Business Roundup
Oct. 9, 2026

Edmonton Startup Week

• Edmonton Startup Week kicked off on Oct. 5 with pitches from the 10 companies to watch. Among them is Aqtiva, a startup on a roll whose agtech inserts nitrogen from the air into irrigation water to reduce conventional fertilizer use. "I love that the community is showing us so much love and they see what we're doing," founder and CEO Tanay Kumar told Taproot. Among the 10 companies that pitched are three health-focused ones: Pulmvita, Proholistic Discovery, and RNARevive.
• Sean Naugle, a senior contracts officer at Canadian Forces Base Edmonton, urged startups to pursue Canadian defence contracts. He outlined potential security-clearance and tender requirements during a session at Edmonton Startup Week. Connie Stacey, founder of Grengine, said rigid bid criteria and siloed government departments could exclude firms who would otherwise be able to meet military needs. "You end up with a process that's kind of like telephone tag," Stacey said. "It gets thinner and thinner as you go through the different departments."
• Edmonton Unlimited will launch Deep Tech Foundry in early 2027 to help science- and engineering-driven startups commercialize their technologies. Its first cohort is expected to include eight to 12 founders working on customer demand, intellectual property, pilot projects, and financing.
• After two years of work, MIT REAP Edmonton called for more focus on problems that customers would pay startups to solve. "If we only have startups in an ecosystem and we don't have anyone ready to receive or pay for what they're building, then we have a mismatch," Christiana Manzocco of Alberta Enterprise Corporation told a session during Edmonton Startup Week. With the MIT partnership over, Edmonton Unlimited will administer a steering committee to continue the effort to improve Edmonton's innovation ecosystem, with a particular interest in defence and dual-use.
• HG Investment Club — formerly Hot Girls Investment Club — scheduled a discussion about women and wealth for Edmonton Startup Week, with perspectives on taxes, investing, entrepreneurship, philanthropy and law. It is also assembling an advisory committee as it develops pathways for qualified members to participate in structured investment opportunities.

Economic development

• The Canadian Finals Rodeo is underway at Rogers Place in Edmonton through Oct. 10. CFWE reported that last year's event generated roughly $32.4 million in local economic impact, and Alberta committed $4.5 million over three years to keep the finals in the city.
• Sport Edmonton has named five recipients of its 2026-27 fall/winter event accelerator fund: Alberta Provincial Disc Golf Championship (held on Oct. 3 and 4); the U13 AAA Oilers Cup in November; the HERitage Female Classic Hockey Festival in January; the Edmonton Open 2027 swim meet in February; and Alberta Open Track Racing Series. Backed by Edmonton Destination Marketing Hotels, it plans to support 10 events in all, with five $2,000 grants, four $5,000 grants and one $10,000 grant for a new event.
• University of Alberta has selected Graphite Ventures to manage its Innovation Fund, which has backed 13 university-connected early-stage companies since 2023. Graphite will oversee the portfolio and follow-on investments, support founders, and invest in new companies emerging from the university.
• Agritourism Alberta has launched near Bon Accord at Prairie Gardens after previously operating as the Alberta Farm Fresh Producers Association. It plans to provide training, accreditation, safety guidance and business support to farm-based tourism operators.
• Strathcona County, Sturgeon County, Lamont County, and the City of Fort Saskatchewan will co-host the Industrial Supply Chain Forum in Sherwood Park on Nov. 3. The event aims to connect local suppliers with industrial operators and municipal procurement teams.
• Site Selection magazine named Alberta's Industrial Heartland as one of Canada's Best Locations for 2026, highlighting the Edmonton Region Defence Alliance, Meta's $13-billion data centre campus, and $32-million investment from Champion Petfoods.

Data centres

• Edmonton communications firm reVerb Communications has launched Data Centre Anonymous to help municipalities explain data centre applications and respond to public concerns, which are mounting across the province. CEO Quinn Nicholson said municipalities should communicate independently of project proponents and aim to reach residents who do not attend planning meetings. "A municipal government's interest is its people, and so they have to be telling and representing that side of the story," Nicholson told Taproot.
• Feedback is accumulating on an application to amend planning documents in a northeast Edmonton industrial park to allow for a large data centre campus. Walton Global Investments has submitted an application that would enable a data centre campus in the Edmonton Energy and Technology Park. The Arizona-based company plans to facilitate "a master-planned, hyperscale-ready digital infrastructure project within (the city), designed to become one of the largest data centre and compute-oriented industrial districts in North America."
• BGRE and CPP Investments sought input on a proposed data processing facility at TransAlta's Boreal Technology Hub in Parkland County on Oct. 7. If its development application is approved, the facility would initially have a 230-megawatt power allocation.
• More than 100 people gathered at the Alberta Legislature on Oct. 4 to rally against AI data centres, citing concerns about water and Indigenous consultation. Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation Chief Sheldon Sunshine, who is challenging a provincial water licence for the proposed Wonder Valley development, questioned whether existing rules address the cumulative effects of multiple projects.

