Business Roundup
Sept. 25, 2026

Economic development

• Applied Pharmaceutical Innovation received up to $21.9 million from the federal government toward a $23.5-million initiative to develop domestic supplies of broad-spectrum antibiotics and other antimicrobials. The products are expected to be made at API's Critical Medicines Production Centre in Edmonton, which is scheduled to open next year.
• Women founded 85% of more than 1,700 femtech startups worldwide but received a smaller share of investment, speakers said at Femtech Connect, a Life Sciences Week summit launched by Edmonton venture firm Antigoni Studios. The summit also heard from DiveThru founder Sophie Gray, who shared her philosophy of innovation on a panel showcasing health companies.
• Life Sciences Week began with a panel on Canadian medical countermeasures and dual-use innovation, as well as tours at the Edmonton Research Park. Day 2 shone a spotlight on Edmonton, where attendees heard from Nobel Laureate Michael Houghton of Applied Pharmaceutical Innovation, among others.
• Alberta Innovates is investing $20.6 million over three years in eight Regional Innovation Networks and the Alberta Innovation Network. The funding will support commercialization, mentorship, investment readiness, and market access, including through the Edmonton Regional Innovation Network. Meanwhile, Janice Baskin of ERIN is looking for mentors with backgrounds in areas such as electrical engineering, chemical or materials engineering, embedded systems, electronics, or controls to connect with University of Alberta students.
• Azolla Hydrogen said its Calgary station will expand the Alberta land area within reach of hydrogen refuelling infrastructure from 11% to 42%. The company's operating Edmonton station offers sought-after 700-bar fuelling; after receiving funding for a Calgary station, Azolla will have a stronger network that "gives fleets more freedom to move, creates more places to put hydrogen to work and gives industry greater confidence to invest in what comes next," the company posted.
• Greg Zeschuk of Blind Enthusiasm discussed how U.S. tariffs are affecting Edmonton's craft brewers with CBC Edmonton's Radio Active, following the brewery's sold-out Barrel Fest in the Ritchie neighbourhood. Zeschuk is next set to join Jacqueline Jacek of JACEK Chocolate Couture and Peter Keith of Meuwly's and Scale Kitchens for a fireside chat on food and entrepreneurship at an Edmonton Startup Week event on Oct. 7. Edmonton Unlimited and the eHUB Entrepreneurship Centre will showcase local food and beverage brands at the event and let attendees sample products and network with founders, retailers, and investors.
• Edmonton Unlimited opened applications for an eight-week Built World Challenge, which pairs students, industry veterans, and other innovators with companies seeking ideas on building codes and embodied carbon. "Up until now, the model has been primarily to support local startups that have a ready-to-go product that is being tested and piloted by corporations in the customer environment," program lead Zack Storms told Taproot. "In this situation, we're actually starting from scratch. Applications close Oct. 13, and top teams could receive about $10,000 to $50,000 for a pilot.
• Strathcona County launched Go Strathco, a tourism identity intended to increase the region's visibility and visitor economy. The identity will appear in tourism guides, on social media, in digital campaigns, and on a new website.

