INNOVATE™ Alberta

A national not-for-profit organization, Mitacs empowers Canadian innovation through effective partnerships that deliver solutions to the world’s most pressing problems. It assists organizations in reaching their goals, funds cutting-edge innovation, and creates job opportunities for students and postdocs. These achievements are supported by the Government of Alberta, the Government of...

Carmella, an award-winning, nationally certified, net-zero, woman-owned, and women-led full-service marketing and sales agency, is on a mission to transform communities and make a significant GDP level impact. Grounded in a philosophy of providing complimentary education without expectations, offering extraordinary hospitality, relentlessly pursuing excellence, Carmella delivers the ultimate customer experience....

In a world where nearly 40% of produced food goes to waste, Knead Technologies has emerged as a trailblazer, revolutionizing the fight against food waste (Parfitt et al., 2021, p. 6). With their innovative logistics solutions, this software development company is redefining how food rescue organizations operate worldwide. By seamlessly...

Mitacs helps organizations reach their commercial goals, fund innovation, and create employment opportunities that promote economic growth and productivity and improve quality of life for Canadians. Mitacs’s work is supported by generous funding from the Government of Quebec and the Government of Canada. Since its foundation in 1999, Mitacs has...

ALBERTA IS THE HEADQUARTERS FOR BOLD THINKERS AND CREATIVE INNOVATORS As one of North America’s premier investment attraction organizations, Invest Alberta expedites business operations, fosters collaboration, and goes the extra mile to ensure long-term success for businesses. With a robust entrepreneurial culture and team members strategically positioned worldwide, Invest Alberta...

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...

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...

A CENTURY-OLD BUILDING IS GETTING A WHOLE LOT SMARTER, THANKS TO SOME INNOVATIONS DRIVEN BY ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE RESEARCHERS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA. The 101-year-old dentistry and pharmacy centre is one of the first buildings you see when you come onto the University of Alberta’s North Campus. Right now, the...

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...

Uniting diverse companies, individuals, and organizations from across the national innovation ecosystem, the Canadian Blockchain Consortium is the country’s advocate for the blockchain technology and cryptocurrency sector. The Consortium was launched in 2016 as the Alberta Blockchain Consortium by the late energy and technology pioneer Suzanne West, who had a...

Our company was established in 1986 during a difficult recession. Grit, determination, and an unwavering pursuit to reimagine what is possible, has gotten us to where we are today. Our ability to consider our role as a company, as leaders, and as a team in relation to the industries we...

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...

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...

LEADERSHIP. COLLABORATION. CAPITAL. IT’S HOW WE’RE TURNING ENERGY TRANSITION INTO A MASSIVE OPPORTUNITY.Avatar was born from the simple premise that solutions to the complex challenges of climate change and energy transition must come from within the energy industry. By working inside incumbent heavy industry, Avatar Innovations unlocks industry validated solutions...

When Renee Matsalla and Christa Hill first met, they were on the team that would scale a Calgary-based tech startup to global heights. The two women formed an immediate connection through their passion for Product Management and problem-solving, yet in those early days on the team of Benevity — a...

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...

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...

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 Wood Buffalo Regional Innovation Network (WBRIN) was born of a need to connect business support organizations in Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo to each other, as well as entrepreneurs in the region and Alberta. It is a network of six organizations in Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo, who occupy the roles...

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...

Canada’s population is growing older. In 2019, the population of seniors 65-years of age and older was almost one-fifth of the overall population, and by 2040 the population of seniors is predicted to reach one-fourth of the overall population, with over one-third of seniors having two or more chronic diseases.1...

Buoyancy Works is a Calgary, Alberta-based wellness tech and behavioural insights company that empowers employment agencies to scale their impact through technology-enabled behaviour change techniques. The Buoyancy platform helps organizations scale programs, measure engagement, and support their clients through the emotional and motivational challenges of the job search. Buoyancy’s tools...

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...

Wayne Karpoff, CEO of Willowglen Systems, and his team of Scada rock stars are making innovative improvements to the rail transportation and energy industries. “We reimagined SCADA to meet the needs of the future. And it all started here in Alberta.” — Wayne Karpoff, CEO at Willowglen Systems. Innovation is...