Calgary companies are solving global challenges through the creation of transformative technologies – including the Internet of Things (IoT). Alberta IoT celebrated the first graduates of its OCIF-backed Fast Track Program at a live virtual pitch event .
“We have 32 organizations that have completed a year-long business acceleration program,” said Brenda Beckedorf, Executive Director of Alberta IoT. “We are thrilled to celebrate these 32 companies and we are eager to watch and see how they grow in the next couple of years.”
Alberta IoT is a Calgary-based not-for-profit dedicated to establishing the province as a worldwide leader of IoT technology with approximately 200 members and industry leaders. It launched the Fast Track Program in 2020 to help established IoT businesses in Alberta scale up, gain access to resources, and increase collaboration within the tech innovation ecosystem.
“We have four cohorts, 60 companies, that went through the program in 2021. In the next year, those four cohorts have the potential to create 146 new job positions,” said Beckedorf. “This is a positive impact for the economy of Alberta.”
During the celebration, three of the graduates presented their business pitches, including Peter Crawley, President and CEO of PCC Integrate; Coralee Mazurek, President and COO of Rigstar Industrial Telecom and Justin Caskey, Founder and CEO of SoundComply.
The Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund (OCIF) will provide Alberta IoT up to $100,000 over two years to support the launch and operation of the Fast Track Program. The program includes eight weeks of formal training followed by mentorship, coaching and additional learning opportunities. The fund was created to support catalytic investments within the city to help diversify and transform the economy.
The knowledge and resources gained through the Fast Track Program are applicable in key sectors in alignment with the economic strategy, Calgary in the New Economy, including agribusiness, cleantech/environment, energy, geospatial, digital technology, transportation & logistics, and emerging sectors artificial intelligence and AR/VR.
For more information on becoming a member of Alberta IoT or joining the next cohort of the Fast Track Program, visit the Alberta IoT website to learn more. Visit opportunitycalgary.com for more information on OCIF.