PacifiCan funding will help two local technology businesses scale-up their operations, market their products around the world and create jobs
Vancouver is a powerful hub for innovation, ranking among the top tech cities in North America. To support Vancouver's boldest and brightest changemakers, the Government of Canada is investing in local businesses that are driving Canadian-made innovation with growth potential beyond our borders.
Today, the Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of Emergency Preparedness and Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada (PacifiCan), announced over $5.6 million in PacifiCan funding for two Vancouver-based businesses that are developing innovative technology to advance construction site safety and provide more transit options.
Minister Sajjan announced the funding at a construction site for affordable housing on East 12th Avenue in Vancouver, where $44.5 million in Government of Canada funding is already supporting over 150 new homes for seniors. SALUS Technologies' software is being used to manage safety on this site. Minister Sajjan announced $2,635,300 for SALUS to expand its cloud-based safety management software.
SALUS' software keeps workers safer on the job and improves bottom lines by helping organizations stay up to date on inspections, providing real-time notifications about safety incidents, assigning corrective actions and tracking follow ups. With this funding through PacifiCan's Jobs and Growth Fund, SALUS will build new platform capabilities, hire new staff, enhance customer support and expand marketing efforts.
Minister Sajjan also announced $3 million in funding for Spare Labs through PacifiCan's Business Scale-up and Productivity program. Spare's software automates transit bookings so transportation providers can serve more people without increasing their costs. This technology allows transit operators to use other vehicle fleets, like ride-hailing companies, to provide on-demand service for riders in rural areas and persons with disabilities. With PacifiCan's funding, Spare will hire more staff, enhance their product and scale-up their operations to meet growth opportunities around the world.
In total, the funding announced today for these two Vancouver businesses is expected to generate 100 jobs and over $80 million in revenue growth.
