International AI Startups and Emerging Tech Companies

Welcoming International AI Startups and Emerging Tech Companies

Start a multinational business in the fastest growing tech cities in the world.

At the core of Alberta’s tech innovation, more than 53,700 employees are driving the world towards the next generation of new technologies including biotech, AI, XR, nanotechnology, and quantum computing. In Edmonton, named by CBRE as North America’s fastest-growing tech ecosystem, the big tech likes of Apple and Microsoft are alongside LGBT-founded Grengine that is sustainably evolving portable power and top-ranked field service management software Jobber. Calgary, which continues to break its VC investment record for five years straight, is home to unicorns from social impact software company Benevity to biopharmaceutical leader Parvus Therapeutics. These tech companies are launching their ideas and products from offices where North American real estate cost is lower in major Alberta cities – saving anywhere from $30,000 to $400,000 CAD annually for a 5,000-square-foot office space.

Alberta offers significant funding and support for the research and development of tech and innovation. With initiatives like Quantum City and the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute (Amii), the province is developing a vibrant ecosystem for cutting-edge technological advancements. These efforts, coupled with Alberta’s competitive advantages such as a skilled workforce and supportive government policies, make it an attractive destination for international businesses, foreign investors, and entrepreneurs looking to start a business in the future of tech.

Talent in Alberta

Flying Fish Partners

Alberta offers the ideal environment to launch or scale a tech company. A young, diverse and educated workforce, great quality of life and a cohesive ecosystem provide startup businesses with a solid foundation for success. 

Alberta digital transformation forecast & growth

Alberta’s spending on digital transformation (DX) is set to surpass $20B between 2021-2024, a forecast of 13% year over year growth.

Calgary, Alberta

Photo Credit: Thiago Terleski on Unsplash

RECORD-BREAKING VENTURE CAPITAL INVESTMENTS FOR TECH UNICORNS

Alberta’s tech sector is maturing and investors are taking note. For the fifth consecutive year, the province experienced another record-breaking year for venture capital investment in 2022. Four Calgary-based tech companies: Benevity, Solium Capital (now Shareworks by Morgan Stanley), RS Energy Group (now Enverus Intelligence Research Inc.) and Parvus Therapeutics have reached unicorn status.

Alberta InnovatesAlberta Enterprise Corporation (AEC) and regional partners have joined forces to launch Start Alberta, a pan-provincial scaleup and growth accelerator program, as part of a broader vision to strengthen Alberta’s innovation ecosystem. Alberta is well-positioned to attract global tech firms to scale up their North American footprint while attracting investment into early-stage tech startups. Alberta is home to the second most private equity firms in the country and has policies and incentives that mirror the province’s entrepreneurial mindset.

LEADER IN AI RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, AND ADOPTION

Edmonton is one of three hubs at the core of the Government of Canada’s Pan-Canadian AI Strategy, designed to leverage and grow the country’s expertise in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML).

The province’s AI ecosystem is supported by the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute (Amii) which brings together academics and entrepreneurs to advance the adoption of AI. Amii has been critical to attracting the talent, innovation and capital needed to grow Edmonton into a global AI hub.

Alberta-based companies recieved millions in VC funds

Alberta-based companies received $840 million in PE and $707 million in VC funds in 2023

AI GRANTS & FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR BUSINESSES

Alberta offers significant funding opportunities for AI technology development. AltaML in the GovLab.ai initiative, the province aims to use AI to enhance government operations and services, indicating a strong interest in both computational and social sciences.

Initiatives like AI-Better Health are focused on developing AI technology in healthcare in order to improve patient outcomes. The funding programs, including those under GovLab.ai and AI-Better Health, are designed to promote projects that can have a substantial societal and economic impact, encouraging the integration of AI in diverse fields such as healthcare, renewable energy, and supply chains.

INNOVATION FUNDING & TECHNOLOGY STARTUP GRANTS

Alberta offers substantial financial support to businesses and academic researchers towards the development of innovative technologies that span a broad spectrum of applications, including virtual reality, edge computing, and digital twin technologies, which are at the forefront of technology trends. The Spatial Technologies Applied Research & Training (START) Centre at Lethbridge College, funded by the Canada Foundation for Innovation from 2021-2026, collaborates with Southern Alberta tech companies to develop extended reality (XR) solutions such as VR and AR technology to enhance business efficiency and provide students with experiential learning opportunities. Extended Reality (XR) technology worldwide market demand is projected to surge from $49.6B USD in 2023 to $519.5B USD by 2032, driven by technological advancements and widespread application adoption.

