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Tech Roundup

Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026

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Amii launches AI for Earth scholarship with storm chaser, planetary scientist

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We notice a storm chaser, a planetary scientist, and a broadcast meteorologist are the subject matter experts shaping the curriculum for the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute's AI for Earth Program. Delivered in partnership with Environment and Climate Change Canada, the program aims to equip Earth sciences students with AI skills and drive advancements in environmental protection, conservation, and climate action.

Nevin de Milliano, a member of the Prairie Storm Chasers, will inform how AI can act as a partner when observing climate phenomena on the ground. Amii said his work demonstrates "how AI processes real-time data to protect lives and property during extreme weather." Joining de Milliano is Tanya Harrison, a planetary scientist who has worked on NASA's Mars rover missions and is the director of Earth and space science at Mission Control in Ottawa. She will bring her experience working with vast satellite datasets. "We need AI literacy to expand beyond computer scientists to students in fields like Earth sciences and meteorology who understand applications of satellite data," Harrison said.

A yet-to-be-named veteran broadcast meteorologist rounds out the team and will share how professionals translate global climate trends into actionable local intelligence. The scholarship program will provide 750 Earth sciences students with access to 10 modules about environmental applications of machine learning, as well as some of Amii's other workshops. Applications to participate in the program close on March 31.

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Headlines

  • RUNWITHIT Synthetics has launched INFLECTOR AI, an agent-based artificial intelligence platform that the company says uses 500 times less electricity than mainstream AI techniques for tasks such as synthesizing Canada's population data, while complying with global privacy regulations. "We've been stealth with INFLECTOR for a while, but given the realities of data centres and their consumption of critical resources, we thought it was time to put our hand up and say there is a different way," CEO Myrna Bittner said in a release.
  • BetaKit paid a visit to Zero Point Cryogenics, a key global player in quantum computing infrastructure and one of six companies worldwide that commercially manufacture dilution refrigerators. Founded by University of Alberta professor John P. Davis and led by CEO Chris Cassin, the company builds systems that reach near-absolute zero temperatures, which is crucial for quantum research. Cassin credited Edmonton's unique combination of university research, skilled trades training from NAIT, and low manufacturing costs for the company's success.
  • Six entrepreneurs pitched at the Black Business Ventures Association's Innovation Expo, including LiberatedAI founder Ruth Orekogbe. ​"Honestly, I didn't really know how big the Black tech community was here in Edmonton," Orekogbe told BetaKit. "I wanted to see firsthand what people were building and to connect with them and support them." The event was aimed at early-stage support in the form of partnerships rather than funding.
  • Transforming Edmonton highlighted the city's innovative manufacturing industry, which has developed cutting-edge technologies in biotechnology, energy, and medical devices, among other fields. The City of Edmonton blog post credited the Edge Fund for supporting some of these advancements, awarding $5 million to 17 businesses in 2024. Recipients included NGT Energy, which is developing safer oil and gas measurement devices; Zero Point Cryogenics, the sole North American manufacturer of quantum dilution refrigerators; and Millennium Three Technologies, which enhances industrial pre-fabricated assembly with computer-vision technology.
  • The Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute partnered with Carson Integrated to build a machine learning model that predicts stream classifications in remote Alberta forests with 70% to 75% accuracy, reducing the need to send field crews into dangerous terrain.
  • Anthea Sargeaunt's 2S Water was named one of the top five ventures in Spring Capital's fifth annual Invest Together in Women-Led Impact program. The finalists will pitch at an event on March 11.
  • Nathan Mison announced his departure from SafeHouse Science after 14 months. During his tenure, the organization completed three acquisitions and raised more than $2 million, he posted.
  • Ruminant Biotech will receive $2.8 million from Emissions Reduction Alberta's Industrial Transformation Challenge to develop a way to reduce methane emissions from livestock. The program aims to reduce carbon emissions and improve the energy sector's environmental impacts. The University of Calgary will also receive $750,000 for a project in Leduc County aimed at advancing electrokinetic remediation for inactive oil and gas sites.
  • AI won't replace communicators, but those who use AI might replace those who don't, wrote Stéphanie Coralie-Odayen, communications chair for CPRS Edmonton. She said AI's main advantage is strategic foresight, and it is already being used to draft foundational content, summarize complex material, and create basic visuals.
  • Sophie Gray, founder of DiveThru, is hosting a meetup on Feb. 27 for women entrepreneurs to "talk honestly about the emotional side of building a business."
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This roundup was sponsored by Edmonton Unlimited.

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