The 9th annual Start Alberta Tech Awards brought our community together on November 4 at Studio Bell in Calgary for an evening celebrating the achievements of some of Alberta’s most innovative founders and startups.
Here’s a recap of the 2026 winners – congratulations to each of you!
2026 Start Alberta Tech Awards Winners
- Most Promising Founder: Cheng (Jack) Su
- Investor of the Year: Graphite Ventures
- A100 One to Watch: NiaHealth
- VCAA Rod Charko Service Award: Jade Alberts
- Scaleup of the Year: Helcim
- Anchor of the Year: PurposeMed
- Deal of the Year: CoolIT Systems
- Ecosystem Supporter of the Year: Kristina Milke
- Woman in Tech: Dr. Christy Lane
- Leader of the Year: Dr. Caley Shukalek
Cheng (Jack) Su, EnerNode AI – Most Promising Founder presented by Platform Calgary
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. Recipients are founders or co-founders currently based in Alberta who have launched a technology-driven startup or scaleup in the province between September 30, 2023 and September 30, 2026, 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 by giving back through mentorship, collaboration with peers, participation at key events, or active contribution to ecosystem-building efforts.
Cheng (Jack) Su is the Co-Founder of EnerNode AI, a Calgary company founded in February 2026 to bring AI to the oil and gas industry. Its platform, Heptix™, gives oil and gas companies one place to manage everything from their wells and land to their finances and daily operations. Small and mid-size producers get the full picture of their business and can make faster, smarter decisions. A McMaster University engineering graduate, Jack brings hands-on industry experience from his work in production engineering at Calgary-based IHH Energy Corp.
Jack is building EnerNode AI as a bootstrapped company, with a disciplined focus on operator workflows and customer feedback. Within its first year, EnerNode AI gained strong early traction, with several Western Canadian oil and gas operators adopting Heptix. The company was also selected for the Plug and Play Canada and NVIDIA Inception programs, named a finalist for Alberta Capital Connect’s Breakout Venture of the Year Award, and named to Scale Up Canada’s Calgary50 in 2026.
Jack’s leadership is coachable and community-minded. He actively seeks feedback from founders, operators, investors and ecosystem programs, shares milestones publicly, credits the mentors and collaborators who have supported him, and consistently shows up in Calgary’s startup and engineering networks. He is also committed to connecting Alberta’s energy industry with the talent that will shape its future, including through the Society of Petroleum Engineers student chapter at the University of Alberta.
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.
Graphite Ventures – 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 (quality over quantity) 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. They actively contribute to raising the profile of Alberta as a destination for world-class innovation and investment, helping to attract outside capital, talent, and attention to the province’s growing tech sector, and play a visible and respected role within the investment and entrepreneurial communities by offering mentorship, guidance, and support to founders.
Graphite Ventures is a Canadian venture capital firm dedicated to seed-stage investing, backing capital-efficient B2B technology companies across the country. Founded in 2008 as the MaRS Investment Accelerator Fund, Graphite has grown into one of Canada’s most active seed investors, with team members in cities across the country, including Calgary and Edmonton.
Graphite established a local presence in Alberta in 2022 and now has team members in both Calgary and Edmonton. In 2023, Alberta Enterprise Corporation became a Limited Partner, investing $10 million in Graphite’s Fund IV to help bring seed-stage capital to Alberta startups. Since then, Graphite has led early investments in Alberta companies including PataBid, WaitWell, Black Owl, ResolvMD and Ontopical, which has since been acquired.
Graphite’s commitment to the province continues to deepen. The University of Alberta recently selected Graphite to manage the U of A Innovation Fund. In that role, Graphite will invest in promising companies coming out of the university, manage the fund’s existing portfolio, run founder support programs, and connect founders with its national network of co-investors, corporate partners and mentors.
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.
NiaHealth – 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. Eligible companies are technology-focused startups or scaleups founded and headquartered in Alberta, launched between September 30, 2023 and September 30, 2026, that are in market and showing promising traction or potential to scale.
