Calgary.tech

🚀 Calgary's Tech Ecosystem: Thriving and Ready for 2025 🌟 Calgary is solidifying its place on the global stage, recently earning a spot among the world’s top 50 emerging startup ecosystems. With a 78% growth in tech jobs over five years, the city’s innovation landscape is buzzing with transformative startups poised to make waves in 2025. From sustainability and AI to proptech and biotech, here’s a glimpse at 10 Calgary-based startups leading the charge: - Arbor (Founders: Abdullah Choudhry, Alex Todorovic, Ben Grande & Danny Grande): Carbon management at scale 🌍 - Bidaya AI (Founders: Omar Sabbagh & Majd Alsado): AI-driven public procurement 🚀 - Bōde (Founders: Robert Price, Lindsay Skabar, Jeff Jackson & Alan Kelly): Simplifying real estate transactions 🏡 - Brilliant Harvest Inc. (Founder: Remi Schmaltz): Agtech innovation 🤖 - HazTrack Inc. (Founders: Tom McDonell, Zach Johnson & Cauani Castro): Industrial safety through sensors 🔍 - Nimble Science (Founders: Sabina Bruehlmann & Joseph Wang): Transforming gut health research 🧬 - PrePad (Founders: Sean Hervo & Brandon Eidson, PhD): Revolutionizing cost estimation for energy 🌐 - Reporting Hub (Founders: Brian DeLuca, Manvir Singh Grewal, & Lakhbir Singh Lakhyan): Enhancing business intelligence 📊 - ResVR (Founder: Nathan Nasseri): Virtual homebuying experiences 🏘️ - Showpass (Founder: Lucas McCarthy): Innovating live event ticketing 🎟️ Calgary’s dynamic startup ecosystem exemplifies resilience, innovation, and economic diversification. The future is bright! 🌟 #CalgaryTech

🚀 Big wins for women-led startups at DMZ’s Women Innovation Summit! Calgary-based Cashew secured the top funding spot, raising $190,000 from DMZ Ventures and The Firehood to scale its AI-driven market research platform. It was one of four women-led startups to receive funding at the Toronto event, which awarded a total of $535,000 to female entrepreneurs. This year also marked a major milestone with DMZ Ventures joining as an investment partner, increasing opportunities for women founders. Other funding recipients included Migranium ($125K), @Edie Farming ($120K), and Metronome ($100K). Meanwhile, Virtual Gurus’ Bobbie Racette was honored as one of DMZ’s 2025 Women of the Year for her impact on Canada’s tech ecosystem. “Women-led startups drive innovation and stronger returns,” said Abdullah Snobar, CEO of DMZ Ventures. #WomenInTech #Startups #Innovation #Entrepreneurship #Funding

🎖️ Canadian AI Pioneer Richard Sutton Wins 2024 Turing Award 🎖️ The ACM A.M. Turing Award, known as the “Nobel Prize of Computing,” has been awarded to Richard Sutton and Andrew Barto for their groundbreaking work in reinforcement learning—a pillar of modern AI. 🔹 Mathematical & algorithmic foundations of reinforcement learning 🔹 Influencing cognitive science, neuroscience, & AI innovation 🔹 Authoring the field’s standard reference book, cited 75K+ times Sutton, a University of Alberta professor, remains skeptical that today’s AI is on the path to true intelligence. Google’s Jeff Dean calls their work “a lynchpin of AI progress.” Read more below. 👇 #AI #TuringAward #ReinforcementLearning #MachineLearning

🚀 Big news for digital healthcare in Canada! Calgary-based PurposeMed has secured a growth investment led by True North Fund, with backing from BDC and Panache Ventures, as it continues its rapid expansion into the U.S. market. Recently ranked Canada’s second-fastest-growing tech company, PurposeMed is transforming accessible healthcare through its telehealth platforms Freddie, Frida, and Foria—with a major impact on HIV prevention, gender-affirming care, and behavioral health. The company’s innovative approach is estimated to save Canada’s healthcare system $200 million annually. With this funding, PurposeMed is set to scale even further, reimagining care delivery by integrating telemedicine and pharmacy services to better serve underserved communities. 🏥 “We are thrilled to partner with the True North Fund team on this financing, propelling our continued mission to build the most impactful global digital health company.” – PurposeMed CEO Dr. Husein Moloo #DigitalHealth #Telemedicine #HealthcareInnovation #CalgaryTech #HealthTech #StartupGrowth

🚀 The51 Welcomes Lauren Robinson as Fund Managing Partner 🚀 Big news in venture capital! The51, a firm dedicated to backing women-led innovation, has appointed Lauren Robinson as Fund Managing Partner to lead its next phase of growth. With 20 years of experience in VC, capital markets, and early-stage company building, Robinson will focus on fund expansion, capital deployment, and investor engagement. A long-time champion of diversity in investing, she previously co-founded Highline Beta’s pre-seed fund and chaired the DEI Committee at Canadian Venture Capital & Private Equity Association (CVCA). 💡 “Investing in women is an economic opportunity hiding in plain sight,” says Robinson. With Robinson joining Shelley Kuipers and Judy Fairburn, The51 is scaling its impact—proving that funding women-led innovation delivers both returns and systemic change. #VentureCapital #WomenInBusiness #FundingTheFuture #CalgaryTech

