- Calgary Tech Journal
- Posts
- Alberta is beating British Columbia in VC investment
Alberta is beating British Columbia in VC investment
Plus, Canada's advanced manufacturing sector gets a boost, and a U of C professor tries to purify water from the moon.
Welcome to this week's Sunday Briefing. In this issue, read about money for an advanced manufacturing project, how a University of Calgary professor is purifying water from the moon, and a hackathon to prevent wildfires while Jasper burned. Plus, there’s 14 other stories you’ve missed.
Have a great day. We'll see you again on Wednesday.
P.S. Did someone forward you this email? You can subscribe right here. And for real-time updates, follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.
🗳️ Question of the Week
In the first half of the year, how much VC investment has Alberta won? |
Photo: Unsplash
Canada’s advanced manufacturing sector gets a boost
Last week, the federal government announced a new project as part of NGen’s initiative to support 15 advanced manufacturing projects.
The new venture will focus on developing a fully autonomous, end-to-end production system enabled by artificial intelligence and robotics, designed to automate routine manual functions in the assembly process.
“Canada has always been a trailblazer, leading the way boldly by applying the newest technologies and methods,” said George Chahal, Member of Parliament for Calgary Skyview. “These advancements in AI and advanced robotics will allow the Canadian manufacturing sector to remain environmentally sustainable, globally competitive, and continue providing excellent well-paying jobs to Canadians. As we always have, we are building tomorrow right here in Canada.”
The announcement is part of a broader NGen funding initiative, which has deployed funding across Canada with a total value of $59 million. NGen is the industry-led not-for-profit organization that heads Canada’s Global Innovation Cluster for Advanced Manufacturing.
SPONSORED BY TOAST
Toast Summit Tickets on Sale Now
Join the Toast Summit For More Women in Tech on September 19 in Calgary. We're bringing together a growing community of women who are ready to dive deep, get real, and reignite their passion for what tech can truly be 💖
🤝 Funding, Deals, and Partnerships
OCIF, Avatar Innovations supports Calgary's cleantech innovation from inside energy sector. Avatar Innovations is a corporate venture studio that’s helping professionals inside the oil and gas sector invent, build, and market decarbonization technologies that will help bridge the gap in the energy innovation ecosystem. Calgary Economic Development
E3 Lithium to receive $5 million from the government of Alberta for its fully integrated demonstration facility. E3 Lithium is constructing a demo project that will help achieve the company’s goal of producing battery-grade lithium carbonate from locally sourced brines in Alberta. E3 Lithium
CruxOCM announces $17M Series A funding round led by M12 (Microsoft Venture Fund). This funding brings CruxOCM's total capital raised to $27 million, and will be used to fuel innovation and deliver greater value to its energy industry clients. CruxOCM
Rogers and SenseNet partner to introduce wildfire detection Technology. The partnership will help to combat climate change-related events in Canada. Rogers Communications
📰 Need To Know
Venture capital investment in Alberta hit $383M in the first half of 2024, surpassing neighbouring B.C. by almost $100M. Across Canada, VC investments totaled nearly CAD $3.6B across 279 deals. Canadian Venture Capital & Private Equity Association
Calgary’s Next Economy: SEPT streamlines in-house legal admin tasks. The goal is to continually build a broader client base, learning more about the different facets of each area of an organization, so they can tailor the system to meet the needs of these companies. Livewire Calgary
High-tech systems to predict and spot wildfires pitched during Olds event. Edmonton-based Nu Terra Labs is currently working with the City of Edmonton to run a pilot in the city’s river valley. The Albertan
Segev LLP opens Calgary office to help clients access Alberta opportunities. Segev now has approximately 23 lawyers across Alberta, Vancouver, Toronto, and the United States, with a presence that extends into India. Segev LLP
Wildfire hackathon targets misinformation as Jasper fire underlines need. The University of Alberta hosted a recent wildfire hackathon at roughly the same time as a wildfire burned structures in Jasper, when 25,000 residents and park guests were forced to flee. Taproot Edmonton
Indigenous Lens program introduces youth to film industry. A thee-day pilot program geared towards empowering and educating Indigenous youth as storytellers launched at Lethbridge Polytechnic. Global News
NAIT launches five new programs. Across its degrees, applied degrees, diplomas and certificates, the polytechnic offers roughly 90 programs. Education News Canada
Can water from the moon be purified? A University of Calgary prof is trying to find out. Dr. Elmar Prenner, a longtime professor in the U of C’s faculty of science, is a semifinalist in the Aqualunar Challenge, which tasks researchers from across Canada and the United Kingdom with developing technology that can extract contaminants from frozen moon water. Calgary Herald
Ocumetics launches new injector for accommodative lens, ahead of 2025 human trials. This achievement marks a significant milestone in Ocumetics’ journey toward its first-in-human study, scheduled for early 2025. Calgary.Tech
Canada-Alberta job grant program pause could impact many businesses, province says. Industry experts say the halt will have a ripple effect for some time to come. CBC News
What did you think of today's newsletter? |