INNOVATE™ Alberta

Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo, AB – In 2019, a visionary entrepreneur by the name of Julieta Miranda embarked on a mission to solve a pressing challenge faced by parents everywhere: juggling work and personal commitments while ensuring their children safely reach school and extracurricular activities. This is how Kid Drop...

As the pace of change accelerates, innovation becomes essential for organizations to adapt and maintain a competitive edge. Motiv, an award-winning digital innovation firm and venture builder, guides its partners through their innovation journey. With a mission to generate new value through digital innovation, Motiv works with its partners to...

Creating Connected Supply NetworksSince 2017, Routeique® has developed industry-leading Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) products, IoT hardware, and apps for businesses in the supply chain space. “We’re building solutions to problems that have traditionally been difficult to solve,” says CEO Mike Allan. Routeique tools enable companies of all...

In an era marked by record heat events, unprecedented rainfalls, and the alarming melting of Antarctic ice, the urgency to address climate change has never been more palpable. Observing these changes raises a critical question: can we act quickly enough to mitigate their impact? Undoubtedly, this is the most significant...

When Wunmi Adekanmbi first stepped into the Alberta tech scene out of sheer curiosity in 2019, she had no idea what awaited her. To her pleasant surprise, she discovered a vibrant and innovative community governed by a social contract of giving first, with a strong support system and valuable industry...

“When I started The Agency in 2009 as a boutique firm servicing the tech sector in Calgary, I heard the same thing over and over: What tech sector?” — Arleigh Vasconcellos, CEO/Founder, The Agency Communications Inc Calgary is one of the fastest growing tech centres in North America, and The...

ABOUTW21C is a research and innovation centre based in the University of Calgary’s O’Brien Institute for Public Health in the Cumming School of Medicine and the Calgary Zone of Alberta Health Services (AHS). W21C conducts research to improve health services and systems to Make Care Better. OUR HISTORYW21C was created...

The Centres for Manufacturing and Energy Innovation collaborate with business and industry clients to help them reach their goals. “Every innovation starts with a challenge, but that challenge is not always coming up with a new idea. Sometimes the biggest challenge entrepreneurs face is overcoming barriers to accessing the technology...

Bow Valley College has been an access college since 1965, earning a reputation for fast-paced programs that quickly respond to the practical needs of adult students and our economy. On May 16, 2023, the College launched a new Digital Strategy, which outlines how technology will enhance the student experience, improve...

In the broad and often nebulous world of innovation, one company in Alberta aims to change how we think about innovation with its unique approach: Unbounded Thinking. With a mission to transform ‘innovation’ from a vague buzzword into a scientific discipline, the team at Unbounded Thinking brings a refreshing perspective...

NanosTech, born from the innovative crucible of the University of Calgary, exemplifies the transformative potential of ground-breaking catalytic research. In 2021, it found a new home under the umbrella of Vorsana Environmental Inc., further cementing its position as a catalyst for change within the nanocatalyst and catalyst technologies landscape. NanosTech...

Globally, healthcare is being disrupted, akin to the disruption we witnessed in media and transportation, and digital health is leading the charge. While Canada lags its peers in health outcomes and health system performance, Alberta’s areas of strength – artificial intelligence, Internet of Things and immersive technologies – can be...

BUILDING ON SUCCESSIn 2021, the Government of Canada embarked on a new approach to economic development in the West. To better recognize the unique economic drivers of the Prairies and British Columbia, the department known as Western Economic Diversification (WD) evolved into two departments. On August 6, 2021, Prairies Economic...

The Edmonton Regional Innovation Network (ERIN) is a coalition of organisations in the Edmonton region that helps entrepreneurs start and grow innovative businesses. The ERIN aims to create a Regional Innovation Network that is accessible, inclusive of diverse thoughts and ways of doing, and meets the needs of the innovation...

EvolutionVN is the home of a proprietary piece of exercise equipment, the Evolution Training System. As their flagship product, the Evolution is a compact, versatile, and functional piece of equipment that makes exercise and rehabilitation more practical, effective, and sustainable. It was designed to fit any space and to have...

Hello Debt Relief!With innovation all around, a new idea can pop up anywhere, even in rock solid places like the company savings plan. “I’ve been in financial services my whole career,” says Marmot Benefits Founder, John Kenny, “I learned early on that personal debt can be the single biggest obstacle...

The Regional Innovation Network of Southern Alberta (RINSA) was formed in 2011 as a collaborative partnership between Alberta Innovates with Economic Development Lethbridge/ Tecconnect, Lethbridge College, and the University of Lethbridge. Through trusted relationship building and a commitment to serving rural/remote and under-represented groups, RINSA has expanded to 14 members....

It began as a lightbulb moment during the pandemic, when Earthware Reusables Inc. founder, John MacInnes, was moved to do something about the waste he and his family generated during a typical takeout meal. It has now turned into a worldwide first, in reusable systems. No stranger to entrepreneurship, having...

Technology Alberta is an industry-business association that supports the growth of Alberta’s tech sector, by building community. With an entrepreneur-led approach, we coordinate efforts and collaborate with key stakeholders – so that together, we deliver greater value for all of Alberta’s advanced technology growth companies. As a province-wide organization, our...

THE HISTORY OF THE HUNTER HUB FOR ENTREPRENEURIAL THINKINGThe Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking was founded in 2017 with a $40 million donation from the Hunter Family Foundation, marking one of the largest donations in the University of Calgary’s history. The Hunter Hub’s purpose is to spread entrepreneurial thinking throughout...

RAINFOREST ALBERTA IS ROOTED IN AN ANALOGYAlthough the cold, dry climate of Alberta might not seem to have much in common with the Rainforest, our innovation ecosystem sure does. This connection is explored in the book: “The Rainforest: The Secret to Building the Next Silicon Valley” by Greg Horowitt and...

SolarSteam’s purpose is to decarbonize the highest emitting and hardest to abate heavy industry segments. The problem that SolarSteam addresses is the elephant in the energy room – industrial heat. Globally, thermal energy requirements constitute close to 50% of total GHG emissions. In Alberta approximately 2⁄3 of GHG emissions come...

Launched in 2022, Calgary Tech Journal (CTJ) strives to provide the most complete coverage of Calgary’s innovation ecosystem. CTJ builds and supports the local community, delivering the top tech and innovation stories and can’t miss links from around YYC, twice a week. Its articles and newsletters not only cover breaking...

The Canadian Food Innovation Network (CFIN) is a national, member based organization established in 2021 that’s stimulating transformative and transferrable innovation across the food sector. CFIN has three key strategic pillars: smart product and process development; food ecosystem sustainability; and agile and safe supply chains. The organization connects the Canadian...