Tech Roundup
Sept. 1, 2026

Headlines

• Hi Finance has partnered with a Toronto-based education-savings company called Embark to help students from low-income households open a Registered Education Savings Plan and claim the Canada Learning Bond — a federal grant worth up to $2,000 with no RESP contribution required. More than 500,000 eligible students had not yet accessed the grant as of 2025. "Our partnership with Embark is not only making it easy for a student to see if they qualify, but also provides a process that a student will actually want to use," Hi Finance CEO Zach Prusko said in a release.
• Proholistic Discovery, which is among the 10 companies to be celebrated at Launch Party during Edmonton Startup Week, spoke to Calgary Tech about its AI-powered platform aimed at reducing drug development failures by predicting how drug candidates are absorbed, distributed, metabolized, and excreted.
• Liquid Software CEO Ryan Malloy discussed building software for mid-sized businesses and charities on the Executive Wins podcast. Malloy, who transitioned from oilfield work to software entrepreneurship, said the company focuses on affordable, purpose-built solutions for businesses that have outgrown QuickBooks.
• Keith Cleland shared the origin story of Aqua-Cell Energy, which is developing flow batteries powered by salt water as an affordable alternative to conventional lithium-based storage. "(We) are poised to help people save billions of dollars in energy costs while protecting the climate at the same time," he told Canada's National Observer. "This technology can be sourced locally, so it will strengthen national sovereignty and the economy."
• Amber Simpson, a Canada CIFAR AI Chair and Fellow at the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute, explored how machine learning is reshaping medical imaging, cancer detection, and drug development on Amii's Approximately Correct podcast. Simpson's work uses radiomics — AI-extracted data hidden in standard medical scans — to detect aggressive cancers in organs such as the liver and pancreas earlier, enabling targeted treatment in earlier stages.
• Edmonton ranked 42nd in the top 50 North American tech talent markets, coming in last among the eight Canadian cities that made the list, in CBRE's Scoring Tech Talent report. The report said Edmonton had the lowest average wage for tech talent and the lowest concentration of tech talent workers out of all 50 cities.
• Edmonton Fire Rescue Services has officially unveiled its drone program with 24/7 aerial capability across all six city districts. The drones, operated by certified emergency responders, use thermal imaging to map fire lines, locate missing persons in the river valley, and guide water rescues in real time. The city will release a five-part educational video series to provide a behind-the-scenes look at advanced technology supports emergency services.
• Edmonton HVAC company Trust Home Comfort is among the home-services companies to receive grants from Jobber's annual grants program. Owner Van Wu plans to use the $50,000 to add a service and installation vehicle, hire technicians, and upgrade tools and technology.
• The Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute has partnered with Prosper NWT to deliver a practical AI workshop for seven Yellowknife businesses, helping them identify AI opportunities suited to their operations. The project is supported by part of a $2.8 million federal investment through the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency to accelerate digital literacy and AI adoption across the North.
• The federal government has renewed $50 million in funding for the Canadian Agri-Food Automation and Intelligence Network, an Edmonton-based not-for-profit that supports agri-food automation and innovation research. Over the past six years, CAAIN has committed more than $42 million to 56 projects with a combined value exceeding $133 million; new programming will launch this fall.
• Antigoni Studios has announced the lineup for its Femtech Connect Summit, set for Sept. 21, as part of Life Sciences Week, featuring a panel that includes DiveThru founder Sophie Gray. Also at LSW, Future Fields has partnered with the University of Alberta to host an evening of panels and networking focused on sustainable research labs on Sept. 24.

Data centres

• Meta's planned hyperscale data centre in Sturgeon County, northeast of Edmonton, may increase household power bills by up to $39 monthly, according to a Pembina Institute report. The Alberta government, however, said the project would cut transmission costs by up to 6%. Meta disputes Pembina's findings, promising to cover all energy expenses for the centre and not pass costs to residents. The data centre, drawing power comparable to the City of Calgary, could elevate wholesale prices until its power plant opens in late 2030.
• About 12,500 people tuned into a virtual town hall about data centres with Premier Danielle Smith and three UCP ministers on Aug. 27. Jeremy Appel of The Orchard characterized the virtual session as stage-managed in contrast with the unfiltered backlash Smith avoided at in-person events that took place in August. The final town hall is scheduled for Sept. 11 in Grande Prairie.

