Calgary’s Ayrton Energy wins big at Alberta Cleantech Awards

Calgary-based startup Ayrton Energy is turning heads in the clean energy world. The women-led company was named Startup Venture of the Year at the Alberta Cleantech Awards, held this week at the Inventures 2025 Conference in Calgary.

Hosted by Foresight Canada, the annual event celebrates some of Alberta’s most promising cleantech innovators, funders, adopters, and supporters—those helping drive a shift towards a low-emissions, future-ready economy.

Founded in 2021, Ayrton Energy has developed a liquid organic hydrogen carrier system. In simple terms, it allows hydrogen to be stored and moved around using existing infrastructure and mirroring diesel logistics—making clean hydrogen much easier to adopt at scale. It’s a step forward in making hydrogen practical, safe, and scalable.

Get the full story.

🤝 Funding, Deals, and Partnerships

• Alberta commits $15M over 3 years to Mitacs. The provincial funding, alongside funding from the federal government and industry, is expected to enable the program to take on 3,000 students. CTV News

• Big investment from Calgary’s F3 Networks fuels fibre-optic expansion in Red Deer. Fuelled by a “historic” $168 million investment from F3, the project is set to utilize more than 400 kilometres of fibre optic cable to deliver reliable, high-speed internet to residents of Red Deer, according to a statement from the Canadian companies. Calgary.Tech

📰 Need To Know

• Government cutting Alberta Innovates budget, setting new direction. Entrepreneurs say they need certainty and clarity about the agency's focus. CBC News

• Dr. Mike Mahon named permanent CEO of Alberta Innovates. The move formalizes Mahon’s position after serving as interim CEO since July 2024. Calgary.Tech

• CVCA CEO Kim Furlong to step down after Invest Canada conference. Furlong to depart association in July as Canadian VC navigates ongoing identity crisis. Betakit

• Request for proposals: Global markets platform. Calgary Economic Development is seeking a partner to develop a digital, cloud-based Global Markets Platform Minimum Viable Product that will leverage advanced analytics, market profiling and foresight methodologies to identify and evaluate current and emerging investment opportunities globally. Calgary Economic Development

• Calgary’s HooperIQ joins elite Future of Sport lab cohort. Founded by pro basketball player Marek Klassen, HooperIQ is the first AI-powered basketball IQ training platform, designed to help athletes improve decision-making through personalized quizzes, film breakdowns, and automated game analysis. Calgary.Tech

• Calgary firm eyes $10B AI data centre building blitz. Beacon AI Centers has also installed Josh Schertzer, a former Blackstone executive, as its new CEO as it looks to cash in on the AI ‘arms race.’ The Logic

• Network Innovations launches Argus. The software-defined platform transforms how organizations deploy, secure, and scale communications across terrestrial, wireless, and satellite environments. Network Innovations

• Calgary emerges as Canada’s fastest-growing startup ecosystem in 2025. According to the latest Global Startup Ecosystem Index by StartupBlink, the city climbed 15 spots to rank 92nd worldwide—marking the largest jump among Canada’s top 10 ecosystems. Calgary.Tech

💡 Opportunities

C100 Fellows and Growth Programs | June 15

• The C100’s programs connect high-potential founders and executives to a global network of seasoned entrepreneurs, operators, and investors. Over the course of a year, participants gain the insights, mentorship, and connections needed to scale faster and smarter.