Thread by @Jason_Ribeiro

(THREAD).
A sign of a growing innovation ecosystem is how it responds to a downturn. Boy, did our entrepreneurs, citizens, & companies respond in 2020. Thanks for taking me along for the ride.
My final...
Calgary.
In.
The.
New.
Economy.
@calgaryeconomic #YYC #yyctech #NewEconomy

This list is not comprehensive & I undoubtedly missed a few amazing stories/deals so feel free to add them! What is clear is that our community's economic strategy is the right one to rebuild & futureproof #YYC's economy. I wouldn't have championed it if I didn't believe in it.

The list is mapped to the 4 pillars of the strategy (Innovation, Talent, Place, & Business Environment) & our established (Transportation & Logistics, Agribusiness, Energy) & emerging industry clusters (Life Sciences, Financial/Professional Services, and Creative Industries).

HERE WE GO!
Calgary achieved some pretty impressive accolades, despite the very painful effects of #COVID19.
1. Calgary ranks #47 on @Resonanceco's 2021 World's Best Cities List

https://twitter.com/Jason_Ribeiro/status/1321853098696978434?s=20

2. 9 months into the pandemic Calgary already broke its annual venture capital record by attracting $226M at the end of September vs. $136M in 2019 (despite overall Canadian levels being on a downward trend).
calgaryherald.com/business/local…

3. Calgary was one of 88 cities named to the @CDP 2020 Cities A List. cdp.net/en/cities/citi…. Cities on the list continue to ramp up their environmental action and ambition, building resilience and rapidly cutting emissions to safeguard the planet, economy, and citizens.

Now to our Established Industries.
AGRIBUSINESS.
With direct access to a strong agricultural base, Calgary and Southern Alberta is a well-connected region with clear collaboration across geographic areas, industries, and research and training institutions.

4. @NutrienLTD launched one of the industry's most comprehensive carbon programs offering growers incentives to use climate-smart practices with their growing portfolio of offerings. nutrien.com/investors/news…

5. @FarmersedgeC, a global leader in digital agriculture, announced a partnership with @RadicleBalance, the largest developer of agricultural carbon credits in North America, to create a new, high-tech carbon credit program. financialpost.com/pmn/press-rele…

6. @OldsCollege received a $1.2M investment from @YourAlberta to support a new partnership with SVG Ventures’ THRIVE accelerator and startup platform and Olds' Smart Agriculture Applied Research Program. realagriculture.com/2020/09/olds-c…

7. @zonecalgary, an accelerator for pilot-ready tech startups, has partnered with United Farmers of Alberta Co-operative to support early-stage AgTech companies through the accelerator’s program offerings. betakit.com/zone-startups-…

8. @provisionanalyt @VergeAgro @skymatics and Coutts Agro received $9.25M from the Protein Industries Canada supercluster to fund a project that will help improve on-farm logistics and food traceability through an integrated data platform. newswire.ca/news-releases/…

9. Aquaponic farm startup, @DeepwaterFarms partnered with @CalgaryCoop to bring their greens to 15 stores throughout the city. dailyhive.com/calgary/deepwa…

10. @policy_school launched the Simpson Centre for Agricultural and Food Innovation and Public Education. calgaryherald.com/business/local…

11. A big W for Calgary and Alberta's craft beer industry with @BandedPeak_Brew finalizing its sale to @LabattBreweries cbc.ca/news/canada/ca…

TRANSPORTATION AND LOGISTICS.
With air, rail and ground access connecting the city to millions of customers, Calgary is Western Canada’s inland port and is growing into an emerging centre of excellence and innovation in the global aerospace industry.

12. @FLYHTCorp beat out a number of international competitors to win a $6.2M contract that saw their information system installed on more than 160 @WestJet Boeing 737s.
calgaryherald.com/business/local…

13. @EvansConsoles worked with @NASA to completely redo the control rooms used in the @SpaceX launch in May. calgary.ctvnews.ca/calgary-made-c…

14. @CanadianUAVs secured the first general airspace commercial 'beyond visual line of sight' (BVLOS) authorization in Canadian history. verticalmag.com/press-releases…

15. @UCalgary researchers began developing a safer hybrid engine for the rockets of the future.
cbc.ca/news/canada/ca…

16a. Now buckle up for a lot of @Attabotics. They received a $34M investment from the Government of Canada and a $50M Series C raise. techcrunch.com/2020/08/18/att…

16b. @Attabotics was also named to @CNBC's Disruptor 50 list cnbc.com/2020/06/16/att… and one of @FastCompany's Most Innovative Companies list. fastcompany.com/90457446/attab…

ENERGY.
Calgary has a longstanding reputation as an energy city and today is being recognized as a leader in the global energy transition. Our province is one of Canada’s largest oil and natural gas producers and is a globally-recognized Top 15 cleantech ecosystem.