📊 Calgary’s Startup Ecosystem Hits a Key Milestone 🚀 With Calgary’s startup ecosystem approaching $3 billion in value, Innovate Calgary’s Social Innovation Hub (SIH) is set to release a new report this month, offering data-driven insights on the city’s innovation landscape. Since launching in 2023, SIH has been fostering social innovation, supporting founders, nonprofits, and researchers in bringing unexpected solutions to life. Programs like the Artist-in-Residence initiative, Launchpad, and The Summer Accelerator are helping shape Calgary’s next generation of entrepreneurs. 📅 Report drops March 20—stay tuned for key takeaways on the innovators shaping Calgary’s future. #CalgaryTech #StartupEcosystem #Innovation #SocialImpact #Entrepreneurship

💊 Revolutionizing Pharmacy Care 💊 Meet ✨Joella A., co-founder & CEO of MedEssist💊 | Transforming Pharmacy with Tech and AI, a startup redefining pharmacy care by transforming traditional pharmacies into walk-in health clinics. With 30 clinics already launched, MedEssist is making healthcare more accessible while easing the strain on hospitals and medical clinics. Calgary.tech recently named it one of the 10 homegrown startups to watch in 2024—and for good reason. What’s next for MedEssist? Almeida shares her journey and vision in this exclusive interview with Sam Doty of Long Calgary. #HealthTech #PharmacyInnovation #HealthcareAccess #CalgaryTech

🌍 $3M funding boost for Canada’s carbon removal sector! Announced at Carbon Removal Canada’s Carbon Removal Day 2025, the B.C. Centre for Innovation and Clean Energy (CICE) has launched a $3-million funding call to accelerate early-stage carbon dioxide removal (CDR) solutions. 💡 Why this matters: ✅ Supports B.C.-based climate tech startups, with implications for Alberta’s cleantech ecosystem ✅ CICE has already invested $39M into 59 projects valued at $195M ✅ Companies like Carbon Upcycling Technologies and ZS2 Technologies are making Alberta a growing hub for carbon capture and utilization 🛠 Who can apply? 🌱 Canadian climate tech startups developing CDR solutions 🌱 Priority for B.C.-based companies 🌱 Eligible tech: Direct Air Capture, mineralization, ocean alkalinity enhancement, and biomass carbon storage 🗓️ Key dates: 📌 Applications close April 30, 2025 📌 Info webinar: March 11, 2025, at 11:00 am MT This funding highlights Canada’s growing leadership in carbon removal innovation—and Alberta’s cleantech sector has an opportunity to build on this momentum. 🚀 #ClimateTech #CarbonRemoval #Cleantech #Innovation #Sustainability #FundingOpportunities #CanadaTech #AlbertaTech

🚀 Calgary’s Cashew is transforming market research—now it's taking the stage at DMZ’s Women Innovation Summit! Founded by Addy Graves and Rose Wong, Cashew is making market research more accessible and scalable through a human-supported, AI-powered platform. With major clients like Shopify and a $1M pre-seed round led by Metiquity Ventures, the startup is gaining momentum. 💡 What’s next? ✅ Competing at DMZ’s Women Innovation Summit on March 6 for up to $150K in prizes ✅ The only Alberta-based startup selected from 200+ applications ✅ Continuing to empower businesses with cutting-edge research tools “This investment accelerates our mission to make market research accessible to all.” – Addy Graves, CEO, Cashew Wishing the Cashew team the best as they represent Alberta’s innovation ecosystem on a national stage! #MarketResearch #AI #Innovation #WomenInTech #StartupFunding #Entrepreneurship #CalgaryTech #IWD2025

🎉 Celebrating 20 Years of Safety Innovation! Blackline Safety marked two decades of revolutionizing workplace safety with a showcase of cutting-edge technology at its Calgary headquarters. The company has grown into a global leader in connected safety wearables, protecting 2,200 customers across 75 countries from hazards like toxic gas exposure, falls, and remote work risks. 💡 Highlights from the celebration: ✅ $20,000 donation to Threads of Life, supporting families affected by workplace tragedies ✅ 10 years of the Safety Operations Center (SOC), monitoring workers 24/7 ✅ AI-driven innovation through a partnership with Amii to enhance workplace risk management ✅ Commitment to Calgary’s high-tech manufacturing sector, employing 400+ local professionals “Our mission is about more than technology—it’s about saving lives.” – Cody Slater, CEO & Chair, Blackline Safety With workplace incidents claiming 6,000 lives per day worldwide, Blackline is proving that safety tech saves lives. As the company looks to the future, its focus remains clear: ensuring every worker makes it home safely. #WorkplaceSafety #Innovation #SafetyTech #AI #ConnectedSafety #CalgaryTech #FutureOfWork