It's all about deals and partnerships this week

Welcome to this week's Sunday Briefing. In this issue, read about Amii and Clio teaming up, plus 13 other stories you may have missed.

Have a great day. We'll see you again on Wednesday.

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🗳️ Question of the Week

Legal tech provider Clio comes home

The Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute, known more affectionately as Amii, is teaming up with Vancouver legal tech company Clio. Combining Amii’s AI expertise with Clio's legal technology platform, the partnership will first focus on improving the efficiency and effectiveness of various models within Clio’s current platform and enhancing the user experience through personalized AI-driven workflows.

“Amii is excited to partner with Clio, a notable trailblazer in legal technology, on a project that will significantly expand the applications of AI in law,” said Cam Linke, Amii CEO. “This collaboration represents a convergence of our mutual dedication to pushing boundaries in technology. By combining our AI research capabilities with Clio’s industry-leading platform, we are set to achieve substantial advancements in how legal services are delivered, aiming to enhance both the practitioner's and client's experience.”

The partnership also brings Clio back home, in a sense. Now headquartered in Burnaby, the company was originally founded in Edmonton, where Amii is based.

🤝 Funding, Deals, and Partnerships

• Tall Grass Ventures announces oversubscribed final close. Having upsized the fund as a result of investor interest, the team is humbled by the support and conviction that investors have in the values forward approach of TGV and the opportunity to advance a sector that is a cornerstone of the Canadian and global economy. Tall Grass Ventures

• Avatar Leadership Fund unveils inaugural investment into Calgary startup CO2Brew. The Calgary-based startup is looking to transform the brewing industry by unlocking cost and emission reductions while bolstering supply chain resiliency and accessing new revenue streams. Calgary.Tech

• CIB invests $283.5 million in new Alberta transmission line. Infrastructure will enhance energy system availability and reliability. Canada Infrastructure Bank

• Alberta Innovates garners $10M to help commercialize carbon fibre innovation. Alberta Innovates recently received funding to establish a specialized production and testing facility that will aim to commercialize technologies which convert Alberta-sourced bitumen into carbon fibre. Calgary.Tech

• Cleantech firm Entropy OKs second carbon capture project in northwest Alberta. Cleantech company says the project will capture emissions from parent company Advantage Energy's Glacier Gas Plant in northwest Alberta. Calgary Herald

• LithiumBank launches DLE pilot plant in Calgary, Alberta. The plant will process 10,000 litres of lithium-enriched brines daily, making it one of the largest direct lithium extraction (DLE) plants in North America. Mining Technology

• Varcoe: 'Excited to be the pioneer': Strathcona unveils $2B carbon capture partnership in oilsands. The projects will capture CO2 from Strathcona’s oilsands operations and permanently sequester it underground. Calgary Herald

📰 Need To Know

• Introducing Dr. Michael Mahon as interim CEO of Alberta Innovates. Learn more about Dr. Michael Mahon, Alberta Innovates' new interim CEO. Alberta Innovates

• Aerospace research to take flight here at SAIT. The Alberta Aerospace Research Centre (AARC) is the latest addition to SAIT’s Centre for Innovation and Research in Advanced Manufacturing and Materials (CIRAMM), within the Applied Research and Innovation Services hub. South Alberta Institute of Technology

• YYC DataCon 2025: Elevating data-driven innovation in Calgary. Held at the newly expanded BMO Centre from February 27 to March 1, 2025, this year’s conference aims to attract over 3,000 attendees with enhanced offerings, including international keynote speakers and exclusive fireside chats. Martech Cube

• UCalgary startups take centre stage at one of world's largest tech conferences. Seven innovative ventures highlight Canada's number-one startup creator at Collision 2024. University of Calgary

• Feeding the world, one smart farm at a time. Alberta Innovates is utilizing smart farm networks to foster unprecedented collaboration and partnership between farmers and tech developers. Alberta Innovates

• TELUS, The Alex and the University of Calgary unite to bring mobile diabetes screening to Calgarians in need. New Point of Care Testing program addresses a critical need among Calgary's marginalized population, reducing strain on local hospitals. Telus Communications