SVG Ventures|THRIVE, a leading global agrifood innovation and investment platform, successfully held its highly anticipated Stampede Demo Day on July 11th, featuring 17 startup cohort members from the THRIVE Global and Canadian Accelerator Programs. The event, held during Stampede in Calgary, provided attendees with an exclusive opportunity to engage with the brightest minds in the startup world and gain insights into their innovative products and services.

The Stampede Demo Day commenced with a warm welcome address by Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek  followed by a captivating keynote address delivered by Doug Holt from Alberta Innovates. Throughout the day, industry leaders, investors, and entrepreneurs came together to experience the entrepreneurial spirit in action. The event kicked off with a series of engaging discussions on key industry topics led by esteemed panelists. Topics included “Nurturing Regenerative Landscapes,” featuring Janay Meisser from UFA, Miya Howell from Bayer, and Tim Brennan from the Farm Foundation; “From Pasture to Plate,” with Akiko Kawai from Kubota Corporation, Bonnie Nay-Draper from Deloitte, and Tom Greene from Corteva Agriscience; and “Taming the Carbon Stampede,” featuring Mika Eberl from BASF, Jonathan Neutens from ATB Financial, and Vonnie Estes from the International Fresh Produce Association.

The highlight of the day was the much-anticipated Pitch Rodeo, where the 17 startups presented their innovative ideas to a panel of judges and an enthusiastic audience. The startups showcased their groundbreaking solutions, ranging from sustainable farming practices and advanced technologies to improve food production, to cutting-edge digital platforms revolutionizing supply chain logistics.

During the impressive lineup of showcased startups, two companies emerged as winners for their groundbreaking innovations. Continuum Ag, with their revolutionary agtech solution, secured the top spot for the THRIVE Accelerator IX global cohort. In the THRIVE II Canada Accelerator cohort, OneCup AI was selected as the winner. These exceptional companies embody the spirit of innovation and social responsibility, as they actively drive positive change in the agrifood industry. Their visionary ideas and dedication to creating a sustainable future make them true industry leaders.

Following the Pitch Rodeo, an award ceremony and reception were held to recognize the outstanding accomplishments of the participating startups. The winners were celebrated for their dedication, creativity, and potential to drive positive change in the agrifood industry.

“We are thrilled with the success of the Stampede Demo Day, which provided a platform for these exceptional startups to showcase their transformative ideas,” said John Hartnett, CEO of SVG Ventures | THRIVE. “The event brought together industry leaders, investors, and entrepreneurs, fostering valuable connections and collaborations that will shape the future of innovation and entrepreneurship in the agrifood sector.”

“We are thrilled to be a part of the Stampede Demo Day,” said Laura Kilcrease, CEO of Alberta Innovates. Alberta Innovates is committed to supporting entrepreneurs like these who are solving complex challenges, creating sustainable solutions and transforming the agrifood industry. The ideas and technologies presented here today will revolutionize how we produce

our food. We congratulate all the successful startups and entrepreneurs who took part in the THRIVE Global and Canadian Accelerator programs and can’t wait to see what comes next.”

THRIVE II Canada Accelerator is part of the Alberta Scaleup and Growth Accelerator program that is run by a consortium led by Alberta Innovates. The consortium, which also includes the Ministry of Technology and Innovation, Edmonton Unlimited, the Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund and Prairies Economic Development Canada(PrairiesCan) allocated $35 million over three years to retain business accelerators. It’s part of an overall government goal to help create 20,000 jobs and increase technology firm revenue to $5 billion by 2030.

For more information about SVG Ventures|THRIVE and its programs, please visit thriveagrifood.com.

About SVG Ventures|THRIVE

SVG is a leading AgriFood Innovation and Investment platform headquartered in Silicon Valley, and comprised of top agriculture, food & technology corporations, universities and investors. With a community of over 8,500 startups from over 100 countries, SVG invests, accelerates and creates unparalleled access for entrepreneurs to scale globally to solve the biggest challenges facing the food and agriculture industries. SVG’s Corporate innovation program works with Fortune 1000 corporations transforming their businesses, accelerating their growth and driving their innovation priorities.  SVG’s global partners include leading government, agriculture, and technology corporations such as Alberta Government, Old’s College, Calgary Economic Development, Corteva, Driscoll’s, FCC, BASF, Kubota, Land O’Lakes, Shell, Trimble, Taylor Farms, Bayer, ICL, Nutrien, Intel, Valmont, UFA, Yamaha Motor Ventures and Wilbur-Ellis. Learn more at www.thriveagrifood.com.

About Alberta Innovates
Alberta Innovates is the province’s most comprehensive research and innovation agency. We ignite the power of innovation through our work with researchers, industry and entrepreneurs to move Alberta to a lower-carbon future, promote the responsible use of land and water, and contribute to the improved health and well-being of Albertans. We currently manage a project portfolio worth $1.2 billion. The corporation operates in 11 locations with more than one million sq ft of industrial testing and lab facilities and 600 acres of farmland. Alberta Innovates employs 596 highly skilled scientists, business and technical professionals and has an annual operating budget of $253 million. From funding to commercialization, we are Alberta’s innovation engine.
Learn how Alberta Innovates.