The 8th annual Start Alberta Tech Awards was a night to remember. The awards ceremony took place on November 13 at Betty Andrews Recital Hall in Edmonton and honoured the remarkable achievements of some of Alberta’s most innovative founders and startups.
This year, we celebrated a diverse array of individuals and organizations with awards in 10 different categories, recognizing the contributions they have made to Alberta’s growing tech community. Congratulations to each of you!
2025 Start Alberta Tech Awards Winners
- A100 One to Watch: Artificial Agency
- Ecosystem Supporter of the Year: Tech Thursday
- Deal of the Year: Ontopical
- Anchor of the Year: Blackline Safety
- Woman in Tech: Lourdes Juan of Knead Tech
- Most Promising Founder: Brian Tanner & Alex Kearney, Artificial Agency
- Scaleup of the Year: Orennia
- VCAA Rod Charko Service Award: James Keirstead
- Investor of the Year: UCeed
- Leader of the Year: Jillian McLaren of Community Safety and Wellness Accelerator
Artificial Agency – A100 One to Watch presented by A100
Awarded to an Alberta early-stage company that is “most likely to succeed” as nominated by the Alberta tech community and chosen by A100 Charter Members.
Founded in 2023 by four former Google DeepMind researchers, Brian Tanner, Alex Kearney, Andrew Butcher, and Mike Johanson, Edmonton-based Artificial Agency is pioneering generative behaviour for gaming. The company’s flagship AI-powered behaviour engine enables game developers to embed runtime decision-making seamlessly into any aspect of a game, transforming both characters and other decision-making systems into individualized AI agents with perceptions, actions, personalities, and goals.
“The exciting thing that we get to do is actually help other builders, other designers, other creative people, take their ideas, combine them with AI that otherwise would be inaccessible to them, and then bring it into an experience that they can share with their players and their customers,” explains Brian.
In July 2024, Artificial Agency emerged from stealth with $16 million USD in funding from Radical Ventures, Toyota Ventures, Flying Fish, Kaya, BDC Deep Tech, TIRTA Ventures, and others. The team brings together world-class AI researchers with engineers and game developers from elite AAA studios, with team members who have contributed to well-known games including Dragon Age, Mass Effect, Call of Duty, Elder Scrolls, and FIFA.
Artificial Agency was also announced as a 2026 Game Changer in San Francisco, one of 25 startups transforming the future of AI, gaming, and interactive media.
The A100 One to Watch Award is generously sponsored by A100, a non-profit, membership-based community of acclaimed tech and innovation leaders, founders and investors.
Tech Thursday – Ecosystem Supporter of the Year presented by Edmonton Unlimited
Awarded to an individual, organization, institution, or initiative that contributes in a meaningful, scalable, and inclusive way to the vibrancy and sustainability of Alberta’s tech ecosystem.
Tech Thursday, co-founded by Philippe Burns, has become a cornerstone of Alberta’s tech community. Launched in 2022, Tech Thursday was created to address the lack of consistent networking opportunities for tech professionals across the Prairies. What began as an informal weekly gathering in Winnipeg quickly expanded to Calgary in June 2023, and has since grown to host over 20,000 attendees across 175+ events.
Philippe and his team spun out Tech Thursday from Neo Financial into an independent company, with Neo remaining as title sponsor alongside other Alberta-based supporters including SkipTheDishes, Calgary Economic Development, and Float. The organization launched in Edmonton in May 2025, bringing its proven model of weekly in-person events to Alberta’s capital.
“We do it because we want to create a step change in the Alberta tech ecosystem. We want to elevate everyone and build really great companies here in Alberta,” explains Philippe. “I think a great way to do that is to help knowledge share and bridge the gap from some of the folks who have already done it, and hopefully that helps inspire the next generation of builders right here in the province.”
Each Tech Thursday event features panel discussions led by local voices, tackling topics from technical deep dives to business growth and DEI, followed by informal networking. The initiative showcases Alberta’s growing tech talent, facilitates knowledge sharing between established companies and emerging startups, and contributes to the flywheel effect, where successful tech companies inspire and support the next generation of ventures.
The Ecosystem Supporter of the Year award is generously sponsored by Edmonton Unlimited, the municipal innovation authority for the City of Edmonton, dedicated to championing innovation and community building by providing programs, tools and support for Edmonton’s innovators, big thinkers and problem solvers to turn ideas into solutions.
