Digital Journal is joining Edmonton Startup Week as an official media partner for the event running October 6-10 in Edmonton. The collaboration with Edmonton Unlimited will showcase how local founders, researchers, and industry leaders are shaping innovation in ways that resonate far beyond the city.
This year’s theme, “Step in, Step up, Step forward,” comes at a time when Edmonton’s startup community is gaining recognition in AI, life sciences, clean technology and more.
“Startup Week brings together the people, ideas, and momentum that are defining Edmonton’s innovation story,” says Jennifer Friesen, associate editor in Digital Journal’s Alberta bureau. “It’s a moment to explore who is building the next generation of startups and how they are interacting with industry, researchers, and civic partners. We’re excited to cover this year’s city-wide tech event and unpack key takeaways for innovators.”
“Step in. Step up. Step forward. This year’s theme is more than words,” said Stephanie Gillis-Paulgaard, vice president of marketing and communications at Edmonton Unlimited, and executive producer of Edmonton Startup Week. “It’s a call to action. Partnering with Digital Journal allows us to do just that: share Edmonton’s innovation story on a national stage, connect our local momentum to a wider conversation, and invite our community, our city, and those watching to move forward with us.”
This year’s program will feature workshops on scaling and commercialization, sector-specific panels in AI, clean technology, and health innovation, in addition to community-led events showcasing Edmonton’s grassroots startup culture. Pitch competitions, networking sessions, and partner-led discussions will bring together founders, investors, researchers, and civic leaders from across the province, reflecting the collaborative nature of the city’s innovation ecosystem.
Edmonton supports more than 1,700 tech companies and eight post-secondary institutions that contribute talent and research capacity to local ventures.
From mid-2022 to the end of 2024, the city generated $1 billion in ecosystem value, reflecting sustained startup activity, according to 2025 Startup Genome data on Edmonton. Edmonton was also recently ranked fifth in North America for affordable tech talent, underscoring its appeal for ambitious ventures.
What we’ve been covering
Digital Journal’s Alberta coverage has followed the same themes that will be in focus during Startup Week.
From scaling AI capacity and clean technology ventures to collaboration between industry, government, and research institutions, we’ve reported on policy shifts, leadership changes, grassroots community growth, and major funding announcements — all of which provide the context for the conversations and connections that will take place across the city in October.
Over the past year, Digital Journal has tracked Alberta’s push to become a hub for data infrastructure and AI workloads, including coverage of the province’s AI data centre strategy and a follow-up on permitting, timelines, and certainty for operators.
We have reported on shifts in local strategy and leadership, including Edmonton Unlimited’s focus on scaling and commercialization, and Alberta Innovates’ move to an ecosystem-first approach.
Our coverage has highlighted collaboration across the province, from Platform Calgary and Edmonton Unlimited aligning resources for entrepreneurs, to Edmonton’s grassroots community through Tech Wednesdays, to regional network perspectives like ERIN’s work on cross-community coordination.
We have also covered policy and investment signals that shape growth, including the federal government’s $6.7 million investment to help Edmonton firms scale, and analysis of Canada’s ecosystem resilience.
What we’re watching out for during Edmonton Startup Week
In line with “Step in, Step up, Step forward,” our coverage will highlight founders moving forward with early-stage ideas, ecosystem supporters stepping up with essential backing, and how those ideas integrate into the structures that sustain long-term innovation.
For decision-makers across business, government, and academia, Edmonton’s innovation ecosystem offers examples that go beyond local interest. The themes and collaborations at Startup Week reflect broader forces shaping Canada’s economy, from the technologies gaining traction to the partnerships that accelerate adoption.
We aim to connect these stories so leaders can see how regional momentum links to national priorities, how ideas move through systems, and where opportunities for action may lie. The goal is to make innovation visible, relevant, and useful, not as an abstract concept, but as something that informs strategy, investment, and leadership.