Innovation funding programs include:

WORKFORCE FOR JOBS IN EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES: NANOTECH & QUANTUM COMPUTING

Alberta has well-educated and growing skilled workforce, ready to tackle the challenges and opportunities presented in emerging technologies such as nanotech and quantum computing. Education programs specifically tailored to nanotechnology and quantum engineering are producing professionals poised to drive innovation forward. For instance, Summit NanoTech is innovating with nanotechnology in their denaLi™ Direct Lithium Extraction process, which dramatically reduces lithium extraction time from 18 months to a single day.

Alberta has initiated Quantum City, an ecosystem designed to accelerate quantum science and technology advancements. This collaborative effort, involving the University of Calgary, the Alberta government, and Mphasis, aims to transform the province into a thriving economic and scientific quantum hub. Quantum City is creating a talent pipeline and reinforcing Alberta’s importance in the global quantum computing sector.

Talent

Alberta’s tech sector is supported by a diverse, highly educated workforce and top universities

Diverse
Talent

50% of Alberta startups have at least one founder who identifies as a visible minority and 4% who identify as Indigenous.

Computer Science Education

The University of Alberta’s computer science program has experienced a 86% increase in enrolment since 2015.

Moving Toward Gender Parity

27% of Alberta tech companies have at least one female-identifying founder — 35% higher than the global average.

Edmonton

Edmonton’s tech ecosystem is deeply intertwined with academic and research institutes. With the top computer science school in the country and a global leading AI institute, Edmonton is one of Canada’s top technology hubs.

Growing Tech Workforce

Edmonton counts 35,400 tech workers and a projected 1.5% annual growth of jobs.

Cutting-Edge Nanotechnology

National Research Council of Canada’s Nanotechnology Research Centre is located at the University of Alberta.

Health City

Edmonton-based nonprofit that coordinates efforts of researchers, tech innovators and entrepreneurs to develop new technologies.

Calgary

Calgary is an emerging tech hub. The city is leveraging its technical expertise to solve global challenges with critical mass clustering around its established fintech and healthtech ecosystems.

Affordable Office Space

The most affordable downtown office space of any major Canadian city

Advancing Quantum Technology

The University of Calgary’s Institute for Quantum Science and Technology hosts 15 research groups making advancements in quantum technology.

Leading Digital Transformation

Calgary companies will lead the $20 billion spend on digital transformation in Alberta from 2021 to 2024.

ECONOMICALLY STRONG

As the most entrepreneurial province in Canada, Alberta connects innovators with capital to turn ideas into reality

2nd

Alberta is home to the second most private equity firms in the country.

$43.5B

Private equity invested in Alberta companies since 2013.

$2.9B

Venture capital investments made in Alberta companies since 2013.

$16M

Invested by The51 — a Calgary investment platform looking to change the gender disparity in venture capital.

Areas of Focus

Cleantech

  • Carbon capture, use and storage
  • Low-carbon hydrogen production
  • Solvent extraction technology
  • Methane reduction
  • Emerging geothermal

As a global energy leader, Alberta is leveraging its expertise to accelerate the global transition to a low-carbon economy. The province is a hub for the trillion-dollar cleantech industry.

Agritech

  • Advanced monitoring
  • Big data
  • IoT-based sensor networks
  • Satellite photography and sensors
  • Computer vision and spectral analytics
  • Hydroponics

Home to a thriving agricultural sector, innovators collaborate with farmers to increase yields, find efficiencies and promote sustainability through increased connectivity and data.

Fintech

  • Cryptocurrency and blockchain
  • Digital transformation of financial sector
  • Equity financing
  • Green financing

Calgary’s growing fintech sector is comprised of the world’s most prominent finance players intermixed with exciting fintech startups — all supported by a skilled workforce.

AI and Communications Tech

  • Nanotechnology and micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS)
  • Intelligent automation
  • Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML)
  • Internet of Things (IoT)
  • Machine vision

Working closely with the AI and IoT sector, Alberta’s emerging robotics industry is developing integrated and responsive systems to improve supply chains, energy, healthcare and manufacturing.

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