Calgary’s growing tech ecosystem is making the city known as a place where anyone can start something new
Tech is bringing Calgary the recognition for intangible factors it has always had: an ambitious energy and a community excited to support new ideas. The growing innovation and tech scene is broadening what Calgary is known for creating a culture where anyone feels they can start something.
As Calgary’s startup scene continues to grow and startups choose their base in Calgary over Vancouver, Toronto, or Silicon Valley, Calgary is proving it has more to offer innovators than may have previously been widely known. Beyond the close-knit business community and entrepreneurial culture, Calgary’s affordability and proximity to nature attract outside talent and enterprise. In 2024, Calgary was ranked fifth among cities in the EIU Global Liveability Index, demonstrating the city’s unique and high quality of life.
Without detracting from existing industries, the tech industry is helping Calgary be known as an innovation hub and a place where anyone can receive support to actualize their ideas.
“Alberta has cycles of boom and bust. But in really bad times, we have to figure out how to move ahead. However, this speaks to the entrepreneurial spirit here in Calgary. We understand the need to support innovation.”
– Guy Levesque, Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking at the University of Calgary
“There are a lot of people who get into tech that don't need an assist. There are many more people who don't have that, who need to just be helped and given an opportunity where it didn't exist before…[we want] to create that sort of sense in our culture that if you want to start something, there's a place for you, no matter who you are.”
– Terry Rock, Alberta Innovates
"This whole city and most of the province was self-made. It was a bunch of entrepreneurs who decided we're going to grow food, drill for oil, create a city. All of that is now in our DNA."
– Ray DePaul, Mount Royal University Launchpad