discoverylab support
DiscoveryLab

DiscoveryLab@EdmontonUnlimited

Our next pitch event will be held in partnership with ADEPT at Edmonton Unlimited on Friday November 29, 2024 from 10am - 4pm. Register to pitch your plan or to give advice to the teams presenting. All tech sectors and stages welcome. Both virtual 10 minute and in person 20 minute slots are available, with the latter prioritized for diagnostics, medical devices and therapeutics.

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See the world differently. Tell your story.

DiscoveryLab offers events where teams pitch plans to a panel of investors and advisors, and keynote talks are offered on a theme. Scalable innovations in any sector, location or stage of development are presented as are transformative technologies for diagnostics, medical devices, therapeutics, biotech, agtech, AI, cleantech, edtech, food/drinks, materials, energy, environment and resources.

We welcome new members including investors, industry experts and business advisors to join in to advise the diversity of teams presenting.

Presenters receive constructive feedback on the business plan summary and slidedeck they submit beforehand, a video recording of their pitch, an evaluation and scores, new connections and leads for funding.

Note: Teams that are pitching are invited to submit their business plan summary at least two weeks before the event to qualify for a slot and gain feedback to strengthen their pitch.

Presenters can also check out our Presenter Guide.


Events & Opportunities

Community Coffee at Edmonton Unlimited every Wednesday from 7:30 – 11 AM

Edmonton Tech Wednesdays every Wednesday from 5:30 – 8:30 PM

Canadian Open Data Summit at EPL, Edmonton from Oct. 30-31

ASTech Awards Gala in Edmonton on Nov 1

Friendly Friday innovation network get-together at the Innotech southside Edmonton Research Park cafe on Nov 8 from 2:30 – 4:00 pm. RSVP by Nov 1

Edmonton Innovation Peer Forum by Unbounded Thinking at EPIC Market on Nov 6

NABI Networking at Noon in St Albert on Nov 7

Building Equity into Green Homes online by Solar Alberta on Nov 7

Foresight 50 Showcase and Celebration in Vancouver on Nov 7

Clean Air Forum 2024: Air Aware - Empowering Resilient Communities in Sherwood Psrk on Nov 13

Prairie BioEconomy Guild: Shaw Solutions on strategies on how to find, evaluate, plan, and write grant applications in Edmonton on Nov 13

Innovation Week YYC from Nov 13-21

Women's Entrepreneurship Day (WEDO) Edmonton Summit on Nov 14

Solar Business Expo in Calgary on Nov 17

Indigitech Destiny Summit in Calgary on Nov 18

Build, Test & Learn Workshop at Edmonton Unlimited on Nov 18

Pathway to Silicon Valley in San Francisco from Nov 19-21

Indigenous Women Entrepreneurs Social Gathering on Nov 21

Ecological Forum on sustainable resource development and energy industry challenges in Calgary on Nov 21

Devfest by Google Developer Groups at Edmonton Unlimited on Nov 22

Women in Science, Engineering & Research (WiSER) Mixer at UofA on Nov 23

Scaling Up Bio 2024 inn Ottawa from Nov 25 - 27

Entrepreneur Talks: Networking Through Narrative by ATB on Nov 26

Agri-Food Innovation Expo in Lethbridge from Nov 26-28

Free webinar on AI for online marketing and e-commerce success for Canadian exporters Nov 26.

Mini Rural & Remote (R&R) Conference by The Society of Rural Physicians of Canada in PEI from Nov 29 - Dec 1

Western Canadian Conference on Soil Health and Grazing, Edmonton, Dec 10

M51 Investor Bootcamp Edmonton on Dec 13 at Work Nicer Beaver House

Alberta Trade Mission to FOODEX Japan 2025 with Edmonton Global from March 11-14. Deadline: Dec 20

The Path to Net Zero Concrete at UofA on Jan 16

Inventures in Calgary, May 21 - 23, 2025

Our aims are to play a positive role by:

1. provide an open forum for entrepreneurs and innovators to pitch for free and connect with investors, business advisors and industry experts,

2. building trust and mutual understanding to ensure sustainable and rewarding multi-party relationships,

3. identifying major challenges that require innovative thinking,

4. mapping out precompetitive spaces for open-source collaboration,

5. developing fair and reasonable intellectual property strategies for progression and scalable funding,

6. structuring and optimizing core activities and facilities for supporting innovation, and 

7. increasing data quality, reproducibility and decisiveness while eliminating unnecessary duplication and costs.

We welcome collaborators and partners who are interested in working together to support the innovation ecosystem.

For clarity, DiscoveryLab does not recommend advisors or investors, make investments or provide funding, but can make introductions. Each person and company has the responsibility of obtaining legal advice and performing due diligence before signing contracts or taking investments.



Funding Programs

Edmonton Edge Fund with $5 million for local tech and innovation is launching this year.

Post-Secondary Institution Business Development Support for students, faculty and staff at Edmonton’s post-secondary institutions: Executives in Residence access and up to 150 hours of free advice.

Alberta Export Expansion Program is resuming funding for the development of export markets for Alberta’s SMEs through the reimbursement of international business travel costs.

Alberta’s Hydrogen Centre of Excellence is making $20 million available over 24 months to support hydrogen production, storage, transmission, end-use projects under its Advancing Hydrogen - Competition 1 program.

Business Development Support (BDS) program open call for students, staff and alumni of Edmonton-based postsecondaries wanting to connect to industry specific expertise they need. Apply here.

BDC has launched of Thrive Venture Fund and Lab for Women, a $500-million investment platform to support the growth and economic impact of Canadian women-led businesses.

Canadian Digital Adoption Program from the Government of Canada is offering startups and SMEs grants to grow their online presence and upgrade and adopt digital technologies.

Capital City Pilots for Edmonton-based startups to test pilot-ready IP. using $10,000 in expert support, exclusive access to municipal clients, and resources.

Experiential Learning in Innovation, Technology, and Entrepreneurship (ELITE) Program for Black Youth age 15-22.

SRIA Innovation Fund to accelerate the adoption of innovative low-carbon solutions for buildings of all types



Local accelerators include: