgary.Tech

📰 Need To Know

• ‘Significant and life-changing’: Calgary tech company’s staff to see hefty payday from sale. Every member of the CoolIT team landed “one year to eight years of annual pay, depending on tenure.” CTV News

• First round of Alberta's data centre push could raise electricity prices, analysts say. 'Our North Star is we won't let anything happen that would compromise affordability or reliability to the grid,' Nate Glubish, Alberta’s minister of technology and innovation, said. Calgary Herald

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Platform Calgary names Jennifer Lussier as CEO

Photo: Platform Calgary

Platform Calgary has appointed Jennifer Lussier as its Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. Lussier had been serving as interim CEO since October 2025.

Lussier is not new to the organization — she joined Platform Calgary in 2019 as a startup advisor and worked her way up through director and vice-president roles before becoming Chief Operating Officer, a position she held for more than two years. In total, she brings seven-plus years with the organization and more than 30 years of experience in Calgary's business community, with a background in marketing, branding, and tech entrepreneurship.

Board Chair Dean Prodan says the board is confident Lussier is the right person to keep Platform Calgary's momentum going.

"Platform Calgary has played an important role shaping the exponential growth of Calgary's tech community. To continue this impressive trajectory, Platform Calgary needs proven leadership that will continue delivering results for Calgary's innovators. The Platform Calgary Board of Directors believes that Jennifer Lussier is that leader."

In her own words, Lussier is focused on expanding the organization's reach and accelerating support for the local startup community.

"I'm dedicated to expanding Platform Calgary's impact by leveraging our thriving hub, and by delivering high-velocity programs that entrepreneurs need to keep pace with these rapid changes."

Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas welcomed the appointment, calling Platform Calgary a critical part of the city's growing tech sector and its broader economic diversification goals.

Outside of her work at Platform Calgary, Lussier serves on the Board of Trustees for Bethany Seniors, one of the largest not-for-profit seniors' services and affordable housing providers in central and southern Alberta.

🤝 Funding, Deals, and Partnerships

• University of Calgary researchers use AI to hunt new treatments for cattle parasites. Team secures $1.4-million NSERC grant for further development and validation. Betakit

• Feds fund three new University of Calgary projects. The projects are said to span from Al-powered precision cancer care to helping farmers create drought-tolerant canola crops and designed to accelerate adoption of genomics in sectors critical to Canadian health and economic competitiveness, according to a Genome Canada press release. Livewire Calgary

📰 Need To Know

• “We’re in a moment in Canada”: Solomon brings AI pitch to Platform Calgary. Federal AI minister says updated AI strategy will benefit everyone, not just “tech bros.” Betakit

• Summit Nanotech unveils digital twin platform to predict real-world performance. The Calgary-based lithium extraction startup says this latest layer of technology is designed to accelerate the commercial design, validation, and deployment of direct lithium extraction systems for producers. Calgary.Tech

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Calgary startup lands national distribution deal for catalytic wound care

Photo: NanoTess

Calgary-founded NanoTess has signed a distribution agreement with Embecta — the world's leading producer of insulin injection devices — to bring its flagship wound care product to more than 14,000 pharmacies across Canada.

The deal marks the first wound care product Embecta has distributed in Canada, and a significant step forward for NanoTess, which was co-founded in 2020 by Megan Leslie and Julian Mulia with the goal of improving how patients and healthcare systems treat chronic wounds and skin conditions.

At the centre of the partnership is NanoSALV Catalytic, a Health Canada-authorised medical device that optimises and accelerates the body's natural healing processes — particularly relevant for the four million-plus Canadians living with diabetes, who face 20 times the risk of non-traumatic lower limb amputations compared to the general population. Eighty-five percent of those amputations are preceded by foot ulcers.

For Leslie, the Embecta partnership is about closing the gap between innovation and access.

"Reducing barriers to care has always been our highest priority as a company. Our partnership with Embecta does exactly that, by making catalytic wound care accessible to every Canadian living with diabetes and every Canadian living with wound and skin concerns."

Jennifer Spearen, VP and General Manager of Embecta Canada, says demand for accessible, easy-to-use early intervention options has been building within the diabetes community for some time — and that NanoSALV Catalytic's Canadian origins are an added draw in the current market.

"It was developed and produced right here in Canada," she noted.

NanoSALV Catalytic is already listed on the Alberta Drug Benefit List and has been adopted by Alberta Health Services and BC Provincial Health Services Authority.

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📰 Need To Know

• Alberta’s technology minister continues data centre courtship at Digital Innovation Forum. Nate Glubish pitches province's energy, low taxes, and cool climate. Betakit

• Alberta invests $46M toward cleantech innovation in province’s energy sector. Delivered through Emissions Reduction Alberta, this funding will support nine real-world projects, including technologies to remove bitumen and chemicals from mine water, dry and settle tailings faster, and use wetlands to naturally and safely clean water. Calgary.Tech

• Google for Startups Accelerator reveals 14 “AI-driven” companies in its Canadian cohort. The startups touch a variety of industries, including real estate, construction, agriculture, finance, manufacturing, e-commerce, healthcare, and life sciences. Betakit

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E3 Lithium secures up to $36.5M in federal funding for Clearwater Project

Photo: Unsplash

Calgary-based E3 Lithium has received conditional approval for up to $36.5 million in federal funding to speed up development of its Clearwater lithium project. The non-repayable funding from the Government of Canada's Global Partnerships Initiative covers 75 per cent of a $48 million project.

The money will help E3 build its third demonstration facility east of Olds, Alberta, and complete a feasibility study. The facility will include a full-sized commercial column expected to produce 100 tonnes per year of lithium chloride. E3 also plans to hire 25 additional full-time staff.

President and CEO Chris Doornbos says the funding lets the company move faster toward commercial production. "E3 is on track to be one of the first commercial lithium projects to come on-stream in Canada, creating jobs and future opportunities for all Canadians," he said.

The funding is conditional on due diligence and a contribution agreement. E3 is working with Axens Group from France and ABB from Switzerland on the project.

📰 Need To Know

• Syantra’s breast cancer blood test isn’t looking for cancer at all. Imagine a screening method that’s more accurate in early detection than a mammogram and less expensive than an MRI. Betakit

• Blackline Safety deploys gas sensors for pipeline detection dogs. The company has announced the first deployment of its GPS-enabled gas monitoring devices with Calgary’s K9 Leak Hunters, whose specially trained canine unit delivers precise pipeline leak detection services for rural oil and gas utilities. Calgary.Tech

• Carbon Upcycling appoints Suzy Taherian as CFO to advance global commercialization. Her appointment comes at a pivotal moment for the company as it advances its commercial scale-up and capital strategy for global deployment. Carbon Upcycling

• Svante acquires carbon dioxide removal project developer, Carbon Alpha Corp. Calgary-based Carbon Alpha’s North Star Project will add carbon capture and storage at the existing MLTC Bioenergy Centre, a forestry biomass cogeneration facility, permanently and safely storing captured biogenic CO₂ deep underground in a saline aquifer. Svante Technologies

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Neo Financial teams up with United Airlines for new travel card

Photo: Neo Financial

Calgary-based Neo Financial is teaming up with United Airlines to launch the United MileagePlus Neo World Elite Mastercard, a co-branded credit card launching in April that turns everyday spending into travel rewards with what the companies describe as the world's largest airline. The card offers priority boarding, a free checked bag, and access to more than 380 destinations across six continents.

The card combines Neo Financial's real-time rewards platform with United's loyalty program. Cardmembers earn extra miles when booking flights on United and Star Alliance carriers and can redeem miles for travel with any Star Alliance airline. They also get access to Neo's network of over 10,000 local and national partners across Canada where they can earn accelerated miles.

Chief Commercial Officer and co-founder Jeff Adamson says the partnership brings more value to Canadian travellers.

"The United MileagePlus Neo World Elite Mastercard will add a powerful new option for Canadians who want to turn everyday effort into meaningful travel rewards," he said.