Ontopical – Deal of the Year presented by AEC
Awarded to an Alberta-founded and headquartered tech company that has raised the largest amount of capital in its most recent fundraising round and/or has had the most significant acquisition or exit between October 1, 2024 and September 30, 2025. Recipients have a tech-driven core business and have completed a publicly reported and verifiable transaction that demonstrates significant impact on the Alberta ecosystem.
In August 2025, Calgary-based Ontopical was acquired by SOVRA, a KKR-backed company and North America’s leading public sector procurement platform. The acquisition represents a significant exit for the Alberta-founded company and demonstrates the growing AI maturity and market value of the province’s tech ecosystem.
Founded in 2017 by Derrick Koenig, Ontopical built an AI-powered government market intelligence platform that helps businesses across North America identify early-stage contract opportunities before formal RFPs are issued. Clayton Feick joined as CEO in February 2023 to advance the company’s growth. The company’s proprietary AI analyzes thousands of public data sources—including municipal meeting agendas, minutes, budgets, and videos—to deliver pre-RFP insights to clients in construction, engineering, telecommunications, technology, and other sectors.
“Alberta is a tremendous place to build a business. The community here has been very supportive,” explains Clayton, who became President of SOVRA Supplier following the transaction, while Derrick assumed leadership of the Supplier product team.
The acquisition’s impact extends beyond the transaction itself. SOVRA established a Calgary presence through the deal and launched an AI Center of Excellence. “We decided to build an AI Center of Excellence in Alberta because of all the talent and the opportunity and promise that Alberta shows,” adds Clayton.
The Deal of the Year Award is generously sponsored by Alberta Enterprise Corporation. AEC promotes the development of Alberta’s venture capital industry by investing in venture capital funds that finance technology companies.
Blackline Safety – Anchor of the Year presented by Profound Talent
Awarded to a flagship company that supports the foundation upon which others build in Alberta by creating jobs, attracting capital, nurturing talent, and demonstrating what’s possible when vision meets execution. Recipients are Alberta-founded and headquartered tech companies with $50M+ in annual revenue, 200+ employees, and 5+ years in operation. They demonstrate consistent year-over-year growth and market leadership, are recognized for fostering talent development and innovation within Alberta, and actively contribute to the broader ecosystem through mentorship, partnerships, or community-building.
Calgary-based Blackline Safety has been a cornerstone of Alberta’s tech ecosystem for over 20 years. Founded in 2004 by Patrick Rousseau and Brendon Cook, the company has grown into a global leader in connected safety technology, with operations spanning more than 75 countries.
Blackline designs, manufactures, and markets wearable safety devices and area gas monitors paired with cloud-connected software and 24/7 live monitoring services. The company’s technology provides a lifeline to workers in demanding industries including oil and gas, utilities, mining, and emergency response—having reported over 265 billion data points and initiated over eight million emergency alerts.
Blackline’s growth trajectory exemplifies Alberta innovation at scale. The publicly-traded company (TSX: BLN) has achieved consistent year-over-year revenue growth, with trailing 12-month revenue exceeding $105 million. This success has created opportunities for Albertans, with the company employing over 600 people across its Calgary headquarters and global offices.
“We have the opportunity to tap into a really strong technology ecosystem of professionals that have contributed to the building of Blackline over these last couple decades,” explains Brendon. “Winning the Start Alberta 2025 Anchor of the Year Award is incredibly inspiring, and it’s humbling. Our teams come together to drive innovation into basically everything that we do. We see this award as being recognition of everybody’s collective contributions to the business.”
The company was recognized with the 2025 Calgary Award for Social Impact – Business, acknowledging its community investments in STEM education programs for girls, support for local nonprofits, and employee-led volunteerism initiatives. This dedication to nurturing talent, giving back to the community, and demonstrating what Calgary-built technology can achieve on the global stage makes Blackline Safety a true anchor of Alberta’s tech ecosystem.
The Anchor the Year Award is sponsored by ProFound Talent. ProFound Talent is a full-service agency providing executive and professional recruitment, career transition, executive and leadership coaching for employers across all industries.
Lourdes Juan – Woman in Tech
Awarded to a woman in a leadership role at an Alberta-based startup or scaleup who has demonstrated entrepreneurial success in launching and growing a technology-focused company with year-over-year revenue growth. Beyond her business achievements, she shows a passion for supporting gender equity and promoting the advancement of women in tech, making a lasting impact on Alberta’s technology and innovation ecosystem.
