Welcome to this week's Sunday Briefing. In this edition:
A Calgary cleantech company secures major funding
Alberta's high-speed rail project advances
A new approach to carbon capture in Alberta
Have a great day. We'll see you again next week.
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That was fast: Terry Rock's next stop is Alberta Innovates
We reported Thursday on Terry Rock's departure from Platform Calgary, noting that the longtime CEO would be leaving to take on a new role elsewhere in Alberta's tech ecosystem. Hours later, that destination was revealed: Rock will become senior vice president and chief operating officer at Alberta Innovates, beginning October 15—just one day after his tenure at Platform ends.
Rock spent seven and a half years leading Platform Calgary, during which the organization grew to support 800 member companies and opened the Platform Innovation Centre in 2022. In a LinkedIn post announcing his departure, Rock said he was "regularly inspired by the brilliance and potential of innovators across the province" and expressed excitement about working to deliver on Alberta Innovates' new strategic plan. His move comes as the provincial agency works to implement that plan under CEO Mike Mahon, who was appointed to the permanent role in May after conducting a comprehensive organizational review.
Jennifer Lussier, who has been with Platform Calgary since 2019 and most recently served as chief operating officer, steps into the interim CEO position on October 15. The Platform Calgary board has launched a search for a permanent replacement while expressing confidence in Lussier's ability to maintain continuity during the transition.
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🤝 Funding, Deals, and Partnerships
Calgary’s FREDsense secures $7M to scale rapid PFAS testing. The company has launched the first commercially available field-based detector for PFAS—“forever chemicals”—and is seeing early adoption across industries including environmental consulting, water and wastewater treatment, energy, and industrial operations. Calgary.Tech
TransPod advances Edmonton-Calgary high-speed test track. The agreement, unveiled this week, secures the steel supply and precision manufacturing needed for the project’s test track, which has been designated one of Alberta’s Major Projects by the provincial government. Calgary.Tech
📰 Need To Know
Platform Calgary CEO Terry Rock to step down. Platform Calgary announced Thursday that longtime President and CEO Terry Rock will leave the organization later this month, with Chief Operating Officer Jen Lussier stepping in as interim-CEO. Calgary Tech Journal
Deep Sky opens world’s first cross-tech direct-air carbon capture innovation centre in Alberta. Deep Sky says what makes its Innisfail project unique is that it will test multiple direct air capture (DAC) technologies side by side under real-world Canadian conditions, something no other facility has done. CTV News
Meet the Toast Top 25 Women in Tech. Twenty-five women were honoured at the Toast Summit in Calgary yesterday for their contributions to Canada’s tech ecosystem. Betakit
Behind Alberta’s $4.8-billion biotech momentum lies a call to reset how Canada supports scale. The Alberta sector now spans more than 1,900 organizations across biotechnology, medical technology, diagnostics, and related services. Digital Journal
Alberta researchers build groundbreaking cleantech from an unexpected discovery. From Applied Quantum Materials came the spinoff Dark Matter Materials, which can produce the hydrogen even from non-fresh sources such as greywater, seawater, and even agricultural wastewater. Calgary.Tech
HazTrack named to Launch Party’s Top 10 Startups. Alberta’s signature startup showcase, Launch Party—presented by Alberta Innovates—has unveiled its Top 10 companies for 2025. Calgary.Tech
Canadian Food Innovation Network unveils winners of inaugural Foodtech Frontier Awards, highlighting homegrown innovators tackling global challenges. Foodtech Frontier 2025’s winners have collectively created over 1,700 jobs and invested more than $35 million in research and development in the past year. CFIN