Minister Vandal announces federal investment to create jobs and grow businesses in Calgary

Federal funding of over $25.5 million through PrairiesCan will advance new technologies, help grow businesses, and create and support over 800 jobs

CALGARY, AB, Jan. 18, 2023 /CNW/ – In and around Calgary, innovative companies are making major contributions to key sectors of Canada’s economy—including health, digital technology, clean energy, and manufacturing. The Government of Canada is investing in these businesses to further strengthen the Alberta economy, bring Canadian-made innovation to global markets, and create high-quality jobs Canadian workers can depend on.

Today, the Honourable Dan Vandal, Minister for PrairiesCan, announced a federal investment of more than $25.5 million through the Jobs and Growth Fund for 15 Calgary and area businesses to scale-up and create new opportunities for job seekers.

Examples of projects receiving support include:

• headversity is receiving over $6 million to expand its digital mental health technology platform to support the caregivers of youth facing mental health challenges.

• Kathairos is receiving more than $3.9 million to grow its emission reduction business which helps to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from oil and gas well sites.

• PurposeMed is receiving over $3.5 million to scale-up operations and extend delivery of complex telehealth solutions to at-risk and underserved communities in Canada.

• Harvest Builders is receiving $3 million to build an online talent platform to grow the tech sector across the Prairies.

In total, the initiatives are expected to help support more than 815 jobs, and assist small- and medium-sized businesses to access the talent, technology, and resources they need to bring Alberta-made innovations to new domestic and global markets.

Quotes

“Albertans are innovators and always looking forward at new opportunities to grow and succeed. Our government is making investments here in Alberta to ensure leading-edge companies scale-up and provide high-quality jobs Alberta workers can depend on. Today’s investment will help further position Calgary as a leader in innovation while further strengthening the competiveness of Alberta businesses.”
–The Honourable Dan Vandal, Minister for PrairiesCan

Story continues

“Calgary is home to some of Alberta and Canada’s most innovative companies and top talent. Today’s investment in 15 Calgary and area firms will directly support some of our leading job creators to create new opportunities in Alberta and continue to build a resilient economy across the Prairies.
–George Chahal, Member of Parliament for Calgary Skyview

“Calgary is where innovative companies thrive because of our leading business environment that invests in scaling homegrown solutions into global enterprises. The support by PrairiesCan of high potential Calgary companies shows we are a city with bright minds, big ideas and the backing to expand to new markets and create quality jobs across diverse sectors.”
–Brad Parry, President and CEO, Calgary Economic Development

“We’ve seen first-hand the type of tech talent that’s developing right here in Alberta. We are incredibly grateful for this funding and to be able to create more opportunities for the emerging talent in this province to join us in mental health and resilience upskilling.”
–Dr. Ryan Todd, CEO of headversity

“This is an exciting moment in Alberta’s clean technologies sector, with the oil and gas industry rapidly moving to reduce its methane emissions. This investment from PrairiesCan will allow Kathairos to scale up jobs and commercial deployment to meet industry demand, and – most critically – eliminate tens of thousands of tonnes of methane in the process.”
–Dick Brown, President, CEO, Kathairos Solutions

“In two and a half years, PurposeMed has helped nearly 30,000 Canadians from underserved communities access complex healthcare while scaling our team to over 200 people. PrairiesCan funding ensures we can keep growing to serve new patients and take strain off the Canadian healthcare system.”
–Dr. Husein Moloo, Co-Founder and CEO, PurposeMed

“With this support from PrairiesCan, Harvest Builders is further strengthening our role in addressing the crucial talent gaps that are hindering the growth of the Prairie tech sector. Our project will focus on closing the talent and skill gaps startups and scaling technology ventures are faced with, and position Alberta and Western Canada globally as a competitive and resilient market for innovation.”
–Graeme Harrison, President, Harvest Builders

Quick facts

• Federal funding is being provided through the Jobs and Growth Fund, administered by PrairiesCan.

• The Jobs and Growth Fund helps job creators and the organizations that support them future-proof their businesses, build resiliency, and prepare for growth. Funding is interest-free and repayable.

• The 2022 Fall Economic Statement builds on the government’s previous investments in jobs, skills and growth by providing $250 million over five years, starting 2023-24, to help Canadians workers thrive in a changing global economy.

Backgrounder

Through PrairiesCan, the Government of Canada is investing more than $25.5 million to help 15 innovative Alberta businesses scale-up and create high quality jobs in the Calgary area. This funding, through the Jobs and Growth Fund (JGF), will ensure Calgary area businesses can access the resources they need to enhance operations and grow in domestic and international markets.

The JGF provides funding to businesses and organizations to build resiliency, enhance competitiveness, create jobs, and position local economies for long-term growth. Businesses receiving funding as part of today’s announcement operate in a number of important sectors of Alberta’s economy—including health, digital technology, clean energy, and manufacturing industries:

• headversity ($6,004,544)
  Expand market adoption of its digital mental health technology platform to support the caregivers of youth facing mental health challenges.

• Kathairos ($3,930,635)
  Expand the market for nitrogen-based methane elimination technology which helps to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from oil and gas well sites.

• PurposeMed ($3,540,997)
  Scale-up operations and extend the delivery of complex telehealth solutions to at risk and underserved communities in Canada.

• Harvest Builders ($3,000,000)
  Build an online talent platform to grow a pool of qualified tech talent and help fill in-demand jobs in the tech sector across the Prairie provinces.

• Excir ($2,500,000)
  Design and operate a demonstration pilot of its recycling plant that sustainably converts catalytic converter and electronic waste into precious metals.

• Kent Imaging ($1,859,500)
  Expand and enhance its non invasive medical diagnostics device line and increase sales support to spur growth in global markets.

• 2301114 Alberta Ltd – operating as Watts ($1,420,083)
  Expand operations and distribution capacity to better serve new markets in Canada and the USA with its advanced lighting solutions.

• Lumiio ($1,372,908)
  Enhance digital products and develop advanced wearable integrations to better capture real-world health data that aids in medical diagnostics, disease characterization, and improved patient outcomes.

• Medlior Health Outcomes Research ($584,500)
  Scale-up operations of health economics and outcomes research services to better serve North American and European markets.

• Black Owl Systems ($460,500)
  Complete the development of its specialized accounting software and scale-up marketing and sales efforts throughout North America.

• ICwhatUC – operating as IrisCX ($270,000)
  Enhance its software with artificial intelligence capabilities to better connect business experts and consumers virtually, enabling businesses to provide accurate sales and after-sales advice without the need for an in-person site visit.

• 2311520 Alberta Ltd – operating as The Co+Kitchen ($223,500)
  Grow a shared-use commercial kitchen in Canmore to provide entrepreneurs and small businesses an affordable and accessible space to cook, store, and sell locally produced food.

• Krux Analytics ($167,250)
  Design and produce equipment that optimizes drilling performance by aggregating and integrating data to enable real-time analysis.

• The Alberta Food Processors Association ($131,250)
  Create a digital portal that enables agri-food companies to find and connect with existing Alberta food and beverage co-packers or contract manufacturers to efficiently produce and package their products.

• Ammolite Technology ($123,468)

Scale-up operations and integrate an enterprise resource planning and e-commerce system to better serve clients and increase revenue opportunities.

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SOURCE Prairies Economic Development Canada

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