Lourdes Juan is the Co-Founder and CEO of Calgary-based Knead Tech, a B2B software platform that helps food rescue organizations manage logistics to reduce food waste and address food insecurity. Lourdes’ journey from social entrepreneur to tech CEO began in 2012 when she witnessed 200 pounds of unsold bread being wasted from a Calgary bakery, leading her to found the Leftovers Foundation before recognizing that technology could scale food rescue efforts globally.
Under her leadership, Knead Tech secured $800,000 in pre-seed funding in early 2025 and won the AgTech & Food category at the SXSW Pitch Competition. The platform has recovered over two million pounds of surplus food, facilitated 1.67 million meals, and prevented 236 metric tons of CO? emissions.
“It’s such a team experience to build a tech company, particularly one in social impact,” Lourdes shares. “To have that duality to business that we truly believe in—that we can make those profits, but also make the planet better—is really great that we get this recognition. I hope more social impact companies come out of the woodwork.”
Beyond building her company, Lourdes actively supports women and underrepresented entrepreneurs through the Canadian Women’s Foundation and mentorship. Her advice to aspiring founders—”Start with impact, stay close to the problem and build with the people who will use your solution”—reflects her commitment to creating pathways for diverse voices in technology.
Brian Tanner and Alex Kearney, Artificial Agency – Most Promising Founder presented by Platform Calgary
Awarded to a dynamic early-stage founder recognized for their coachability, community involvement, and ability to launch a technology-focused company in Alberta. Recipients are founders or co-founders currently based in Alberta who have launched a technology-driven startup or scaleup between September 30, 2021 and September 30, 2024, with clear signs of momentum in growth, revenue, funding, partnerships, or market traction. They demonstrate a strong commitment to Alberta’s tech and innovation community through mentorship, collaboration with peers, participation at key events, or active contribution to ecosystem-building efforts.
Brian Tanner (CEO) and Alex Kearney (Head of Agents) transformed the closure of Google’s DeepMind Edmonton office into an opportunity, keeping nearly all former staff in Edmonton and building Artificial Agency‘s team to over 25 people—matching DeepMind Alberta at its peak.
Both studied under University of Alberta professor Richard Sutton, a leading authority in reinforcement learning, with Brian bringing 25 years of AI experience and Alex completing her PhD on the day DeepMind announced its closure.
“There is an absolutely phenomenal pipeline of both innovation and talent,” Alex shares. “We want to use our work at Artificial Agency to share with the world what we already know—that if you’re innovating in AI and if you’re a builder, Alberta is one of the best places in the world to be that person.”
Both Brian and Alex actively engage with the research and startup communities, attending conferences like NeurIPS to connect with researchers and investors. Their ability to quickly build a team, secure funding, and bring a complex technical vision to market showcases the coachability and founder-market fit that attracted investors while actively contributing to the strength and continuity of Alberta’s AI talent pool.
The Most Promising Founder Award is generously sponsored by Platform Calgary. Platform Calgary is a non-profit, member-based organization that brings together the resources of Calgary’s tech ecosystem to help startups launch and grow at every step of their journey, from ideation through to scale.
Orennia – Scaleup of the Year presented by Osler
Awarded to a scaling Alberta-based company making a positive impact through growth, mentorship, and inclusive practices. Recipients are innovative tech or tech-enabled companies founded and headquartered in Alberta that have been in operation for more than 3 years. They demonstrate considerable growth in both revenue and employee count, give back to the tech community as mentors and/or advisors, and execute on inclusion and diversity within Alberta’s tech ecosystem.
Orennia, a Calgary-based energy transition analytics company co-founded by Brook Papau and Tanya Baeza in 2021, provides data and predictive analytics to help investors and developers make informed capital allocation decisions across renewable energy sectors including solar, wind, storage, hydrogen, and clean fuels.
The company has raised $25 million in Series B funding in July 2023 and most recently closed a Series C funding round in January 2025. The company has grown from 30 employees at launch to over 150 employees, demonstrating significant scaling in both team size and market impact.
“There’s just going to be this ever-increasing demand for energy to power AI, but also just to power day-to-day life,” Brook explains. “And it’s under the backdrop of traditional energy sources in America slowing their growth, and you have this ubiquitous ability to scale solar and storage. That was the nexus of the founding of the company, and that insight has driven everything since.”
Beyond its business growth, Orennia has been recognized as one of Alberta’s Top Employers for 2025. The company maintains a charitable focus on local initiatives, organizing quarterly volunteer activities with organizations like the Calgary Humane Society and Made by Momma, and offers formal mentoring opportunities and leadership development programs for employees.