17. The $3.9M Renfrew Solar garden was announced with 2,400 panels atop the Telus Spark parking lot, which will generate enough electricity to power 250 Calgary homes. livewirecalgary.com/2020/12/11/shi…

18. @CarbonUpcycling signs an MOU with @virginhyperloop

https://twitter.com/Jason_Ribeiro/status/1335010271144734720?s=20

19. We saw the launch of Avatar Innovations, a new $50M clean energy accelerator and venture fund. calgaryherald.com/business/local…

20. Today's $99M sale of Tundra Process Solutions to @Wajax. theglobeandmail.com/business/artic…

21. The announcement of Inter Pipeline's $800M commitment to complete the Heartland Petrochemical Complex next year.
bnnbloomberg.ca/inter-pipeline…

22. @Validere, a leading informatics platform that enables energy companies to realize efficiencies through real-time product quality insights, announced the closing of its $15M USD Series A raise.
bloomberg.com/press-releases…

23. MgO Systems awarded $1M from the Government of Canada for reducing plastic waste. globalnews.ca/news/6577209/c…

24. @Eavor featured in @RollingStone!
rollingstone.com/culture/cultur…

25. Steel River Group was named Canada's fastest growing startup.
canadianbusiness.com/lists-and-rank…

26. @exrotech set up an innovation centre in Calgary to change the electric vehicle industry by providing electric motors with both torque and speed through the same application. calgaryherald.com/business/local…

27. @KinetiCor received approvals and long-term contracts for one of AB's largest power projects. ca.news.yahoo.com/kineticor-rece…

28. Greengate Power and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners announced one of Canada's largest solar energy projects, Travers Solar. The project is expected to bring $500M in foreign investment and over 500 jobs. cbc.ca/news/canada/ca…

29. @KinetiCor, @VelvetEnergyLtd, @BErenewables and @eavortech nabbed 4 of the Top 10 spots on The Narwhal List-Canada's Most Promising Clean Tech Companies. narwhalproject.org/narwhal-list/

30. The Government of Canada announced a $100M investment in the Clean Resource Innovation Network over four years, which will reduce greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to removing 1.5 million cars from the road. cbc.ca/news/canada/ca…

31. @YourAlberta will invest $50M of TIER funding to support technologies that help reduce methane emissions and improve industrial energy efficiencies. The 3-year commitment will support 230 jobs. albertainnovates.ca/impact/newsroo…

Now to our Emerging Industries.
CREATIVE INDUSTRIES.
From film and TV to interactive digital media, Calgary has the crews, talent and venues to support many creative endeavours. More than 24,000 people are employed by more than 4,400 businesses in the creative industries sector.

32. As I type this, sets are being built and set up in the Calgary Film Centre to support the next chapter of Fraggle Rock - a partnership between The Jim Henson Company, @AppleTV, and @NewRegency.
calgaryherald.com/entertainment/…

33. @BytaLtd tucked away a seed round of $1.4M (techcrunch.com/2020/06/12/byt…) and was also featured in @Forbes (forbes.com/sites/kristinw…)

34. Video game developer @nwinteractive was acquired by @embracergroup.
pcinvasion.com/new-world-inte…

35. @communohq raised $3.3M in a seed round (betakit.com/calgary-based-…) and helped @johnkrasinski bring the world @somegoodnews (fastcompany.com/90509682/meet-…)

36. @Guild_One_Inc and @beatdapp used blockchain technology to transform music streaming royalty payouts in India and Japan businesswire.com/news/home/2020…

FINANCIAL AND PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.
Calgary is an attractive market for firms in the financial and professional services sector due to the concentration of capital-intensive companies, high-deal velocity, large deal size, foreign investments and individual wealth.

37. @Neo_Financial unveiled a $50M financing raise comprised of a Series A equity round led by @valarventures and a $25M debt facility provided by @atbfinancial. betakit.com/neo-financial-…

38. @Helcim received @businessdotcom's Finance Bizzy award for being the overall best of the best solution of 2020 in the finance category. business.com/articles/best-…

39. Legaltech startup @athennian acquired Montreal-based tax visualization startup @Redox and closed $8M in a Series A raise. betakit.com/athennian-acqu…

40. @IBM and @Celero signed a 7-year, multi-million dollar strategic outsourcing agreement that will modernize and transform Celero’s data centre and data centre network environments (i.e hybrid cloud-based infrastructure). celero.ca/news/celero-ne…

41. Calgary moved up 27 spots to 84th globally on @findexable's 2020 Global Fintech Index City Rankings findexable.com/wp-content/upl…

LIFE SCIENCES.
With research and clinical expertise and a critical mass of companies, there is a significant opportunity for life sciences companies to leverage #YYC’s world-class research assets and commitment to investment.

