It's not all bad news

Welcome to this week's Sunday Briefing. In this issue, read about a nearly $10 million investment to power Alberta's hydrogen economy, an innovative knowledge-sharing platform, and insights into recent tech layoffs. Have a great day. We'll see you again Wednesday.

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Inqli, which bills itself as Alberta’s first knowledge-sharing platform, is partnering with Rainforest Alberta, a community hub for innovation, on a pilot program. inqli’s mobile application connects people who want to learn about a topic with people who want to share information about that topic.

“It’s increasingly important that we have a space for innovators to collaborate and share their knowledge as we grow Alberta’s tech scene," explains Rebecca Kirstein Resch (pictured above), founder and CEO of inqli. "Our goal is to help individuals and companies collaborate in a way that leads to diverse connections, meaningful change, and innovation."

🤝 Funding, Deals + Partnerships

• Alberta nets $9.74M federal investment to spur hydrogen economy. The funding from PrairiesCan is meant to support 1,600 jobs across the province. Mario Toneguzzi / Calgary Tech Journal

• AutoTech ecosystem HeyAuto announced a distribution agreement with Privacy4Cars, a privacy-tech company focused on personal data privacy for vehicle owners. Details

• Edmonton Letter: Nanoprecise scales up to cut emissions through predictive maintenance. Mack Male / Taproot Edmonton

📰 News To Know

• ICYMI: Two Calgary startups move into the OKGN Angel Summit quarter-finals for a chance to secure $225K. Calgary Tech Journal

• Edmonton office of Alphabet AI subsidiary DeepMind to close. CBC

• Calgary tech sector braces as layoffs arrive here. Kevin Green / CTV News

• Alberta NDP plans to restore tech industry amid increasing layoffs. Toula Mazloum / City News

• New pilot project from Circular Innovation Council will reduce food from Calgary businesses going to landfill. CBC

• Now Innovating: How research and entrepreneurial paths aligned to create a digital innovation that translates pharmacogenomics data for better prescribing practices. Julia MacGregor / UCalgary

📊 By The Numbers

• 62 percent – The percent of Alberta businesses that are planning to increase staffing this year, according to a November Business Council of Alberta survey. Calgary Herald

💡 POV: Ideas and Insights

• Global investment growth strengthens Alberta’s economy and communities – Rick Christiaanse, CEO of Invest Alberta

• It’s in Big Tech’s DNA to overhire in the boom and deflate in the downturn – Anup Srivastava, a Canada research chair and professor at the University of Calgary

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