Startups and SMBs

• Infinite Event Services has acquired Allstar Show Industries, which does technical production for clients such as the Edmonton Folk Music Festival. The acquisition combines event rentals and staging with live-event production and audiovisual work. Both Edmonton-area companies will keep their names for now.
• Vertical City reported its elevator-screen network had reached 10,000 screens across Canada and the United States through its own installations and software partnerships. It expects to become North America's largest elevator-screen network by early 2027.
• University of Alberta researchers spun out Rosette Robotics after developing an AI-assisted system to inspect crop seeds. Its robotic arm scans trays containing potentially thousands of seeds, and inspectors can isolate individual seeds for closer examination. It was one of 27 companies to pitch on Oct. 1 for Startup TNT's fall investment summit.
• Starting on Oct. 10, DiveThru will offer 100 virtual therapy sessions through its Reduced Rate Program, thanks to funding from Alberta Blue Cross. Applicants can use code LIVEWELL on DiveThru's partnership page to receive a free first session.
• MagnetaMR will showcase its portable whole-body MRI platform as part of the Canadian delegation to the 2026 Association of the United States Army expo in Washington, D.C. The company is developing a portable, AI-informed, low-field MRI device that could cost as little as 10% of the current price of $1.5 million to $3 million for conventional, fixed-place MRI. It is one of 15 finalists in the Alberta Capital Connect program and recently pitched among 27 companies for Startup TNT's fall investment summit.
• The Business Development Bank of Canada shone a light on RUNWITHIT Synthetics, one of the bank's financing recipients. The piece traces RWI's award-winning work on synthetic twins that empower decision-makers to address myriad issues. The piece details the launch of Synthetic Canada and other projects, noting RWI's human-first approach. "We felt people were really the whole point," said co-founder and CEO Myrna Bittner. "If you couldn't relate those systems to saving and helping people, then you were missing out."
• Seven Edmonton-based businesses and organizations have received the Canadian Queer Chamber of Commerce's Rainbow Registered accreditation: Delavoye Chocolate Maker, TELUS World of Science - Edmonton, DiveThru, Winterruption, Explore Edmonton, EVO, and Futurpreneur. Campio Brewing Co. is in the application process. The program assesses policies, training, leadership, and customer and employee experience. The City of Edmonton has partnered with the program to make the accreditation process more accessible to businesses.
• Punchcard Systems said it found that 49% of surveyed Canadian heavy-industry workers used AI at work, while 70% reported receiving no formal AI training. The company surveyed 1,100 workers across manufacturing, construction, natural resources, energy, automotive, and agriculture with Angus Reid.
• Sarcomere Dynamics' ARTUS Lite was named a finalist in the Groundbreaking Technology category at the 2026 Humanoid Robotics Industry Awards. Sarcomere is the only Canadian-headquartered company among this year's finalists. Voting for the people's choice-style award is open until Oct. 15.
• Steminai, which empowers kids and teens to explore STEM, coding, robotics, and AI, has advanced to Melamoon Canada's top five finalists. The finalists are vying for a chance to win $200,000 worth of prizes at BLAXPO in Toronto on Oct. 16 and 17.
• Felice Café has closed permanently as of Oct. 1. "Outwardly, we looked very successful," says a social media post. "What you didn't see behind the scenes was the incredible amount of financial strain, emotional stress, and physical burden running a hospitality business takes."
• BubbleUP Marketing's Ceone Rivers discussed tying marketing strategies to business goals with Heather Barnhouse of Denton's on the Women in Leadership and Entrepreneurship podcast. Rivers also addressed mentorship and AI's effects on marketing and search.
• Maskwacis designer Justin Jacob Louis of Section 35 saw his $350 cardigan sell out after Heated Rivalry actor Hudson Williams wore one to the Kate Spade New York Global Summit on Women's Mental Health. Williams also wore an orange ribbon on his chest marking the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. "There was intention and genuine interest in supporting us behind it, so that made it more meaningful for me," Louis said.

