The innovation journey is rarely a linear, sequential process. We assist high-growth, high-potential SMEs to reduce the time it takes to commercialize new technology and knowledge-based products, and to scale their business.
We support innovation in Alberta through Coaching, Community, and Capital to help Alberta businesses commercialize new technology and grow our province’s economy.
Through our funding programs, we invest in high-growth, high-potential companies that will become self-sustaining and positioned to provide economic and social benefits to Alberta.
We support innovation in all sectors, and in recent years have increasingly focused on aligning our investment portfolio and funding to innovation in the following focus areas:
High-growth, high-potential Alberta-based small-medium enterprises (SMEs) developing and/or commercializing new technology
Companies developing innovative products and processes intended to be commercialized and sold, not for internal productivity benefits.
Refer to the table below for examples.
We remain flexible in our focus areas and adapt our programs as needed. The following are the Alberta Innovates overall corporate focus areas:
To clarify understanding of what we invest in to help grow Alberta’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, it’s helpful to review our impact as measured by our technology commercialization scorecard.
Can your tech company contribute to these metrics? If so, check below. We may have a program for you.
Coaching, Community, and Capital!
This program provides funding for Alberta SMEs that rely on software development as core to one or more of their products and/or services and intends to rapidly scale in the global marketplace to accelerate their revenue growth.
Vouchers are for Alberta’s small- and medium-sized enterprises in the technology and knowledge-based sector with technologies in the mid-to-late developmental stages. It could include some early developmental stages.
Micro vouchers are aimed to help Alberta’s small- and medium-sized enterprises in the technology and knowledge-based sector hire a service or product provider to advance their technology closer to commercialization.
The Alberta LEANSTACK Accelerator Program is a four-month program presented by Alberta Innovates in conjunction with serial entrepreneur and LEANSTACK founder Ash Maurya.
LEANSTACK provides world-class tools, content and coaching to help founder teams systematically find product/market fit to scale their business.
This program is intended to help Alberta Small and Medium-sized Enterprises align their international plans with global opportunities and to evaluate the risks and benefits of exporting prior to entering new global markets.
The Commercialization Associates Program has been designed to support innovation and creative problem-solving for Alberta small- and medium-sized enterprises. The goal is to advance business readiness levels and accelerate product commercialization.
The r&D Associates Program has been designed to support innovation and creative problem-solving for Alberta small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The goal is to advance technology readiness levels and accelerate product commercialization.
We designed the Product ScaleUp Pilot Program to help propel Alberta SMEs forward as they refine and iterate their highly scalable digital technologies.
The program is a grant of up to $100,000 for one year for qualified SMEs to hire a product associate with expertise in developing, commercializing, and scaling digital technology using a product management model. A matching percentage is required.
The Product Demonstration Program is a focused, business-to-business partnership, allowing the applicant to access funding and key alliance resources, which can help accelerate their product to commercialization.
The Alberta Small Business Innovation and Research Initiative is a program that gives small businesses funding opportunities to solve major industry challenges.
Global Partnerships facilitates programs designed to support SMEs from Alberta and partnering jurisdictions in Mexico and China.
Regional Innovation Networks are entrepreneur-centric, community-based networks with the goal of providing programs and services to accelerate growth of technology and knowledge-based businesses in those jurisdictions.
Our Technology Development Advisors provide front-line business coaching and technology development advice to small & medium size enterprises in technology or knowledge-based industries to accelerate clients through their client journey.
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