Funding & Business

Minister Olszewski announces funding to help Saskatchewan businesses lead in AI innovation

Published

4 weeks ago

August 11, 2025

Investments will help businesses use artificial intelligence to innovate and grow the economy

REGINA, SK, Aug. 11, 2025 /CNW/ – Canada is on the leading edge of research into artificial intelligence. Achieving greater AI adoption is the next step. Helping small- and medium-sized enterprises leverage AI to innovate and boost their productivity is a key to Canada’s economic success in a rapidly changing environment.

Minister Olszewski announces funding to help Saskatchewan businesses lead in AI innovation (CNW Group/Prairies Economic Development Canada)

Today, the Honourable Eleanor Olszewski, Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience and Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan), announced over $1.3 million for three businesses in Saskatchewan. These strategic investments will help accelerate AI adoption and the digital transition of Canada’s economy. By catalyzing AI, companies can improve products and services for Canadians while driving sustainable economic growth. Today’s investments reflect this commitment and include:

Enabling Ground Truth Agriculture to complete and commercialize a new grain grading system. They are receiving $586,900.
Supporting Greenwave Innovations Inc. to enhance their energy monitoring platform for commercial and industrial buildings. They are receiving $425,000.
Helping Offstreet Technology Inc. to enhance their cloud-based guest registration parking technology and grow their market in North America. They are receiving $300,000.

Quotes

“Across Saskatchewan, businesses are proving that Prairie innovation can solve big challenges. By adopting advanced technologies like AI, they’re scaling up, creating high-quality jobs, and competing globally. These investments also position Canada for long-term success in key sectors like value-added agriculture, defence, critical minerals, and nuclear energy. Through these PrairiesCan investments, we’re helping to build on that momentum and grow one strong Canadian economy that’s secure, resilient, and ready for the future.”
– The Honourable Eleanor Olszewksi, Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience and Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada

“Helping local businesses adopt AI and new digital tools can be a real-game changer. Whether it’s improving grain grading or saving energy, these kinds of investments create jobs and support stronger communities across Saskatchewan.”
– The Honourable Buckley Belanger, Secretary of State (Rural Development) and Member of Parliament for Desnethé-Missinippi-Churchill River

“Support from PrairiesCan is a vote of confidence in the importance of consistent grain quality data from farm to destination. It accelerates our ability to deliver insights that directly impact key decision making in the supply chain.”
– Kyle Folk, Chief Executive Officer, Ground Truth Agriculture Inc.

Quick facts

Today’s announcement of over $1.3 million is funded through PrairiesCan’s Regional Artificial Intelligence Initiative (RAII) and the Business Scale-up and Productivity program (BSP).
The Government of Canada announced $2.4 billion in Budget 2024 to secure Canada’s AI advantage, including investments to accelerate job growth in Canada’s AI sector and beyond, boost productivity by helping researchers and businesses develop and adopt AI, and ensure this is done responsibly.
Expanding Canadian leadership in AI is a key priority of the Government of Canada. On May 13, 2025, Prime Minister Mark Carney named the Honourable Evan Solomon as Canada’s first Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation.
Investments announced today will create 50 jobs and $30.5 million in revenue growth, including $5.6 million in exports.

Backgrounder

PrairiesCan is investing $1,311,900 for three projects in Saskatchewan to catalyze innovation using artificial intelligence (AI).

The projects announced today will leverage AI advantages to help commercialize a new grain grading system, enhance energy monitoring for buildings, and expand markets for a guest parking platform.

Regional Artificial Intelligence Initiative (RAII) – $1,011,900

The RAII provides $200 million to help businesses bring new AI technologies to market and speed up adoption in critical sectors such as agriculture, clean technology, healthcare, and manufacturing. This repayable and non-repayable interest-free funding is part of the government’s 2024 budget commitment to ensure Canada is a world leader in AI.

PrairiesCan announced investments for two repayable projects under the RAII:

Ground Truth Agriculture Inc. – $586,900
Ground Truth Agriculture will complete and commercialize an artificial intelligence driven benchtop and on-combine grain grading system for grain quality assessment and predictive grading. Ground Truth’s developed technology allows farmers, commercial grain buyers, and food processors to unite with fully transparent data to maximize efficiency and actionable decisions. Their technology analyzes grains for disease, damage and more so that reliable, real-time data about grain quality is available at commercial facilities and on the farm too.

Greenwave Innovations Inc. – $425,000
Greenwave will use artificial intelligence to enhance their energy monitoring platform for commercial and industrial buildings. Greenwave’s platform helps users conserve energy and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, enhance building life and safety systems, eliminate waste, and streamline maintenance. With this project, Greenwave will implement AI-driven features that will optimize routine maintenance and proactively identify equipment issues prior to failure. AI will also be used to identify gas and water leaks triggering alerts and automated shut-off valves in buildings.

Business Scale-up and Productivity (BSP) program – $300,000

The BSP program supports high-growth businesses that are seeking to improve productivity, scale-up, and commercialize technology. It offers interest-free, repayable funding to incorporated businesses that have been in operation for a minimum of two years.

PrairiesCan announced one investment under BSP:

Offstreet Technology Inc. – $300,000
Offstreet helps universities and private parking operators streamline their guest parking management, resolving issues and saving time for both visitors and hosts. PrairiesCan’s support enables Offstreet to enhance their cloud-based guest registration parking technology and grow their market in North America.

Associated links

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SOURCE Prairies Economic Development Canada

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