Orennia demonstrates its commitment to diversity and inclusion through concrete action—the share of women at the company has improved by 55% since its founding year, with women represented at every level of the organization including the board and executive team. The company tracks and reports on diversity metrics while holding itself accountable to continuous improvement in building an inclusive workplace.
The Scaleup of the Year award is generously sponsored by Osler, Hoskin, & Harcourt LLP. Osler is a leading business law firm recognized for providing business-critical advice and counsel in key industry sectors and in transactions and litigation for some of the world’s largest enterprises. Osler has offices across Canada in Calgary, Toronto, Montréal, Ottawa and Vancouver and an office in New York.
James Keirstead – VCAA Rod Charko Service Award presented by the VCAA
Awarded to an individual who has gone above and beyond for the technology ecosystem in Alberta. Recipients demonstrate a deep, sustained commitment to fostering entrepreneurial growth and long-term success in the province and have made a meaningful, measurable impact on Alberta’s tech and innovation ecosystem through their actions, leadership, or support. They are consistent and trusted champions of Alberta’s tech community who show up year after year, uplift others, and help move the entire ecosystem forward.
James Keirstead, President and CEO of Levven Electronics, has been a cornerstone of Alberta’s tech ecosystem for more than a decade. A lifelong entrepreneur who previously co-founded and scaled Blue Falls Manufacturing (makers of Arctic Spas) into an international company operating in 30 countries, James has channelled his deep expertise in building businesses into fostering the growth of Alberta’s entire innovation community.
His ecosystem contributions span leadership and action across multiple fronts. As Co-Chair of the Edmonton Regional Innovation Network (ERIN), he has worked to strengthen connections between entrepreneurs, funders, service providers, and government. Through six years leading the Rainforest Alberta initiative, he’s helped cultivate a more collaborative provincial culture.
James has also chaired the boards of Alberta Women Entrepreneurs and Entrepreneurs’ Organization, while actively supporting early-stage startups as a longtime A100 member and angel investor with Sprout Fund. In 2024, his appointment to the Board of Directors for Alberta Innovates positioned him to further shape the province’s innovation strategy at the highest level.
“People need support. They need help from others, and I have this experience, and I can share that experience,” James shares. “If that helps younger entrepreneurs grow and scale new businesses and ideas, I get really jazzed about that. I love contributing to the community.”
James’s true impact lies in the multiplier effect he creates—mentoring entrepreneurs, investing in startups, and building trust across diverse groups. His consistent presence over the years has made him a trusted champion who shows up for the ecosystem time and again, strengthening Alberta’s entrepreneurial fabric and helping move the entire community forward.
The Rod Charko Service Award was created by the VCAA and community members to honour the late Rod Charko, the former CEO of Alberta Enterprise Corporation. Rod had a vision for the Alberta Technology Ecosystem where technology companies, investors and mentors would collaborate and work towards a common goal of enhancing the ecosystem in Alberta. Rod was instrumental in the formation of many of the groups that have gone on to continue his work, including the A100, the Accelerate Fund, and the VCAA. Rod passed away in mid-2012 before he could see his vision come to fruition.
The VCAA sponsors this award in an effort to support the entrepreneurial spirit and dedication to positively impacting Alberta’s tech and investment industry. The VCAA works tirelessly as the industry association for venture capital, private equity, angel investors to grow the investment industry in Alberta, and provides networking and educational opportunities and events for those interested in furthering the industry in the province.
UCeed – Investor of the Year presented by AEC
Awarded to an individual (Angel) or investment firm (VC or family office) for exceptional investment acumen and community leadership. Recipients have demonstrated exceptional investment acumen over the past year by making smart, strategic, and high-impact investments in Alberta-based tech startups or scaleups—whether through early-stage bets, follow-on rounds, or exits that signal market confidence. They exemplify a high standard for ethical and inclusive conduct and collaborative engagement in Alberta’s innovation economy, actively contribute to raising the profile of Alberta as a destination for world-class innovation and investment, and play a visible and respected role within the investment and entrepreneurial communities by offering mentorship, guidance, and support to founders.
UCeed is Canada’s largest philanthropically driven university-based investment fund, and has established itself as a cornerstone of Alberta’s pre-seed investment landscape since launching in 2020. As one of the most active pre-seed investors in Canada, UCeed bridges the critical funding gap between research grants and commercialization, providing investments ranging from $50,000 to $300,000 alongside mentorship, commercialization expertise, and networking support.
