SCALE AI invests $98.6m in 23 Canadian AI projects
SCALE AI, Canada's AI innovation cluster, announced an investment of just under $100 million into new artificial intelligence projects nationwide.
23 projects were named as recipients of this funding. Quebec-based businesses led the pack with this round of funding, the largest since Scale's June 2024 announcement of $96 million distributed amongst 22 Canadian projects.
This year's innovations include advancements in AI for aircraft maintenance, forecasting retail inventory optimisation, and recycling centre sorting systems, among others.
Scale's Chief Executive Officer, Julien Billot, commented on the impact of AI adoption throughout Canada.
"AI is no longer confined to a small circle of tech players - it is now emerging as a strategic lever across an increasingly diverse range of sectors. New industries are boldly embracing this transformation, driven by ambitious use cases and the growing uptake of a wide spectrum of technologies, from proven systems to the most advanced generative AI solutions," said Billot.
The projects are financed through a combination of public and private funds, with private investment contributing twice as much as public support. The Canadian government's funding in the AI sector has increased in recent months, following the establishment of the new cabinet position of Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation by Mark Carney. Earlier this month, the government announced $3.5 million in funding for HealthSpark, a machine-learning healthcare program.
"Mobilizing both public and private capital is essential to scaling transformative technologies like AI, as it helps de-risk major innovation investments and creates the right conditions for businesses to adopt cutting-edge technologies with confidence," according to Scale AI's announcement.
This week's project financing was provided at a 2-to-1 ratio of private funds to public money. At Scale's Montreal offices on July 10, Evan Solomon, Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation, spoke with industry leaders and new innovators.
"AI is one of the most powerful drivers of Canada's future economy. By investing in real-world applications through SCALE AI, we're turning Canadian innovation into productivity - across manufacturing, transport, and beyond. This is how Canada leads: by building, adopting, and scaling homegrown solutions," said Solomon.
Project highlights
Coveo Solutions has partnered with IVADO Labs, Lee Valley Tools, and Canac-Marquis Grenier to develop an eCommerce solutions startup that is innovating through search query enhancement and metadata analysis. With $4.5 million from Scale ($16.1 million total), they received the most significant amount of public funding.
SOLARIS, a project developed by Enovum Data Centres, FirstBlock, Mind in a Box and the Société en commandite Lebourgneuf, received $600,000 from Scale ($1.5 million total) to optimise energy use, reduce emissions, and enhance heat recovery in data centres.
Funding was also announced for a partnership among Bell Canada, Exfo, and VuPoint Systems, aimed at reducing the installation and repair times of telecommunications infrastructure. The $200,000 investment from Scale ($500,000 total) will fund the project's development of AI models to dispatch workers for installation and repair.
Image courtesy of Scale AI.
