Speaking at Saskatoon’s Uniting the Prairies tech conference, the Government of Canada announced today $7.9 million in federal funding to support the tech sector in Saskatchewan, including $3.7 million to independent incubator Co.Labs.
The announcement was delivered by Taleeb Noormohamed, the parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation, Evan Solomon, on behalf of Eleanor Olszewski, the minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan).
It strengthens the Uniting the Prairies conference as a platform to bring investors, partners, and high-growth startups together.”
Jonathan Lipoth, Co.Labs
According to a release issued by PrairiesCan on April 30, the $3.7 million Co.Labs is receiving will go towards strengthening the incubator’s collaborative capacity. That $3.7 million is being delivered through the Regional Innovation Ecosystems (RIE) program.
The Artificial Intelligence Saskatchewan Corp. (AiSK) also received $10,000 through this REI funding announcement to host its Sask. AI Expo last Tuesday.
“Through new and expanded partnerships—including with Regina-based Cultivator [another Saskatchewan incubator]—these initiatives will connect startups to venture capital and angel investors, accelerate commercialization, attract private capital, and create more pathways for Saskatchewan founders to grow and scale their businesses,” a release issued by PrairiesCan today reads.
Additionally, funding will help Co.Labs expand its Agtech-related and X-in-Residence programming, the latter of which provides specialized mentorship initiatives designed to accelerate high-potential Saskatchewan startups.
Finally, funding will help Co.Labs continue to host the Uniting the Prairies conference by providing funding to support three conferences between 2026 and 2028, including this year’s event.
“It … strengthens the Uniting the Prairies conference as a platform to bring investors, partners, and high-growth startups together — raising the profile of this region and accelerating what’s possible for Prairie tech,” said Jonathan Lipoth, the executive director of Co.Labs.
The remaining $4.1 million comes from the Regional Artificial Intelligence Initiative (RAII), a $200 million program helping businesses bring AI technologies to market and accelerate AI adoption in sectors like agriculture, healthcare, and manufacturing.
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That funding is broken down into repayable and non-repayable amounts, meaning that, in some cases, recipients will be required to repay all or a portion of the funds after a certain period has elapsed or certain milestones are met.
The three repayable announcements include $1.5 million to Saskatoon-based SaaS company Coconut Software Corporation to commercialize a proprietary cloud-based, AI-augmented workforce management platform for the financial sector; $1.4 million to Vendasta Technologies to commercialize AI-augmented workflows supporting small and medium-sized businesses; and $976,730 to HomeTeam Live Technologies, a sports broadcasting startup using AI-powered cameras to improve sports streaming.
A single non-repayable investment of $257,167 is going to the University of Regina to develop an AI platform that uses tree ring data to forecast climate change and soil moisture.
BetaKit’s Prairies reporting is funded in part by YEGAF, a not-for-profit dedicated to amplifying business stories in Alberta.
Feature image courtesy of Co.Labs.