The first 3,000 customers to join the waitlist will receive an additional 5,000 bonus miles on top of the standard welcome offer when they activate the card. All new cardmembers receive a welcome offer. The waitlist is now open at Neo Financial's website.

📰 Need To Know

• TransAlta signs data centre deal with CPP Investments and Brookfield. Deal sets out framework for development of site in Parkland County. CBC News

• Calgary lands Climeworks carbon removal HQ. Swiss carbon removal company Climeworks is establishing its Canadian headquarters in Calgary, selecting the Energy Transition Centre (ETC) as a base to test and scale direct air capture technology in cold-weather conditions. Calgary.Tech

• UCalgary joins national Quantum Co-laboratory. Expanded partnership strengthens Canada’s leadership in quantum science and technology. University of Calgary

• Calgary Consortium launches digital asset insurer. Licensed in Alberta in December 2025 after several years of regulatory engagement, the entity is structured as a member-owned insurance company. Calgary.Tech

• 2025 a big year for Platform Calgary, city tech and innovation scene. The Alberta Government has three-pronged plan to continue nurturing Calgary's world-leading tech sector. Livewire Calgary

Alberta invests $28M in energy tech projects across the province

Alberta is putting $28 million toward six technology projects designed to boost energy production while cutting environmental impacts. The funding, delivered through Emissions Reduction Alberta's Industrial Transformation Challenge and backed by the industry-funded TIER program, supports innovations ranging from pipeline protection to turning farm waste into energy.

Two projects have Calgary connections. One involves new technology that helps companies extract more energy from existing wells, keeping production costs down and supporting local jobs. A University of Calgary team led by associate professor Anne Benneker at the Schulich School of Engineering is also receiving funding to develop in-situ remediation technology that removes hydrocarbons and salts from soil impacted by industrial operations. The technology could be used to clean up thousands of orphan well sites across Alberta.

Other funded projects include testing carbon capture pipeline security technology in Suffield, converting cattle farm waste into natural gas in Coaldale, reducing emissions from natural gas operations in Yellowhead County, and developing methane reduction technology for cattle in Edmonton. Taurus Canada Renewable Natural Gas Corp. CEO Phillip Abrary says the funding enables a first-of-its-kind fully integrated renewable energy and carbon capture project in Alberta's cattle farming region.

The projects are expected to create about 1,000 jobs, add nearly $167 million to Alberta's economy by 2027, and reduce 260,000 tonnes of emissions by 2030. Individual investments range from $625,000 to $12 million per project.

Justin Riemer, CEO of Emissions Reduction Alberta, says the investments reflect momentum in clean technology innovation across the province. "These projects show how Alberta-made innovation is delivering real environmental results and economic opportunity across the province," he said.

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📰 Need To Know

• Canadian Tire reveals new AI platform for detecting consumer trends. When Canadian Tire piloted the tool recently, it identified more than 1,000 instances when the company could serve customers better and will begin applying those insights to its stores, online experiences and merchandise this year. CityNews

• Wagepoint launches timesheets and My Wagepoint mobile app, driving innovation for Canadian small businesses. New features mark a step forward in building a unified payroll, time, and people platform purpose-built for Canada's small business ecosystem. Wagepoint

• Calgary cleantech ZS2 expands south through partnership with US manufacturer. The move comes in response to rising demand for the company’s flagship product, according to Scott Jenkins, chief executive officer ZS2 Technologies. Calgary.Tech

Calgary businesses are finding new markets as U.S. trade uncertainty drags on

A year into renewed U.S. trade tensions, Calgary companies are moving quickly to reduce their dependence on American customers. New data from Calgary Economic Development shows just 24 per cent of CED-supported trade deals in 2025 went to U.S. customers, down from 35 per cent in 2024—the smallest share on record. By comparison, roughly 68 per cent of Canada's exports still went to the U.S. last year, underscoring how aggressively local firms have been diversifying.