Edmonton-based NiaHealth is making proactive healthcare accessible to Canadians, helping people detect health risks early, before symptoms appear. Through an annual membership, members receive comprehensive blood testing twice a year, a one-on-one consultation with a Canadian nurse practitioner, and a personalized dashboard that tracks their results over time alongside data from wearables, nutrition and more.
NiaHealth was founded in 2023 by Sameer Dhar, Tanya ter Keurs, Mike Goss and Saif Uddin Mahmud. CEO Sameer Dhar is a repeat founder who previously built and sold Sensassure, and co-founder and Chief Clinical Officer Tanya ter Keurs is a nurse practitioner with two decades of experience in primary care.
NiaHealth announced a $2.5 million pre-seed round in April 2025, followed by a $5.75 million seed round in June 2025, bringing its total funding to more than $8 million. The company has grown quickly to serve Canadians in most provinces, has completed more than 500,000 tests across Canada, and has been featured on Dragons’ Den.
The A100 One to Watch Award is generously sponsored by A100, a non-profit, membership-based community of acclaimed Canadian tech and innovation leaders, founders and investors.
Jade Alberts – 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.
Jade Alberts has supported Alberta’s entrepreneurial community for more than a decade. A serial entrepreneur who has led four ventures to successful exits, Jade shares his experience to help other founders succeed.
In 2016, Jade founded Peer Guidance, a Calgary-based, purpose-before-profit group of experienced entrepreneurs who give founders fractional support across operations, HR, finance, growth strategy and mental health, guided by the mantra #YoureNotAlone. Each week, Jade hosts Founders Coffee, a Tuesday morning meetup in Calgary where entrepreneurs, startup leaders and small business owners gather to connect and share ideas. He also hosts Telling It Like It Is, a weekly live show spotlighting the stories of founders and small business owners.
Jade also mentors founders as an advisor at Innovate Calgary and has made more than 30 angel investments across cleantech, life sciences, agtech and technology. An advocate for founder mental health, he speaks openly about his own experiences and makes himself available to entrepreneurs during difficult moments in their journeys.
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, and 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.
Helcim – 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.
Calgary-based Helcim makes it easy and affordable for small and medium businesses across Canada and the United States to accept payments, whether in person or online. With transparent pricing, no monthly fees and no long-term contracts, the company is on a mission to build the world’s most loved payments company. Helcim was founded in 2006 by CEO Nic Beique.
Helcim raised its Series A in 2022 and its Series B in 2024, and in August 2026 closed a $53 million CAD Series C at a $250 million valuation. The company has surpassed $150 million in annual recurring revenue, serves more than 22,000 active merchants, and has more than doubled its team since 2021.
Helcim is committed to building an inclusive workplace and giving back to Calgary’s entrepreneurial community. The company began surveying its team on diversity and inclusion in 2020, joined the Alberta LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce that same year, and has marched in the Calgary Pride Parade since 2019. Women hold two of the five seats on its leadership team, including CFO Marjorie Junio-Read, a recipient of the Women in Payments Inspiration Award. Nic has invested in local talent, building much of Helcim’s platform with recent SAIT graduates, and regularly shares his experience with Calgary founders through events such as Tech Thursday, House 831’s This Way, That Way speaker series and the Calgary Chamber’s Small Business Week.
The Scaleup of the Year award is generously sponsored by Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP. Osler is a leading business law firm practising internationally from offices across Canada and in New York, with locations in Calgary, Toronto, Montréal, Ottawa and Vancouver.
PurposeMed – 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 companies with a tech-driven core business, $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 PurposeMed is improving access to complex care for underserved communities. Through its virtual clinics, Freddie for HIV prevention, Frida for adult ADHD and Foria for gender-affirming care, PurposeMed connects patients with specialized clinicians from home, supported by its own Affirming Care Pharmacy.
The company was founded in 2019 by Dr. Husein Moloo, CEO, Pete MacLeod, COO, and Amaan Banwait, CCO. Its leadership team also includes Chief Medical Officer Dr. Caley Shukalek, a clinical associate professor at the University of Calgary’s Cumming School of Medicine.
