The winners of the 2024 YEG Startup Community Awards include Future Fields, a biomanufacturer using an innovative fruit fly facility that received US$11.2 million in funding last year.
The company edged out fellow finalists UpRow and vrCAVE in the adjudicated category of Most Edmonton Startup of the Year, awarded at a May 2 ceremony at Fu's Repair Shop. Future Fields was a finalist in the same category at last year's awards but lost to satellite imaging company Wyvern.
CarePros, a pediatric care provider, won in the adjudicated Traction of the Year category, edging out the also-nominated Future Fields.
The adjudicated awards were numerous. Nanostics won Best Startup Workplace, Ashif Mawji of ScaleGood Fund won Community Champion of the Year, David Ferris of Alberta Product Leadership Program (and more) won Volunteer of the Year, David Janzen won Mentor of the Year, Mikayla Balfour of Nexarina won Student Entrepreneur of the Year, Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute won Support Organization of the Year, and Startup TNT won Investor of the Year.
In the people's choice award categories, SpectraCann, a drug-testing company with a proprietary THC breathalyzer test, won New Startup of the Year. Paul Bakhmut, organizer of the Edmonton Design Movement, took home Connector of the Year. Alberta's First GovTech Hackathon by MovEd won the Community Initiative of the Year award.
More opportunities to learn about excellence in the Edmonton region's innovation ecosystem include Upper Bound, running from May 21 to 24 at the Edmonton Convention Centre, and at Inventures in Calgary hosted by Alberta Innovates from May 29 to 31.