The shift is paying off. CED-supported companies secured $60 million in trade revenue through 45 international deals in 2025, creating 187 jobs through business expansions. Trade deal revenue jumped approximately 500 per cent year-over-year as firms moved toward larger contracts and higher-value markets. Companies expanded into 21 countries across six continents, spanning clean energy, advanced manufacturing, agri-food, digital technologies, life sciences, and aerospace.

Some Calgary companies found the experience transformative. Casa Bonita Inc. director Sergio Llerena says the company turned to new markets after realizing its U.S. partners had become unreliable. Through a CED-supported trade mission to FoodEx Japan, Casa Bonita secured partners in Japan, Korea, Thailand, and Australia. "Through the mission, we secured partners that share our same principles and value long-standing relationships, leaving the U.S., our former main export market, in a very distant place for our products and efforts," Llerena said.

CED's Trade Accelerator Program, supported by the Government of Alberta, helps export-ready companies with planning, market intelligence, and connections to global partners. ZeroSound Systems CEO Norm Bogner says the program helped his company establish a presence in the UAE and Australia, close a deal in Italy, and deliver projects in Chile. "That guidance and network have allowed us to expand with purpose, speed and a clear path to long-term international growth," he said.

CED plans to expand its trade programming in 2026, with supplemental support launching in Q2 to help Alberta companies enter new markets faster amid ongoing economic uncertainty.

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📰 Need To Know

• Elle, MD, Hiive, and LiORA among latest CIX Startup Awards winners. Ninety-four investors from the CIX Selection Committee chose these companies from a pool of more than 370 applications. Betakit

• How 'random experimentation' is defining a new wave of entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs are known as risk takers: people with a bold vision who go all in, investing their time, energy and money in a single idea. University of Calgary

• Return policy a critical strategy for online retail, Calgary’s cashew concludes. Brands are losing revenue in online sales, often without realizing why, due to outdated return policies. Calgary.Tech

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TOGETHER WITH

Welcome to this week's Sunday Briefing. In this edition:

• A Calgary fintech raises millions for securitization program

• Agtech startup secures seed funding as dealer adoption grows

• Invest Alberta CEO unexpectedly steps down

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Neo Financial raises $68.5M to fund Canada's first fintech securitization program

Calgary-based Neo Financial has closed a $68.5 million equity round to launch its first securitization program—something the company says no other Canadian fintech has done. The oversubscribed round brought in over 100 Canadian investors, founders, and entrepreneurs, plus institutional money from Alberta Investment Management Corporation, Northleaf Capital Partners, Plaza Ventures, Sandstone Asset Management, and Caldwell Growth Opportunities Fund.

Securitization essentially means Neo can bundle its credit assets and sell them to investors, using the same playbook that major banks rely on to fund lending. Instead of being limited by how much equity capital they have on hand, the company can scale its lending portfolio into the billions. It also means Neo's credit modelling and risk management need to meet the same standards as Tier 1 banks.

Neo's AI-driven credit models are what make this work. The technology lets the company dig deeper into risk assessment while keeping the underwriting tight enough for a program of this size. CEO and co-founder Andrew Chau says the point is to shake up a financial system that's been holding Canadians back for decades.

"Having the backing from over 100 of our country's most successful entrepreneurs and institutional leaders is a massive vote of confidence as we enter our next phase of growth," he said.

Founded in 2019, Neo has now raised more than $700 million and serves over one million customers with credit cards, savings accounts, investing, and mortgages. The company operates out of Calgary, Winnipeg, and Toronto, and also provides financial tools for over 10,000 business partners nationwide.