PurposeMed has grown steadily since launching Freddie in 2020, adding Frida in 2022 and Foria in 2023 before expanding Freddie into the United States, where it reached all 50 states by 2025. In September 2026, Grindr announced an agreement to acquire PurposeMed for USD $250 million, the largest disclosed exit for an Alberta health technology company.
PurposeMed has built a team of more than 200 people that reflects the communities it serves. In 2025, women made up 64% of its team and 31% identified as 2SLGBTQI+. The company invests in Alberta’s communities through partnerships such as Frida’s collaboration with Alberta Blue Cross and Freddie’s sponsorship of local organizations, including the Calgary Flare and the Calgary Apollo Softball Association. Its physician leaders also teach at the University of Calgary’s Cumming School of Medicine.
The Anchor the Year Award is sponsored by ProFound Talent. ProFound Talent is a boutique North American executive search and professional recruiting firm that also offers executive and leadership coaching, leadership development and career transition support.
CoolIT Systems – 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, 2025 and September 30, 2026. 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 July 2026, Calgary-based CoolIT Systems was acquired by US-based Ecolab for USD $4.75 billion. It is the largest disclosed exit for an Alberta-headquartered company on record, and it demonstrates the global value of Alberta-built technology.
Founded in 2001, CoolIT designs and manufactures advanced liquid cooling solutions for the world’s most demanding computing environments, including the AI data centres run by hyperscale and colocation operators. The company is headquartered in Calgary, home to one of its Liquid Lab™ R&D centres.
The transaction’s impact extends well beyond the deal itself. Because every CoolIT employee is also an owner, the entire team shared in the sale, with payouts ranging from about one year to more than eight years of annual pay depending on tenure.
This marks the second time CoolIT has been recognized for a major transaction. The company received the 2023 Start Alberta Most Significant Transaction Award after KKR acquired a majority stake, a deal that made every employee an owner of the company.
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.
Kristina Milke, Sprout Fund – 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. They play a visible and consistent role in supporting startups, scaleups, or emerging founders across Alberta through mentorship, programming, investment, infrastructure, or advocacy, and have a track record of collaborating with other ecosystem builders, founders, or community groups to advance Alberta’s innovation economy. They have also made efforts to increase equity, diversity, and inclusion in Alberta’s innovation ecosystem.
Kristina Milke is a General Partner at Sprout Fund and has spent more than a decade investing in, mentoring, and championing Alberta’s founders, drawing on her own experience as a founder and operator.
Since co-founding Sprout Fund in 2018, Kristina has helped back seed-stage B2B software companies across Canada, with a strong focus on Alberta. Its Alberta portfolio includes DiveThru, Prolegis, EZ OPS, Smart Access and Truffle, among others. Before Sprout, she co-founded Valhalla Private Capital and Valhalla Angels, one of the largest angel networks in Western Canada, and served on the board of the National Angel Capital Organization.
Mentorship has been a constant throughout her career. A longtime A100 Charter Member, Kristina was a founding mentor of the University of Alberta’s ThresholdImpact Venture Mentoring Service when it launched in 2013, and has chaired its advisory board since 2021. She is a regular presence at innovation hubs across the province, from Edmonton Unlimited to Platform Calgary, where she connects with and supports founders. Her work has been recognized with Mentor of the Year at the inaugural YEG Startup Community Awards and the University of Alberta’s Alumni Service Award.
The Ecosystem Supporter of the Year award is generously sponsored by Edmonton Unlimited, the city’s innovation agency, backing the entrepreneurs who are building what’s next by making it easier to connect, learn and take their next big step with the right people, resources and support.
Dr. Christy Lane, FLORA – Woman in Tech
Awarded to a woman who has held a leadership role (founder, co-founder, or C-level executive) at an Alberta-based startup or scaleup for more than 12 months, and 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.
Dr. Christy Lane is the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Calgary-based Flora Fertility, which is building a new category of insurance: individually owned fertility insurance that gives women more financial options to plan for motherhood on their own terms and timeline. Flora’s portable policies cover diagnostics, medications, IUI and IVF, and aren’t tied to an employer or a government plan. Christy co-founded the company in 2023 with Laura J. McDonald, inspired in part by her own experience with fertility treatment, which she paid for out of pocket.
