Welcome to this week's Sunday Briefing. In this issue, read about food rescue in Alberta, plus 7 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

Knead Technologies is putting down big numbers

The bun is in the oven for Knead Technologies after receiving funding from the Canadian Food Innovation Network (CFIN) through the organization’s Innovation Booster Program.

Knead was awarded $96,628 to support the launch of six-month pilots with nine food sustainability agencies to validate and test their food rescue lifecycle management platform. They aim to refine the product based on pilot feedback, optimize its performance, and build a scalable infrastructure that can handle the demands of the commercial market. The goal is to transform the platform from a promising idea into a community-focused impact driver that can be commercialized worldwide.

"Receiving funding from CFIN is an incredible validation of our vision to revolutionize the global food waste problem,” said Audra Stevenson, sales and product manager, Knead Technologies. “With this support, we're poised to accelerate the growth of our platform, unlocking new opportunities to make a sustainable impact and reshape the future of food management. The expertise and support of industry experts at CFIN will be a valuable resource as we navigate this exciting phase of expansion."

It may be a promising idea at this point, but Knead Technologies is already putting down some big numbers:

• 700,000 meals provided to people in need

• 840,000 lbs. of CO² waste diverted

• $2.7 million in value of redirected food saved

“These projects represent CFIN's commitment to driving innovation in the food industry,” said Dana McCauley, CEO, Canadian Food Innovation Network. “Canadian foodtech companies are leveraging transformative technologies and strategic partnerships to revolutionize how food is sourced, inspected, and managed, ultimately leading to a more sustainable and efficient food supply chain.”

Knead Technologies is one of four companies to receive funding in this Innovation Booster round, with a total of $386,078 awarded. Industry is set to match the funding to create projects valued at $772,154.

🤝 Funding, Deals, and Partnerships

• UCeed Child Health and Wellness Fund provides crucial investment to accelerate child health and maternal health startups. Canada’s first early-stage investment fund of its type supported by Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation. University of Calgary

• Edmonton aims to fuel innovation and diversify economy with $5M Edge Fund. Zero Point Cryogenics, DiveThru among grant recipients. CBC News

📰 Need To Know

• TransAlta cancels wind power project over new government rules on development. UCP's "new restrictions on development near protected areas and pristine viewscapes" cited as reason for pullback from project. The Canadian Press

• Energy minister defends carbon capture as Alberta project gets cancelled over cost. Canada's energy minister is defending carbon capture and storage technology as both effective and affordable, after an Alberta power company walked away from a planned project and a study found that another project got public subsidies to cover more than three-quarters of its costs. CBC News

• This Local Accelerator Program is Training Future Tech Talent. Graduates of TKS have gone on to work at the likes of NASA, SpaceX and OpenAI, or start their own ventures valued at hundreds of millions. Avenue Calgary

• GoodLeaf Farms Uses Innovative Tech to Grow Leafy Greens. GoodLeaf Farms’ new growing facility in Calgary offers sustainable and innovatively produced greens from within the city limits. Avenue Calgary

• Rogers becomes title partner of Canada’s PGA TOUR Champions tournament. The company is kickstarting fundraising for the event’s charitable arm with a $1 million donation. Rogers Communications