Calgary’s Energy Transition Centre (ETC) Foundation is significantly expanding its entrepreneurial resources and facilities thanks to an investment from economic development agencies at all levels of government.
“This investment … marks a pivotal step in strengthening the local energy innovation ecosystem.”
Nannette Ho-Covernton, ETC Foundation
The expansion project is valued at over $10 million and supports a 17,000-square-foot workspace in downtown Calgary that is meant to facilitate collaboration between low-emission energy startups, ecosystem partners, and investors.
Located at the Ampersand Building in Calgary, the ETC’s expanded programming will include structured educational courses, industry workshops, and hands-on training to bolster skills for graduate students and professionals.
The investment is backed by the local Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund (OCIF), alongside federal economic development agency PrairiesCan, provincial agency Alberta Innovates, CIBC, Avatar Innovations, and the Pathways Alliance. OCIF says it expects its investment to help train up to 60 individuals, support 30 local companies, and incubate 10 new companies for commercialization over the next four years.
An OCIF spokesperson told BetaKit in an email that PrairiesCan, OCIF, and Alberta Innovates are providing $2 million, $1.5 million, and $250,000 to the project, respectively.
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“This investment in the ETC Foundation deepens Calgary’s commitment to community, collaboration, and connection, and marks a pivotal step in strengthening the local energy innovation ecosystem—fueling new technologies, talent development, and pathways to commercialization,” ETC Foundation executive director Nannette Ho-Covernton said in a statement.
OCIF helped launch the ETC through a 2022 investment in venture studio Avatar Innovations. The company claims the ETC has supported more than 60 startups that collectively raised over $500 million in venture capital over the course of the three-year initiative.
Since its 2018 launch, OCIF claims to have supported almost $900 million in investments, created more than 3,000 jobs, and led companies to acquire nearly 600,000 square feet of office space. Earlier this year, Calgary city council approved $60 million in new funding for OCIF in a bid to foster economic growth as the city works on becoming Canada’s next major tech hub.
UPDATE (09/09/2025): This story has been updated to note Alberta Innovates’ contribution to the ETC.
Feature Image courtesy Calgary Economic Development