The federal government is dispensing $10.2 million across six Manitoba businesses to help them grow and adopt new technologies like AI.
The news: The Prairies Economic Development Canada’s (PrairiesCan) funding was announced by AI Minister Evan Solomon at a Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce event on Tuesday morning.
The largest recipient was Winnipeg-based adtech Taiv, which got $5 million in repayable funding under the Business Scale-up and Productivity Program. The money will help it manufacture more of its ad replacement hardware and grow its team as it expands in Canada and the United States.
The Manitoba Construction Sector Council is also receiving just over $1 million in grant funding under the Regional Innovation Ecosystems Program to create a “drone and sensor library” for small and medium-sized construction companies, which will give those businesses a way to access the equipment, training, and technical support.
From the source: “Throughout Taiv’s history, we have promised to create jobs in Manitoba and have since followed through; creating over 75 jobs since 2025,” Taiv co-founder and CEO Noah Palansky said in a statement. “This funding will let us continue to support the local economy as we build Taiv into a key part of Manitoba’s tech ecosystem.”
Following the thread: Four other companies received repayable funding, including ExpensePoint, Mode40, Aryval, and ConstructionClock. ExpensePoint received just over $2.3 million to add new roles and integrate automation into its expense-management platform, while the rest received $800,000 or less to expand their platforms and integrate AI.
Final thought: One of the federal government’s primary focuses in the national AI strategy was increasing the number of businesses and workers adopting the technology. With the strategy earmarking an additional $500 million for the Regional Artificial Intelligence Initiative, which is delivered through regional development agencies like PrairiesCan, many businesses across the country will likely receive similar federal cheques in the coming years.
BetaKit’s Prairies reporting is funded in part by YEGAF, a not-for-profit dedicated to amplifying business stories in Alberta.
Feature image courtesy Evan Solomon on X.