Welcome to this week's Sunday Briefing. In this edition:

  • A VC firm is planting roots in Alberta

  • A data centre and power plant proposal in Olds is back before regulators

  • Calgary companies are taking local solutions global

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Calgary startup lets people control devices with their thoughts

Photo: Possibility Neurotechnologies

Originally published in the Calgary Citizen

A Calgary neurotechnology company has launched an app that allows people to control devices using only their brain signals — no physical interaction or voice input required.

Think2Switch, developed by Possibility Neurotechnologies, pairs with affordable EEG headbands to translate brainwave signals into real-time actions. Users can interact with apps on Apple devices or control their environment through smart home integrations. The system requires no specialized training and can be set up by a teacher, parent, or caregiver.

The app was co-founded by Drs. Dion Kelly and Adam Kirton, drawing on Dr. Kirton's pediatric neurology research at the University of Calgary and Alberta Children's Hospital. While the technology has potential for anyone curious about brain-computer interfaces, it was designed with a specific population in mind: children and individuals with significant physical disabilities who have limited or no other means of interacting with their environment.

One early user is Claire, a 10-year-old with cerebral palsy who uses Think2Switch at school to choose library books, pick colours for art projects, and make her own choices throughout the day. Her mother described the moment Claire first turned on a light using only her thoughts as the moment she started thinking about milestones instead of inch stones.

Think2Switch is available now on the Apple App Store, with a free first month followed by a $35/month subscription.

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🤝 Funding, Deals, and Partnerships

📰 Need To Know

  • Mistral Venture Partners sets up shop in Alberta. Following fifth fund closure, VC firm eyes Calgary as the home base for a permanent Alberta expansion. Betakit

  • AI data centre, power plant proposal in Olds, Alta., back on the table. Synapse has resubmitted its power plant, data centre complex application to Alberta's regulator. CBC News

  • Calgary seeks out ‘long-term resilience’ by delivering local solutions to global stage. Alberta-based companies supported by Calgary Economic Development programming leveraged Canada’s free trade agreements in 2025, according to Farkas, expanding overseas rather than the US. Calgary.Tech

  • TechJutsu launches browser extension to bring MFA to the web. The cybersecurity company aims to protect users from “vishing” risks. Betakit

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