42. Wellness tech company @headversity closes a $2.25M raise. calgaryherald.com/business/comme…

43. @orpyxinc raises $7.6M in Series A funding (betakit.com/calgarys-orpyx…) and locks in a $60M contract with @AHS_media to produce 40 million medical masks over 2 years (globalnews.ca/news/7384225/c…).

44. Fluid BioTech, a Calgary-based company founded by neurosurgeons aims to develop the next generation of stents. They closed $1.125M in a pre-series round. fluidbiotech.com/s/News-Release…

45. @getwello partnered with @RBC to offer small business clients 60 days of free service to their telemedicine offerings.
betakit.com/wello-and-rbc-…

46. @UCalgary kinesiology researcher created a new way to assess and track neurological function; Vibratus may be the first to market in the neurological wearables industry.
news.ucalgary.ca/news/kinesiolo…

47. @brightsquid reaches a new milestone by facilitating over 2 million secure messages between healthcare professionals and patients. newswire.ca/news-releases/…

48. @ForestDevices partnered with @AHS_media to use their platform AlphaStroke, the first technology that supports prehospital health care providers in identifying strokes in the field so they can make the best triage decisions for patients.
financialpost.com/pmn/press-rele…

49. @Nanalysis acquires RS2D, a global leader in the design and sales of NMR and MRI electronics consoles and software (newswire.ca/news-releases/…) and was named Best Analytical Product at the Nanotech Exhibition and Conference in Japan (markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/na…)

50. @ZoeInsights partners with @albertacancer to launch s secure, patient-centric app to help patients easily track their cancer journeys, empowering them to make the best personal choices as they navigate the data-heavy health-care realm. facebook.com/watch/?v=33099…

51. @Network1d created a blockchain-powered "Safe Island" (a zone of enhanced health safety and
monitoring) and digital health passport at @MandalayBay to support the recovery of sectors like aviation and live events. bloomberg.com/press-releases…

52. Government of Canada invested $4.6M in @KentImaging, Health City (@brightsquid), and @circlecvi. edmontonjournal.com/news/local-new…

Now to the specific pillars of Calgary in the New Economy.
INNOVATION.
Being home to Canada’s leading business-to-business innovation ecosystem is vital to managing challenges and identifying future opportunities.

53. Full-service tech and software development company @arcurve acquired Menome, a cutting-edge AI and data analytics firm. arcurve.com/content/arcurv…

54. @varmournetworks expanded into Calgary to build an engineering and support team that will help grow the company's work in AI and ML.
globenewswire.com/news-release/2…

55. @AucernaSocial, @blacklinesafety, @Helcim, and @RadicleBalance all made the @Deloitte Fast 500 List. www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/te…

56. @blacklinesafety's Industrial Contract Tracing solutions for #COVID19 received a @FastCompany Honourable Mention in their 2020 Innovation by Design Awards.
fastcompany.com/90547935/data-…

57. @calgaryeconomic, @InnovateYEG, and @PlatformCalgary launched the Alberta Innovation Corridor.
avenuecalgary.com/innovation/alb…

58. Calgary AI company (specifically focused on cleantech), @ambyint secured a $19.9M CAD Series B round. betakit.com/artificial-int…

59. @benevity acquired for $1.1 BILLION.
🦄🦄🦄theglobeandmail.com/business/artic…

60. @UCalgary launched UCeed, a new pre-seed and seed funding program (funded entirely through philanthropic support) to accelerate startups and commercialize new tech. ucalgary.ca/news/ucalgary-…

61. @HarvestBuilders awarded $4M to work with local entrepreneurs and companies with disruption potential in fields such as oil and gas, agriculture, fintech and health technology to help them build and scale. calgaryherald.com/business/local…

62. Calgary-based Allied Venture Partners launched in the city and will make seed-stage investments across North America, with a focus on Western Canadian tech startups. betakit.com/new-angel-grou…

63. @aimsioinc was one of 14 Canadian companies invited to participate in Silicon Valley's Canadian Technology Accelerator (CTA) Digital. blog.aimsio.com/newsroom/cta-d…

64. Global software development company ESQ Business Services expanded into Calgary to create a Canadian-based development centre for its new subsidiary Cloudexa Technology Inc.
dailyhive.com/calgary/global…

