Programs

Built World Tech

VENTURE PILOTS: SHAPING THE FUTURE OF BUILT WORLD TECH

Edmonton Unlimited’s Venture Stream is connecting startups, investors, and industry partners driving innovation across the built environment.

Whether you’re working in construction technology, PropTech, smart cities, infrastructure, or sustainable development, Venture Pilots helps founders grow, scale, and bring bold ideas to life.

WHY JOIN VENTURE PILOTS?

Collaborate with investors and industry leaders shaping the future of our cities.
Connect with a network of forward-thinking founders and innovation partners.
Access resources and guidance tailored to your startup’s stage and goals.

WHO SHOULD APPLY?

Startups focused on transforming how we design, build, and live — from early-stage ideas to companies ready to scale.

WHY JOIN VENTURE PILOTS?

Collaborate with investors and industry leaders shaping the future of our cities.
Connect with a network of forward-thinking founders and innovation partners.
Access resources and guidance tailored to your startup’s stage and goals.

WHO SHOULD APPLY?

Startups focused on transforming how we design, build, and live — from early-stage ideas to companies ready to scale.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis throughout 2026.

Program Overview

The mission is to accelerate the integration of local innovation into the local economy.

Explore the technology focus, target startups, and program goals with the button below to learn more about Venture Pilots.

Pilots

Aqtiva has developed a cold plasma microbubble-activated water (PAW) system designed to enhance crop yield while reducing fertilizer dependencyThe technology generates reactive species-activated irrigation water that stimulates root development, accelerates growth cycles and improves soil vitality.

Aqtiva Inc. will execute a farm-based pilot in Alberta to validate its cold plasma microbubble-activated water (PAW) system as a fertilizer-reducing, yield-enhancing input for future targeting of greenhouse and microgreen producers.

The pilot is structured as a controlled side-by-side trial (PAW vs. water + fertilizer control) and serves as a de-risking step toward scaled device installations across Alberta greenhouse and specialty crop operations.

Candle Lithium utilizes lithium extraction technology based on ion-exchange (IX) that uses proprietary beads developed at the University of Alberta. Technology can operate in difficult environments (low quality brines).

Candle is running the first field trial of their Lithium extraction system at an oil and gas well. The full treatment system will treat waste brine water and extract the lithium.

CityScan Technologies uses AI-powered infrastructure assessment software to monitor and assess roadway conditions using off-the-shelf cameras such as Go-Pros.

CityScan is going to benchmark the performance of their AI-powered road assessment software. From a technical perspective, the pilot will demonstrate successful integration of CityScan’s processed outputs into at least one representative Tetra Tech project workflow.

Elementiam’s Element X is a vision-enabled software layer that adds intelligence to industrial robots, enabling automated welding in manufacturing environments. The platform targets measurable productivity gains (up to 25%) & materially shorter capital payback periods (up to 60%), positioning automation as economically viable for complex manufacturing firms.

Elementiam will execute a 3-month pilot with a contract manufacturer specializing in oil & gas skid fabrication

RoBIM uses an end-to-end robotic manufacturing system to produce modular building components off-site.

RoBIM is going to benchmark their Robotic system against a truss manufacturing system.

Aqua-Cell has developed a salt-water based battery for industrial scale energy storage. In this pilot, they will be using a live field demo in Medicine Hat to model the performance of their battery system under various real-world conditions. The pilot will be included in EPRI‘s deRISKED project to evaluate pre-commercial energy storage technologies with a consortium of utilities and power producers.

Candle is running the first field trial of their Lithium extraction system at an oil and gas well. The full treatment system will treat waste brine water and extract the lithium.

CityScan Technologies uses AI-powered infrastructure assessment software to monitor and assess roadway conditions using off-the-shelf cameras such as Go-Pros.

Elementiam will execute a 3-month pilot with a contract manufacturer specializing in oil & gas skid fabrication

RoBIM uses an end-to-end robotic manufacturing system to produce modular building components off-site.

RoBIM is going to benchmark their Robotic system against a truss manufacturing system.

InstallPROOF is a SaaS platform providing a digital system of record for flooring installations.

The pilot will be the first field trial of the platform with a major flooring retailer, TreeCo. InstallPROOF will capture real-time installation data, track installer adoption and demonstrate reduction in claims friction.

Ultracoustics has built BROADSONIC, an optical ultrasonic sensor with an acoustic bandwidth of 5 MHz that detects 250x the frequency range of human hearing. In this pilot, they will be using this novel technology to optimize the design of ultrasonic transducers for high-end oil and gas pipeline integrity measurements. This work will be done in cooperation with AIMS (PIP360 Inc.), a leader in specialized solutions for pipeline integrity monitoring.

Zylotex is developing a pulping platform that converts waste hemp fibres into high-purity cellulose materials for use in nonwovens, composites, and regenerated fibres. This pilot will produce the first product samples of their cellulose fibers for quality analysis by Lenzing, a global leader in sustainable fiber production.

Partnering to Advance Innovation in the Built Environment

Through a newly signed Memorandum of Understanding, Edmonton Unlimited and CIC will collaborate through the Venture Pilots: Built World Tech Program to help accelerate the adoption of emerging technologies across construction, infrastructure, and the broader built world ecosystem.

Investment Committee

Partnering to Advance Innovation in the Built Environment

Investment Committee

FAQs

When is the application due?

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis starting in late January.

How long will the application take?

Once you have a company pitch deck and 1-page summary of your proposed Pilot, the application can be completed in under 30 minutes

Is my company eligible?

If you are a Northern-Alberta based startup with a technology serving the Built World, you are eligible. If you are outside of Northern Alberta but looking to pilot your technology with Alberta customers, you may still be eligible.

What are the benefits of this program?

We are curating introductions between founders and potential customers from construction, engineering, manufacturing and other industries. We are providing some funding towards the implementation of 10 pilots. We are providing each participating startup with a venture coach to help them convert their pilot customer into a long-term sale and to build a customer acquisition strategy based on the experience of the pilot.

What are you looking for in my proposal?

Shovel ready projects that can start in 2026. We want to see a clearly defined pilot with a value proposition to the customer. We are also looking for startups that are positioning themselves to scale – how will this pilot help you grow your business here in Alberta? The selection decision will be considering the investability of the startup in addition to the viability of the pilot.

If I’m a corporation that wants to pilot technologies, how do I get involved?

Reach out to Zack Storms directly: [email protected]

What is the time commitment to participate?

The selection process may require 4-6 hours of your time to answer questions from during the applicant review process. The pilot itself should be a massive time commitment! This pilot should be a key customer for your company. We also ask for light reporting on progress throughout the program. Finally we pair you with a venture coach to help you strategize on how to convert your pilots into a customer acquisition strategy (optional, time commitment of the coach will be capped).

What are the eligible costs for the program funding?

The program can fund pilot-related costs. This can be related to personnel, materials, expertise, or a variety of other expenses needed to execute the pilot. The funds cannot be used for non-pilot business expenses

Why should I participate in this program?

To close more customers, grow your business, and impact your community. We are actively looking for local buyers of participating startups’ products. We are building an investment committee composed of leaders from across the ecosystem that can support applicants with advice, introductions, referrals, and capital. We are pairing funded projects with an exited senior executive that’s been through the scaling journey before. We are convening a community of builders to accelerate the adoption of new technologies in our province. This is more than a program. This is a culture-defining event for the Edmonton Startup Community.

Funded in part by: Government of Alberta

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