Each portfolio company is paired with at least one mentor and gains access to Investment Advisory Groups with deep sector expertise. The fund’s unique evergreen model reinvests all returns back into the program, ensuring sustainable support for Alberta’s innovation ecosystem. Beyond direct investments, UCeed trains students through its Haskayne Student Fund, providing real-world venture capital experience and developing the next generation of investment professionals.
“We at UCeed believe that the universities in Canada, and particularly the University of Calgary, are a gold mine of untapped opportunity,” explains UCeed Executive Director, Peter Santosham. “There’s a very unique energy about Alberta… a community here that is very much interested in seeing the ecosystem evolve, and is prepared and willing to roll up their sleeves to do that.”
What sets UCeed apart is its model of venture philanthropy—funded entirely by donors including University of Calgary alumni and successful entrepreneurs. With zero management fees and administrative costs covered by the university, every dollar goes directly to supporting startups. UCeed shares detailed investment memos with the local investment community to help others understand opportunities and make informed decisions, raising Alberta’s profile as an innovation destination.
The Investor of the Year Award is generously sponsored by Alberta Enterprise Corporation. AEC promotes the development of Alberta’s venture capital industry by investing in venture capital funds that finance technology companies.
Jillian McLaren – Leader of the Year Award
Awarded to an executive-level individual who has played a pivotal role in driving their organization’s growth, innovation, and long-term success. Recipients are founders, executives, or senior leaders based in Alberta who have navigated their organization through critical periods of growth, transformation, or resilience, achieving significant milestones in revenue growth, expansion, innovation, or operational excellence. Beyond their organizational impact, they actively elevate Alberta’s tech ecosystem by advocating for innovation, fostering inclusive workplace cultures, supporting the next generation of talent, or collaborating across sectors—widely recognized as leaders who not only deliver results but uplift others and contribute meaningfully to the province’s entrepreneurial future.
Jillian McLaren serves as Managing Director of the Community Safety and Wellness Accelerator, a first-of-its-kind global accelerator focused on addressing social and safety challenges through technology. Since launching in 2022 in partnership with AlchemistX, the Edmonton Police Foundation, and Alberta Innovates, the CSW Accelerator has supported six cohorts of startups using artificial intelligence and machine learning to create social impact.
Under Jillian’s leadership, the accelerator has been recognized as the 2025 Top Accelerator in Canada by CoFounders Beta, while Jillian herself won Connector of the Year at the 2025 YEG Startup Community Awards—recognition that reflects her ability to bridge entrepreneurs, community partners, investors, and ecosystem builders.
“We were one of the first accelerators brought here to help businesses in Alberta grow and scale,” explains Jillian. “We’ve had such tremendous success because of Alberta, because of the resources we have here.”
With a background spanning management consulting and project management across Western Canada’s private, public, and non-profit sectors, Jillian brings boundless energy and strategic vision to her role. She champions startups addressing housing, domestic violence, mental health, substance abuse, and social justice while fostering an inclusive culture that supports diverse founders and mission-driven entrepreneurs.
Her leadership demonstrates that building thriving organizations and building thriving communities are not separate endeavours—they are deeply interconnected goals that define the future of Alberta’s tech ecosystem.
Final thanks and outlook for 2026
The 2025 Start Alberta Tech Awards wouldn’t have been possible without the generous support of our sponsors: AEC, A100, Edmonton Unlimited, Platform Calgary, Profound Talent, Osler and the Venture Capital Association of Alberta (VCAA). Thank you for championing the individuals and organizations that strengthen Alberta’s tech ecosystem.
This year’s award winners are part of a larger story unfolding across Alberta. Between 2013 and 2023, the province’s tech sector grew 3.5x faster than the overall economy, contributing $12 billion to the GDP. While other provinces pulled back, Alberta’s venture capital rose by 24% from 2021 to 2024. The province is now home to five unicorns, with major breakthroughs happening in EnergyTech, AgriTech, HealthTech, and Quantum. Calgary and Edmonton have earned recognition among the fastest-growing tech talent hubs in North America, with more than 63,000 tech employees driving innovation forward.
Start Alberta exists to strengthen this momentum by connecting founders, investors, and stakeholders through comprehensive data and industry recognition. The more complete and current our data, the stronger our collective story becomes—and the more talent, capital, and support we attract to the province.
Help us tell Alberta’s story. Claim your company profile and keep your data updated in the Start Alberta database. When you contribute to Start Alberta’s accuracy, you’re not just updating a profile—you’re helping Alberta’s entire tech sector reach its full potential.
See you next year in Calgary for the 2026 Start Alberta Tech Awards!