ASTech Awards

• The organizers of the ASTech Awards have continued to announce finalists for its 37th annual awards, with the gala slated for Nov. 6 in Edmonton. The gala will be preceded by opening ceremonies in Calgary on Sept. 18.
• Among the ASTech finalists in the change-maker category for student and early-career innovators are Alsayed Mostafa of the University of Alberta, as well as several projects out of Calgary post-secondary institutions.
• Among the ASTech finalists for the award for early adopter of Alberta innovation are Lina Nguyen, Rahul Chona, and Coleen Smith of Rohit Group, as well as Chris Grant of Alberta Bike Swap, and representatives of Cybera, TechJutsu, VirtuClinic, and Symend.
• Among the ASTech finalists in Indigenous leadership and community empowerment are David Wishart and Tara McGee for their respective projects at the University of Alberta, the Northern Coding Academy at the TELUS World of Science - Edmonton, and Ruth Orekogbe of LiberatedAI, as well as representatives of 10Alytics and fRI Research.
• Among the ASTech finalists in regional innovation are Mi-Young Kim of the University of Alberta's Augustana campus, as well as innovators from Medicine Hat, Red Deer, Hinton, Olds, Lethbridge, Innisfail, and Grande Prairie.
• Among the ASTech finalists for women in innovation are Ruth Orekogbe of LiberatedAI, Tara McGee of the University of Alberta, as well as innovators from the University of Calgary and Calgary-based GBCS Group, Liminality Innovations, BioCCM, and Cybera.

Jobs and opportunities

• Startup TNT is accepting applications until Sept. 14 for its fall 2026 Edmonton investment summit. The summit connects early-stage companies with angel investors through a structured, team-based due diligence process.
• GrowthX is accepting applications from Alberta tech founders for a go-to-market coaching program that pairs founders with expert sales coaches and provides an AI-powered sales planning platform. The deadline to apply is Sept. 28.
• Jobber is hiring a manager in its engineering department.
• The Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute is hiring an AI literacy specialist, program coordinator, and machine learning project manager.
• The Government of Alberta is hiring a manager in the software delivery branch and a senior full stack developer.

Happenings

Here are some events coming up soon:

• Sept. 1: ERINnovation Meetup - BITO Lab Launch starting at 4:30pm at Edmonton Public Library (Stanley A. Milner)
• Sept. 2: Community Coffee starting at 9am at Edmonton Unlimited
• Sept. 2: India-Canada Investment Webinar: Oil & Gas, Renewable Energy & Advanced Manufacturing starting at 9am
• Sept. 2: IndigiRise Pitch Night & Networking Event starting at 4pm at Edmonton Unlimited
• Sept. 2: Tech Wednesdays starting at 5:30pm at The Pint Public House
• Sept. 3: Selling to the City starting at 9am
• Sept. 3: Edmonton Community Foundation's Community Grant Sessions: Coffee, Conversations & Funding Ideas starting at 10am at Edmonton Community Foundation
• Sept. 3: Edmonton Region Export Meet-up starting at 3:30pm at The Bell in Scona
• Sept. 3: Startup TNT Happy Hour starting at 6pm at Fawkes Café & Bakery

And here are more to keep in mind:

• Sept. 9: Community Coffee Takeover: AI Technology: Is Patenting Really the Right Move? Understanding the Role of Trade Secret Protection at Edmonton Unlimited
• Sept. 15-17: Carbon Capture Canada at Edmonton Convention Centre
• Sept. 17: Fundraising, Culture, Persistence: What Keeps Founders Going at Fu's Repair Shop

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