65. @tugboatlogic raised a funding round of $8M USD to expand its leadership position in the emerging Security Assurance market. ca.movies.yahoo.com/tugboat-logic-…

66. Founder Institute, a global pre-seed accelerator, opened a new location in Calgary and will run two semesters annually and launch over 20 technology startups per year. betakit.com/founder-instit…

67. 13 Calgary companies feature on @globeandmail's 2020 'Canada's Top Growing Companies' list.
theglobeandmail.com/business/rob-m…

68. Both @Validere and @stellaralgo named to @GrowthList's Hottest B2B Startups in Canada list. growthlist.co/b2b-startups-c…

69. @sensorup closed $6M in Series A funding to accelerate development of its technology roadmap and expand its market of industrial customers.
privatecapitaljournal.com/sensorup-secur…

70. @LodgeLink, an online business platform that provides travel services to companies with large numbers of employees, received $3M to fund 300 new tech jobs (part of an eventual 600-employee expansion over five years). cbc.ca/news/canada/ca…

71. @googlecloud opens an office in Calgary.

https://twitter.com/Jason_Ribeiro/status/1232266059622711296?s=20

72. 4 Calgary companies named to the @GPTW_Canada Best Workplaces in Canada list.
#2 @EquiumGroup
#3 @MobSquadCanada
#30 @versettinc
#40 True North Solutions
#49 @BitsInGlass
greatplacetowork.ca/en/best-workpl…

73. Rogers and @UCalgary announced a five-year agreement to advance innovative Internet of things (IoT) research in support of Canadians, and Canadian businesses.
finance.yahoo.com/news/rogers-un…

74a. Lots of @stellaralgo! They were recognized by @FOSports with the Best Employers in Sports Award (which recognizes organizations in the sports industry that are doing right by their employees). forbes.com/sites/andyfrye…

74b. They also closed $1.5M in extended seed financing (acceleratefund.ca/news/stellaral…) and partnered with the @BlueJays and @Yankees (mlb.com/press-release/…).

75. @AbsorbLMS acquired @Koantic, a cloud-based course authoring tool (absorblms.com/company/newsro…) and absorbed 80,000 square feet of office space in the Telus Sky building (renx.ca/tech-absorb-so…).

76a. And finally a TON of @SymendInc! They closed one of the largest Series B rounds in Alberta history with $73M CAD in financing. betakit.com/with-73-millio…

76b. They were also named a Top 10 Canadian Startup by @LinkedIn (linkedin.com/pulse/linkedin…), a Top 15 Hottest Startup by @businessinsider (businessinsider.com/canada-startup…) and placed in the Top 10 of the @BayStBull's Power50 list.

TALENT.
The key to unlocking long-term economic growth lies in our talent. In a fast-changing world, being Canada’s leading destination for talent is critical to Calgary's continued economic prosperity.

77. @blockchainguru_ sponsors five $1500 scholarships for @sait's Digital Solutioning Course. newswire.ca/news-releases/…

78. @sait launches the School for Advanced Digital Technology in the Oddfellows Building downtown. Supported by $30M in philanthropic support from David Bissett and $8.2M over five years from OCIF to create the Digital Transformation (DX) Talent Hub.
calgary.ctvnews.ca/sait-announces…

79. Calgary finishes 6th (an all-time high) on the @CBRE Scoring Canadian Tech Talent list.

https://twitter.com/Jason_Ribeiro/status/1328787352806780929?s=20

80. @mountroyal4u partnered with the University of California, Irvine, to offer up a new certificate in esports management.
calgaryherald.com/news/local-new…

81. @calgaryeconomic and @collective_west partnered to host the #LiveTechLoveLife virtual job fair featuring 34 Calgary tech companies. calgaryherald.com/business/local…

82. @BowValley's 'Bridging the Gap' program awarded $1.52M CAD from the @fsc_ccf_en to help Canadians secure employment by demonstrating their competencies to prospective employers. globenewswire.com/news-release/2…

83. @UCalgary leverages a @NSERC_CRSNG grant to train 80 graduate students over the next 6 years to become experts in the field of wearable technology.
cbc.ca/news/canada/ca…

84. @altaml_com receives $3.25 million to partner with @atbfinancial and @SpartanControls to create applied data science internships to accelerate AI/ML skill development in Calgary through hands-on, mentored work experience. globenewswire.com/news-release/2…

85. @UCalgary partnered with @calgaryeconomic to create 'TechFest,' a job fair featuring 48 companies and 1,100 student attendees. news.ucalgary.ca/news/48-local-…

86. @UCalgary's Faculty of Science created the new Master in Information Security and Privacy (MISP), a professional graduate degree designed for IT professionals who are looking to work in the growing cybersecurity field.
news.ucalgary.ca/news/new-degre…

PLACE.
Place is not just the environment we live in, but also our overall quality of life. Creating conditions that enhance livability will support how well we attract new talent and businesses.