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🤝 Funding, Deals, and Partnerships

• Brilliant Harvest secures $4M USD seed financing as commercial adoption hits 50% of CNH large dealer locations. The round includes new investors FTW Ventures, Alpaca VC, Automotive Ventures, SVG THRIVE and NYA Ventures, alongside existing backers Builders VC and AltaML. Brilliant Harvest

• Calgary startup launches tech platform to help ‘illuminate risk before disaster strikes.’ Traverse Analytics, founded in 2024 by Amber Rushton, unveiled Resilisight, a cloud-based platform designed to transform disaster insight into foresight through the power of human intelligence, technology, and data. Calgary.Tech

📰 Need To Know

• Carbon Upcycling appoints Markus Kritzler as CEO to accelerate global commercialization. As the company targets deploying 5 million tonnes of annual clean cementitious capacity over the next five years, it is aligning leadership to focus on operational excellence, project delivery, and scalable growth. Carbon Upcycling

• Invest Alberta’s Rick Christiaanse unexpectedly resigns as CEO. Crown corporation’s former COO is now acting CEO. Betakit

TOGETHER WITH

Welcome to this week's Sunday Briefing. In this edition:

• A Calgary fashion startup closes pre-seed funding round

• University researchers awarded over $1M for hydrogen tech

• National AI learning program launches for youth

P.S. Did someone forward you this email? You can subscribe right here. And for real-time updates, follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.  

Calgary's Cellar Insights raises $500K to scale potato storage monitoring tech

Photo: Unsplash

Calgary-based Cellar Insights has landed a $500,000 investment from SVG Ventures | THRIVE to scale up its AI-powered potato storage monitoring system. The technology helps growers and storage operators catch spoilage problems early, before they spread through an entire storage pile and destroy crop value.

The company's monitoring system tracks the usual suspects—temperature, humidity, CO₂—but also watches for rot-risk signals including rot gas. When something's off, it sends alerts so operators can step in before rot, shrinkage, and poor fry colour take over. That matters because storage losses in the potato sector typically hit 5 per cent or more, and trying to monitor everything manually across months of storage just doesn't work.

Cellar Insights was co-founded by Ross Culberson, a sixth-generation potato grower who built the platform around problems he knew firsthand. The company first connected with SVG Ventures through an Alberta accelerator program run with Alberta Innovates. John Cassidy, managing director Canada at SVG Ventures | THRIVE, says they stayed in touch as Cellar Insights proved out its technology and started expanding beyond Alberta.

One big milestone came through a deployment at Farm Credit Canada's Innovation Farm Network potato site in MacGregor, Manitoba. The commercial-scale operation gave Cellar Insights real-world validation under different regional conditions.

CEO Terry Sydoryk says testing in New Brunswick, Alberta, and Manitoba helped prove the model works. Now the company has active deployments in Prince Edward Island and is building relationships in Idaho and Washington. "Storage is where crop value is protected or lost," he said. "Our system delivers early warnings and clear insights so operators can act sooner to reduce shrink and spoilage risk."

The investment will help Cellar Insights scale across North America. The company has also tapped into SVG Ventures' global network, including participating in the Canada-Ireland Bridge delegation to explore international markets.

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🤝 Funding, Deals, and Partnerships

• Prévoir closes $750K pre-seed round to scale its AI-powered fashion platform. Calgary startup helps retailers and merchandisers single out trends and track fashion analytics. Betakit

• UCalgary-led research builds tools needed for future hydrogen fuel technologies. Schulich School of Engineering researchers awarded $1.27 million through Alberta Innovates’ Hydrogen Centre of Excellence. UCalgary

📰 Need To Know

• MindFuel ignites a national AI learning movement for Canadian youth. New programs launch coast-to-coast-to-coast to help build Canada's future AI talent. MindFuel

• AIMCo recognized as top employer. This is the third year in a row that AIMCo has been recognized nationally as a top employer for young people, and the twelfth year that AIMCo has been named as one of the top employers in Alberta. Alberta Investment Management Corporation

• Calgary entrepreneurs garner grand prize from Telus for Middle Housing Innovation. Among the winners is MDDL, a Calgary-based organization dedicated to accelerating “middle housing” solutions in Alberta and beyond through tools, expert guidance, and other resources for citizens, developers, and municipalities. Calgary.Tech

• Y Combinator is no longer investing in Canadian startups. Silicon Valley’s most famous accelerator now requires Canadian firms to incorporate in the U.S., Cayman Islands or Singapore in order for it to invest. The Logic