Real estate

• St. Albert council rejected proposed land-use changes that would have allowed narrower lots in established neighbourhoods and more housing around St. Albert Trail. Residents raised concerns about infill development, while city planners said the changes would expand housing options.
• In a column for Edify, Michael Ganley asked whether Edmonton's downtown community revitalization levy has spread benefits beyond the ICE District. "It feels like we put a lot of our eggs in the event-space basket, versus the 24-7-vibrancy basket," Mayor Andrew Knack told Ganley. "There is other work we could be doing that would have a broader benefit across the entirety of downtown."
• In Wîhkwêntôwin, about three-quarters of The Berkeley's homeowners formed a coalition against investors' efforts to buy units for rental conversion. The REALTORS Association of Edmonton has asked Alberta to limit the voting power of owners holding multiple units in one building.
• Josan Properties CEO Raka Josan spoke with the Executive Wins podcast about what he learned from converting about 45% of downtown Edmonton's Connect Tower into apartments. At the time of the interview, he said 84% of the office space was leased, and the apartments were nearly full.
• Rohit Group and Aspen Properties have purchased The District, a 360,000-square-foot mixed-use office campus in Calgary. The purchase follows their partnership on three downtown Edmonton office buildings.
• Home sales across greater Edmonton fell 10.3% from a year earlier to 1,959 in September, while inventory rose 16.7%, according to the REALTORS Association of Edmonton. RBC also reported declining Edmonton resales and said local price declines had eased from earlier in the year.
• Alberta Ecotrust Foundation plans to bring three existing grants under one program providing about $2 million annually to eligible projects across Alberta. The first intake for expressions of interest opens Dec. 1; its project stream offers up to $150,000 per project, while its capacity-building stream offers up to $10,000.

More headlines

• Canadian Utilities and Emera agreed to merge in a deal that would create a $72-billion utility with offices in Edmonton. The transaction still needs shareholder, court, regulatory, competition and stock-exchange approvals. ATCO, which controls Canadian Utilities, would then focus on defence, housing, and other infrastructure.
• Edmonton Community Foundation used an episode of The Well Endowed Podcast to explore business succession planning with Kayla Thompson, a partner at Duncan Craig LLP. Their Wills Week conversation covered retirement, unexpected departures, and business continuity.
• Edmonton city council voted 7-6 to keep the 25-cent fee for paper bags at drive-thrus. An administrative report found single-use waste has fallen 30% since Edmonton introduced its single-use item bylaw in 2023, although the data does not distinguish between different types of retailers.
• Advanced Coolant Technologies has been ordered to pay the City of Edmonton $5.1 million in a dispute over coolant the city alleged damaged its fleet.
• An Ipsos survey commissioned by MNP found 49% of Albertans had tried to earn additional income through activities including second jobs, freelancing, and online sales. It also found 41% worried that AI could affect their employment or income. University of Alberta economist Andrew McGee said more people may seek extra income as financial pressure grows.
• Global Receivables Management, formerly Everyday People Financial, began trading under its new name and GRMI symbol on the TSX Venture Exchange. It also appointed Ezra Chang as vice-president of corporate development and capital markets.
• Backwoods Group is the new name for Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation-owned Backwoods Energy Services. The company also appointed Andrew Gibson as president and Jeremy Yee as vice-president of finance and corporate development.
• Ayo Aiyeleye announced he will be leaving his role as executive director of entrepreneurial capital at Alberta Innovates on Oct. 13. "It's been an incredible journey growing our tech and innovation ecosystem, and I'm even more anticipatory about what's ahead," he wrote.
• Former premier Jason Kenney warned that Alberta separation could damage the province's economy at a University of Alberta panel. He said it would disrupt the energy sector's relationships with First Nations. Pro-separatist lawyer Keith Wilson disputed a comparison with Quebec, arguing that Alberta's oil reserves could not be relocated.

Happenings

Here are some events coming up soon:

• Oct. 9: Student Founders: Ones to Watch starting at 9am at Edmonton Unlimited
• Oct. 13: The Cost of the Alberta Referendum: A Conversation with Rachel Notley & Jason Kenney starting at 11:30am at Royal Glenora Club
• Oct. 13: Premier Event: MADE Launch Party! starting at 7pm at The Cobalt
• Oct. 13-14: SPARK Career & Job Fair at Italian Cultural Centre
• Oct. 13-18: Edmonton Design Week at various locations
• Oct. 14: Business on the Base starting at 9am at Canadian Forces Base Edmonton
• Oct. 14: Bioeconomy Guild Night starting at 5pm at MKT Fresh Food | Beer Market
• Oct. 15: Regional Economic Development Summit starting at 7:30am at Matrix Hotel
• Oct. 15: Accessibility in Action: Reverse Job and Resource Fair starting at 12pm at West Edmonton Mall
• Oct. 15: YEG Sponsorship Socials - Part IV starting at 4pm at CKUA
• Oct. 15: Startup TNT Happy Hour starting at 6pm at Pub 1905
• Oct. 15: Business Awards of Distinction Gala starting at 6pm at Heritage Park Pavilion

And here are more to keep in mind:

• Oct. 19-23: Small Business Week at various locations
• Nov. 6: 37th Annual ASTech Awards Gala and Innovation Showcase at Westin Edmonton
• Nov. 22-24: Canadian Innovation Conference at Edmonton Convention Centre

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