en.Wedoany.com Reported - The Canadian federal government officially announced an investment of CAD 7.9 million in federal funding for Saskatchewan's technology sector on April 30, 2026, at the "Uniting the Prairies" technology conference held in Saskatoon. The announcement was made by Taleeb Noormohamed, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation, on behalf of Eleanor Olszewski, the Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada. Of this amount, CAD 3.7 million was allocated to Co.Labs, an independent technology incubator in Saskatoon, through the Regional Innovation Ecosystems program, while another CAD 4.1 million was distributed to four local businesses via the Regional Artificial Intelligence Initiative, promoting the commercial application of artificial intelligence technologies in sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, and finance.

The flow of the CAD 7.9 million in funding is divided into two main streams. The first stream targets capacity expansion for the incubator. The CAD 3.7 million received by Co.Labs will be directly used for three core tasks: expanding the reach of agricultural technology programs, advancing a specialized "Entrepreneur-in-Residence" mentorship program, and providing financial support for three editions of the "Uniting the Prairies" technology conference from 2026 to 2028. The second stream focuses on the commercial implementation of AI products. The CAD 4.1 million originates from the federal government's CAD 200 million Regional Artificial Intelligence Initiative, with a portion of the funds being repayable, requiring companies to return part of the funding upon achieving specific milestones. The four recipient companies are: Coconut Software Corporation of Saskatoon, receiving CAD 1.5 million to commercialize an AI-enhanced workforce management SaaS platform for the financial sector; Emmmalin Industries of Regina, receiving CAD 1.3 million to develop a "Machine Vision as a Service" product; Offstreet Technology Corporation of Saskatoon, receiving CAD 994,500 to further develop a commercial parking management SaaS platform; and Vendasta Technologies of Saskatoon, receiving CAD 300,000 to expand its AI-driven search engine optimization and digital advertising platform.

Jonathan Lipoth, Executive Director of Co.Labs, directly addressed the value of this funding at the venue. He noted that the grant strengthens the "Uniting the Prairies" conference as a platform for bringing together investors, partners, and high-growth startups, helping to raise the region's profile and accelerate the possibilities of Prairie technology. Founded in 2017, Co.Labs is Saskatchewan's first non-profit technology incubator, providing mentorship, resources, and network support to early-stage technology startups without charging fees or taking equity. Following this injection of funds, the incubator will establish a new expansive partnership with Cultivator, another incubator in Regina, opening entrepreneurial resource channels between Saskatoon and Regina, connecting startups with venture capital and angel investors, accelerating the commercialization process, and attracting private capital into the Prairie technology sector.

On May 1, the Saskatoon City Council formally acknowledged the federal government's grant during a regular meeting and directed the City Planning and Economic Development Committee to submit a report detailing the city's economic development activities conducted in partnership with the federal government.

Taleeb Noormohamed, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation, stated clearly at the "Uniting the Prairies" technology conference that this funding will solidify Saskatchewan's position as a core hub for technological innovation in the Prairie region. The federal government is extending the commercialization process of AI from the core corridor of Montreal—Toronto—Vancouver into the Prairie provinces, covering fields such as agricultural technology, machine vision, financial SaaS, and digital marketing. The arrival of this CAD 7.9 million in funding signifies that the technology ecosystem in the Prairie region is transitioning from relying on a single incubator to a dual-track parallel model that combines an incubator collaboration network with an AI commercialization channel. The three funded SaaS projects target niche markets such as financial institution scheduling optimization, healthcare facility parking management, and digital marketing for small and medium-sized enterprises, aligning with the structural characteristics of the local economy.

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