Startups and SMBs

• The Edmonton-region companies selected to advance in the Alberta Capital Connect program are Nanostics, 4TheLoveOf.Tech, Enerbund, FeynMed Solutions, Humble Insurance Brokers, Zylotex, Prime Trucking Compliance, Wyzer Learning Inc., MagnetaMR, and Aqtiva. They'll partake in an event in conjunction with the ASTech Awards before they are judged against six other companies for the Breakout Venture of the Year award to be presented on Nov. 6.
• Uday Kumar Anumanchineni has launched R-Hero, a rideshare and taxi service that he says will offer local support to drivers and lower rates to customers. The former CEO of Alberta Co-op Taxis said the app had about 9,000 downloads and 600 drivers across Edmonton, Red Deer, and Calgary. "I've been part of the vehicle-for-hire bylaws, and I've been part of the taxi regulations and everything — what I did notice is there is nothing in the market that is kind of the middle between the taxi industry and ridesharing," he told Taproot.
• Prismecha Robotics has spun out of a University of Alberta research lab to make robotic prosthetics work better for people with limb differences. The company was incorporated earlier this year by Michael (Rory) Dawson, a protégé of Patrick Pilarski, co-lead of the BLINC Lab and a fellow at the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute.
• Samdesk has partnered with Northcott Global Solutions to connect its real-time risk alerts with NGS's Aurora travel-risk platform. The Edmonton company said the integration will combine incident detection, traveller location and status information, and 24/7 medical, security, rerouting, and evacuation support.
• Wyvern co-founders Callie Lissinna and Chris Robson spoke to Global News about preparing their next generation of telescopes after being featured at the Canada Investment Summit. The space-data startup is seeking $230 million in equity, strategic partnerships, and government co-investment to develop its optical satellites for hyperspectral Earth observations.
• RNARevive co-founder and COO Nina Karpoff described her path from genetics and health-care leadership to helping commercialize RNA therapeutics, after earlier ventures in photography, an online marketplace, and a women's mountain-biking program. "I've always had a yearning spirit," she said in an Alberta School of Business alumna profile. "I need to be learning, growing, and challenging myself."
• CTV News Edmonton spoke to Magpie Books co-owner Julie King-Yerex about getting noticed in The Economist's Plot Twist newsletter as one of the world's top bookshops, based on reader recommendations. "We have really great customers that we love and appreciate, and it's really nice to know that they love and appreciate us back," she said.
• After a catastrophic flood earlier this summer, Jenny and James Berkenbosch of Sundog Organic in Sturgeon County shared that their family's farming chapter has come to an end.
• Lokma franchise co-owner Sayem Talukder said a delayed occupancy permit was costing the south Edmonton business $2,500 a day. The city said complete documentation had not been submitted, while Talukder said he planned to open the first Western Canadian franchise location despite the permit risk. "If I'm currently losing $10K to $20K a month, whatever, I'd rather take that risk," Talukder told CityNews Edmonton. "If they shut me down for one day, that's $2,500 of revenue that I lose. (It's) better than losing $10,000 for the whole month."
• Travel Noire highlighted Black-owned food and cultural businesses in Edmonton, including Lift Me Up on the Lake, Café Caribbean, Sauce Modern Caribbean Cuisine, VIP Kilimanjaro, and Habesha Cravings.
• Rita Trattoria by Daniel Costa and chef Micah Joffe is one of 30 finalists for Air Canada's Best New Restaurants.
• Spamarketing.com, an Edmonton-based marketing agency for massage therapy service providers, is planning to expand to every U.S. state and Canadian province. The company said it specialized in the sector after helping scale Minty's Massage and Wellness in Sherwood Park to 17 therapists.
• Agereh Technologies, a publicly traded company that provides intelligence for transportation and infrastructure, has appointed Michael Plotnikoff as CEO, effective immediately, while former CEO Kenneth Brizel became chief technology officer. The company said Plotnikoff brought more than 30 years of technology-industry experience, and Brizel would oversee its product engineering and technology roadmap.
• Onlea CEO Adriana Lopez Forero spoke to the Powered by AWE podcast about leadership identity, imposter syndrome, and how AI is reshaping education.
• Karli Grove, founder of Kantency Consulting, told The Business Development Podcast that organizations should map their systems before acting on change. She said employees closest to the work can identify waste and root problems that leaders may miss.
• University of Alberta graduate Karia Samaroo spoke to Postmedia about selling his cryptocurrency platform Wonderfi to Robinhood for $250 million. Samaroo has now launched an AI company in the Grand Cayman Islands.

Real estate

• Demolition has begun at the former Northlands Park Racetrack & Casino property as part of the Edmonton Exhibition Lands redevelopment, clearing space expected to hold about 160 homes. The first residential units are expected to reach the market in the next few years.
• Edmonton's city administration has presented options to bring the planning and development business model closer to its target level after years of increased construction activity has resulted in a surplus, which council mandates should not exceed a target of 75%. Among administration's recommendations are three actions that would require a policy exception: a one-time, $12-million transfer to the infill infrastructure program; a hold on funds for future growth planning studies; and a revision to the PDBM policy. Urban planning committee is set to review the changes on Sept. 29.
• Habitat for Humanity and Rohit Homes have completed seven townhomes in Glenridding Ravine for Habitat's home-ownership program. Applications are open to people with stable employment who face financial barriers to buying a home.
• Sobeys parent Empire Co. has agreed to stop using restrictive covenants that keep competing grocers from opening at or near its former properties. The federal Competition Bureau agreement also limits clauses that prevent landlords from leasing to other grocers. "It's great to see that the law, in this case, has worked," Coun. Michael Janz said. "I hope that 10 years from now we're going to have more grocery stores and more options in more places." Edmonton city council passed a motion from Janz earlier this year asking the province to eliminate such covenants.
• Costco has purchased 20 acres in Stony Plain for a warehouse anchoring a planned power centre. The project is expected to include a gas bar, a separate liquor store, and about 1,000 parking spaces. It is targeted to open in summer 2027.
• St. Albert council adjourned a public hearing on infill changes until Oct. 6 to seek more information about services and infrastructure. The proposal would allow narrower lots and smaller homes in mature neighbourhoods and encourage taller buildings along St. Albert Trail. The city risks losing remaining Housing Accelerator Fund money if it rejects the changes. St. Albert Mayor Scott Olivieri said in his State of the City address that grant funding through the Build Canada Strong Fund shows the city is moving in the right direction. "This growth will be strategic, responsible, and in tandem with all the necessary requirements and services to keep the character and fabric that makes St. Albert a benchmark community," he said of a project to service expansion to the northeast.
• St. Albert's fall real estate market has slowed slightly compared with recent years, according to realtor Kurtis Drummond. The market has more inventory, which means that listings in the $500,000-to-$700,000 range are still selling, but not as quickly.
• Navin Sidhu, a partner at Alair Homes St. Albert and founder of Fab Hab Interiors and Consulting, discussed her move from civil engineering to residential construction and design.