Flora launched in the United States in September 2025 and closed a USD $5 million seed round in April 2026, bringing its total funding to nearly $9 million CAD. The company is expanding coverage to Canada.
Flora is Christy’s second venture as CEO. A scientist by training who co-founded the Stanford Wearable Health Lab, she previously founded and led Calgary-based Vivametrica, an insurtech company that used wearable-device data to predict mortality and disease risk for insurers, before its acquisition in 2020.
Through Flora, Christy is working to close long-standing gaps in women’s health and financial planning. She is committed to supporting women and girls in STEM and mentoring the next generation of scientists, founders and leaders. Her work has been recognized with honours including Avenue Calgary’s Top 40 Under 40 and the Female Founders in Insurtech competition.
Dr. Caley Shukalek, PurposeMed – 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. They are not only instrumental to their own organization but also serve as a role model and catalyst within Alberta’s tech and innovation ecosystem. Recipients are founders, executives, or senior leaders based in Alberta who have demonstrated exceptional leadership within a tech or innovation-driven organization. They have navigated an organization through a critical period of growth, transformation, or resilience, achieving significant milestones such as revenue growth, expansion, innovation, or operational excellence. They play an active role in elevating Alberta’s tech ecosystem by advocating for innovation, fostering inclusive workplace cultures, supporting the next generation of talent, or collaborating across sectors, and are widely recognized by peers and industry stakeholders as leaders who not only deliver results but uplift others and contribute meaningfully to the province’s economic and entrepreneurial future.
Dr. Caley Shukalek has served as Chief Medical Officer of Calgary-based PurposeMed since 2019, leading the clinical services behind Freddie, the company’s HIV prevention and care service. A University of Calgary medical graduate, Caley joined fellow UCalgary medical alum Dr. Husein Moloo to help build Freddie after seeing how hard it was for people in the queer community, including many of his own friends, to access HIV prevention and affirming sexual healthcare.
As CMO, Caley develops and oversees PurposeMed’s clinical services, working closely with the company’s operations, technology, people and business teams, and managing relationships with clinical partners, government and regulators to ensure high standards of patient care and safety. Under his clinical leadership, Freddie has expanded to all 50 US states, broadened access to new prevention options including doxy-PEP and injectable PrEP, expanded care for people living with HIV in Canada and created new opportunities for in-person care across Alberta. In September 2026, Grindr announced an agreement to acquire PurposeMed for USD $250 million.
Caley’s leadership extends well beyond PurposeMed. He holds an appointment as a clinical associate professor at the University of Calgary’s Cumming School of Medicine and serves as a director of Amplify Network, which connects community organizations responding to HIV. He has been named Business Leader of the Year by Canada’s 2SLGBTQI+ Chamber of Commerce and received the Canadian Medical Association’s Award for Young Leaders, which recognizes physicians who serve as role models for their peers.
Final thanks and outlook for 2027
The 2026 Start Alberta Tech Awards wouldn’t have been possible without the generous support of our sponsors: A100, AEC, Platform Calgary, Edmonton Unlimited, the Venture Capital Association of Alberta (VCAA), Osler and ProFound Talent. 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. According to Start Alberta’s Alberta Deep Dive 2025, the province is home to more than 3,000 active tech companies that raised US$870 million across 148 transactions in 2025, with funding from Canadian investors up 163%. That momentum carried into 2026, already a record year for Alberta tech exits by disclosed value. Highlights include CoolIT Systems’ US$4.75 billion acquisition by Ecolab, the largest disclosed exit for an Alberta-headquartered company on record, alongside Blackline Safety’s US$850 million buyout, Grindr’s announced acquisition of PurposeMed and Imdex’s acquisition of Krux Analytics. The world is taking notice: in Dealroom’s 2026 Global Tech Ecosystem Index, both Calgary and Edmonton ranked among North America’s fastest-growing tech ecosystems, with Calgary at #9 and Edmonton at #18 in the Rising Stars category.
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.