*Disclaimer: The following content was released using our former organization name Innovate Edmonton and/or program division Startup Edmonton, prior to the transition to our new brand and name, Edmonton Unlimited.
PARTNER RELEASE | Calgary, March 18, 2022
Plug and Play Alberta is excited to announce the 39 startups selected for their first-ever 2022 Batches. These companies selected will participate in one of the following programs: Heath, Sustainability, and Sector Agnostic. Out of the 39 startups chosen, 46% are from Alberta, 23% from other Canadian regions, and 31% from outside of Canada.
The full list of startups can be found on Plug and Play’s website: Health, Sustainability, Sector Agnostic.
“We are committed to becoming a central pillar of Alberta’s economy through establishing and building a long-term presence and an integrated, collaborative system. This will not only attract top technology and investment to the region, but will drive innovation and help Alberta entrepreneurs to scale and grow,” said Saeed Amidi, CEO and Founder, Plug and Play.
“Ninety percent of small and medium-sized companies contribute significant opportunities to Alberta. Growing and scaling companies in Alberta is critical to making a strong economy. Programs like Plug and Play Alberta will help build vibrant and healthy businesses. That’s not only important for companies but for all Albertans,” said Laura Kilcrease, CEO, Alberta Innovates.
“Having Plug and Play in Alberta is game changing for Edmonton and our province. They are connecting entrepreneurs with the support they need to scale, grow and to compete on the world-stage in today’s impact economy. Locally, Edmontonians will benefit from job growth, new investment, and economic diversity,” said Catherine Warren, CEO, Innovate Edmonton.
“With their Canadian expansion and new headquarters in Calgary, Plug and Plug has quickly made their mark in Alberta, and their announcement of the first batch of technology startups across key sectors to participate in their accelerator program is testament to their progress,” said Mark Blackwell, Chair, Board of Directors, Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund. “We are excited to see this first cohort be the start of a journey for many Calgary startups benefiting from Plug and Play’s vast global network of corporations and investors.”
Over the next three months, the chosen startups will have the opportunity to participate in networking events, workshops, mentor sessions, private dealflow sessions, and more to increase their chances of securing exclusive pilots, proof of concepts, new customers and investments. They will be fully immersed in Plug and Play’s global network of over 40,000 startups, 500 industry-leading corporate partners, and hundreds of venture capital firms and investors. There is no equity requirement for startups to participate.
Graduation for this batch of startups will commence at the end of May at Plug and Play Alberta’s May Expo 2022. This event will be held at the TELUS Convention Centre downtown Calgary on May 31st, 2022. Please reach out if you would like to reserve attendance.
About Plug and Play Alberta
Plug and Play Alberta is building a world-class innovation platform to attract top technology and investment to the region and support Albertan entrepreneurs to scale and grow, hire tech talent, and propel digital transformation across the province. Plug and Play Alberta is part of the Alberta Scaleup and Growth Accelerator Program (Scaleup GAP) that is run by a consortium led by Alberta Innovates. The consortium also includes the Ministry of Jobs, Economy, and Innovation, Innovate Edmonton, and the Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund (OCIF) who allocated $35 million over three years to retain business accelerators.
About Plug and Play
Plug and Play is the leading innovation platform, connecting startups, corporations, venture capital firms, universities, and government agencies. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, we’re present in 35+ locations across 5 continents. We offer corporate innovation programs and help our corporate partners in every stage of their innovation journey, from education to execution. We also organize startup acceleration programs and have built an in-house VC to drive innovation across multiple industries where we’ve invested in hundreds of successful companies including Dropbox, Guardant Health, Honey, Lending Club, N26, PayPal, and Rappi. For more information, visit https://www.plugandplaytechcenter.com/.
About Innovate Edmonton
Headquartered in Alberta’s capital city, Innovate Edmonton leverages, unites and promotes home-grown innovation as a gateway to solving the world’s most pressing problems. We harness the power of the public and private sectors, ground-breaking academic research and purpose-driven investment to build a shared prosperity and open international markets. From sustainable climate solutions to public health and digital education, Edmonton is a leading global centre for inspiration, ingenuity and inclusion. Learn more about Innovate Edmonton and Startup Edmonton, a division of Innovate Edmonton.
About Alberta Innovates
Alberta Innovates is the province’s largest and Canada’s first provincial research and innovation agency. For a century we have worked closely with researchers, companies and entrepreneurs – trailblazers who built industries and strengthened communities. Today we are pivoting to the next frontier of opportunity in Alberta and worldwide by driving emerging technologies across sectors. We are a provincial corporation delivering seed funding, business advice, applied research and technical services, and avenues for partnership and collaboration. Learn how Alberta Innovates.
About Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund
Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund was created as a wholly owned subsidiary of The City of Calgary in 2018 to support catalytic investments within the city to help diversify and transform the economy. The fund is administered by Calgary Economic Development and has a volunteer Board of Directors. For more information, visit our website.