Alberta outlook and resources

• Alberta's government launched the WorkFirst Alberta Talent Exchange, an online platform that matches job seekers with employers by skills and experience. The service opened with a pool of 5,000 job seekers and is part of the province's nearly quarter-billion-dollar WorkFirst Alberta investment in employment services.
• The province and Calgary Economic Development launched Level Up, an Alberta-wide program offering export-ready businesses specialized training, coaching, and market-specific guidance. The initiative is part of $3.8 million committed since June 2025 to support more than 1,500 businesses over five years, a release notes.
• The Alberta government released an Intellectual Property Framework intended to help researchers and businesses protect and commercialize inventions in the province. The framework includes an Alberta IP Office to provide advice, education, market intelligence, and support for companies entering Canadian and international markets.
• ATB forecasts Alberta's economy will grow 2.6% in 2026 and 2.3% in 2027, ahead of national growth of 0.9% and 1.5%, respectively, in its latest economic outlook. The outlook cited energy production, higher crude prices, and improved oil and liquid-natural-gas market access, but said investment would remain uncertain until decisions are made on a proposed West Coast pipeline and oil sands projects.
• TD Economics projected Alberta would rank second among provinces for growth in 2026 and first in 2027 in its provincial forecast. It said record oil production and higher prices were boosting incomes, profits, and government revenue, while trade uncertainty and higher borrowing costs would weigh on manufacturing and housing.
• Premier Danielle Smith said the province will suspend its 13-cent-per-litre fuel tax on gasoline and diesel for three months starting Oct. 1 to help lower costs at the pump. The move reverses the government's June decision to keep the tax in place while offering $100 affordability cheques, which saw fewer than half of eligible Albertans apply. The tax suspension is expected to cost the province about $350 million in lost revenue. The NDP welcomed the move but criticized the rebate program and questioned the timing following the UCP's recent Calgary by-election loss. Smith later stressed the suspension at the Alberta Municipalities convention in Edmonton.

More headlines

• Daily Hive reported that beers at Rogers Place will cost $16.50 for a tall-boy domestic canned beer and $18.50 for a 24-ounce domestic draft during Edmonton Oilers games this season. Craft and imported canned beer will cost $17, while a slice of pizza will cost $11.75 and a hot dog $10. While that may sound steep, data compiled by Hockey Game Day TV suggests that Rogers Place offers some of the cheapest beers across NHL venues.
• Flair Airlines CEO Len Corrado said jet-fuel prices had risen more than 110% from a year earlier, with fuel making up nearly one-third of the discount carrier's costs. The airline is shifting away from U.S. and business travel toward domestic and Caribbean routes, cutting Canada-U.S. flights by more than half from last year.
• Coun. Ashley Salvador plans to introduce a motion asking for a report on regulating and restricting large-scale data centres, including an analysis of land-use and environmental impacts of the facilities. The report would include information about jurisdictional authority, regulatory framework, and governance, as well as options to remove data centres from standard industrial zones. She said during the Sept. 8 Edmonton city council meeting that she will also ask for information about how data centres in the wider region could impact the City of Edmonton. The motion could be debated as early as the Oct. 6 city council meeting.
• NAIT students affected by the suspension of the school's two-year captioning and court reporting diploma say they are struggling to find work and want tuition refunds. The program was paused in September 2025 after a review cited declining enrolment, low graduate numbers, and high costs, though NAIT continues to offer a one-year court transcription certificate. Students say the certificate does not qualify them for most court reporting jobs.
• General Bank of Canada president Eric Dillon discussed structured mentorship and advancing gender diversity in finance. He told the Executive Wins podcast that he had tracked more than 120 mentoring relationships to learn what works.

Happenings

Here are some events coming up soon:

• Sept. 25: Coffee with the Chamber starting at 8:30am at Stantec Tower Ice District
• Sept. 26: Belcourt Brosseau Métis Awards: 25th Anniversary Celebration starting at 3:45pm at Edmonton Inn and Conference Centre
• Sept. 26-30: International Chinatown Conference at DoubleTree by Hilton Edmonton (Downtown)
• Sept. 28 Exmerce Fireside Experts: Networking and Panelist Event starting at 6pm at YOUCAN Youth Services
• Sept. 30: The Unordinary with Scott King starting at 6pm at The Bell in Scona
• Oct. 1: Top 20 Pitch Night starting at 6pm, must register to see address

And here are more to keep in mind:

• Oct. 5-9: Edmonton Startup Week at various downtown locations
• Oct. 5-9: Wills Week at various locations
• Oct. 19-23: Small Business Week at various downtown locations

Visit the Taproot Edmonton Calendar for many more events in the Edmonton region.