87. @ISCyyc launches the Gateway pilot program with support from @CitImmCanada. A standardized needs assessment and settlement plan will identify the priority support necessary for the family or individual, and they'll be referred to the right agency.
calgaryherald.com/news/local-new…

88. @WeWork expands into Calgary with 2 locations downtown encompassing a total of 10 floors, with five at The Edison and five at Stephen Avenue Place.
dailyhive.com/calgary/wework…

89. @SolaCalgary forms the first Canadian partnership between a real estate developer and @amazon.
calgaryherald.com/life/homes/sol…

90. An MOU was signed between @YourAlberta and the @cib_en to explore new passenger railway service between Calgary International Airport and the Town of Banff.
cib-bic.ca/en/projects/ca…

91. @_The51 and @HaskayneSchool partnered to democratize access to women-led capital for women-led businesses by establishing the Financial Feminism Investing Lab.
ucalgary.ca/news/ucalgary-…

92. @TransPod_Inc signed an agreement with @YourAlberta to conduct a feasibility study to explore the development of an ultra-high-speed transportation line between Calgary and Edmonton.
cbc.ca/news/canada/ca…

93. @Living_Works partnered with @CADeptEd to provide suicide prevention training to staff and students across the entire state of California. thedesertreview.com/education/livi…

94. The Government of Canada invested $3M towards the Smart Sustainable Resilient Infrastructure Association (SSRIA) to establish a network of test buildings where firms can test new products. newswire.ca/news-releases/…

95. @cityofcalgary sold 5 parcels non-profit affordable housing providers (calgary.ctvnews.ca/city-of-calgar…) and received $24.6M for the build out of 3 affordable housing projects (176 units) for Indigenous people, seniors and women fleeing domestic violence (cbc.ca/news/canada/ca…).

BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT.
This includes both the ease of conducting business, as well as the level of business activities in Calgary. From startups to mature enterprises, Calgary aims to create a more business-friendly environment in order to attract and retain companies.

96. @cityofcalgary now taking applications for 5G cell locations to provide access to next generation wireless service. cbc.ca/news/canada/ca…

97. 9 Block partnership formed between @cityofcalgary and @ucalgarysapl to create safer and more vibrant streets in the area around City Hall for both businesses and the public. globalnews.ca/news/6656830/c…

98. @cityofcalgary ranked #1 on the GIS The Geospatial Maturity Index (GMI) for the second year in a row.

99. @cityofcalgary announced an Open For Business collaboration, which aims to support local businesses through commission-free online ordering. calgary.ctvnews.ca/city-of-calgar…

100. @cityofcalgary partners with @googlecanada's ShopHERE program to help 90 artists and small businesses set up an online marketplace. calgaryherald.com/news/local-new…

There you have it.
100 stories of resiliency.
100 stories of innovation.
100 reasons why the cards our city and province hold are better than most would think.

As we awake to a New Year – a year where vaccines and other mitigation measures may allow little bits of ‘normal’ back into our lives, there will understandably be a desire to embrace the familiar. Relish it for the moment, but recognize that it must be fleeting.

We simply cannot rely on the methods of the past and the potency of nostalgia from this point forward. The stakes are too high and we can’t afford to be called on a bluff.

Calgary in the New Economy is our city’s economic future and we must have the community vision to enter 2021 more willing to navigate the digital unknown; more steadfast in our strategy’s promise to deliver shared prosperity for your family and mine.

Now is the time to play the winning hand we’ve been dealt and go all-in on tech, sustainability, and inclusion. The dollars on the table are real and we can’t afford to fold.

I was honoured to play some small role in all of this. As I transition today into full-time Dad mode for 2021, know that I remain committed as ever to building a more competitive, just, & visionary economy for our city.
Happy New Year Calgary.
#YYC #yyccc #yyctech #NewEconomy

@jkenney @nenshi @YYCLougheed @blackwellmark @maryhmoran @JeffDavisonYYC @doug_schweitzer @DougBlackAB @riemerj @Rockster @awlegge @BCooper_law @shelleykuipers @jameslochrie @JimAGibson @leahsarich @sandigilbert @trentjohnsen @CalgaryGeorge @maxfawcett @LindsayTedds @trevortombe