Saskatchewan has long been a hotbed of innovation, particularly in the world of agricultural technology. One such example is Saskatoon-based PathoScan Technologies. The company has just received a large research and development grant from the province of Saskatchewan to innovate.
“PathoScan was a recipient of the AGF (Agtech Growth Fund), which is the agritech-focused version of SAIF (Saskatchewan Advantage Innovation Fund),” explained Kari Harvey, CEO of Innovation Saskatchewan. “This company first came to our attention through a program called Co.Hack, an annual hackathon held by Saskatoon-based technology incubator Co.Labs. PathoScan won the hackathon and developed a prototype. We received seed money to do so.”
Another lucky opportunity came with PathoScan's participation in OPUS, the University of South Carolina technology incubator that supports development with research expertise and infrastructure.
“Through our regular engagement with farmers and others in the agriculture industry, Innovation Saskatchewan has heard that there is a need for faster disease detection in this sector,” Harvey said. “When we heard that PathoScan had a potential solution to this problem, we contacted them and encouraged them to apply.”
The application was successful and PathoScan received $75,000 in milestone-based AGF support.
“Grant recipients like PathoScan receive a portion of their funding upfront, and the rest of the grant is based on specific development goals,” Harvey said. “For Pathoscan in particular, our main goal with this project is to conduct field tests and improve the product based on the data collected from the tests.”
Through its technology, PathoScan has developed a kit that allows farmers to quickly and accurately test any crop for pathogens. Instead of waiting for test results, the company boasts that results are available within an hour. AGF funding will help PathoScan refine its technology through future field testing.
“AGF funding and support from Innovation Saskatchewan will further our mission at PathoScan to provide farmers with instant on-farm crop disease diagnosis, significantly reducing response times and protecting livelihoods. ” said Tayyab Sumro, founder of PathoScan. “By minimizing crop losses due to disease, PathoScan helps sustain agricultural economies, ensure food security and promote a more sustainable approach to farming.”
Over the past 12 years, SAIF has committed more than $14.7 million to 59 projects, resulting in more than $50 million in private investment and more than $103 million in post-project investment.
AGF's financing arm is new and launched in 2020 and has already invested more than $4.4 million across 23 projects, with more than $19.4 million in private investment and more than $25.3 million in post-project investment. invested.
Given these results, it seems natural for domestic companies to apply for funding.
“During our last call, we received 10 expressions of interest for AGF,” Mr Harvey said. “He then invited four companies to submit full proposals, and PathoScan was chosen to receive funding.”
The SAIF stream also received 10 expressions of interest, three of which requested full proposal submissions. The top pick was BrewNature. BrewNature is another Saskatoon company developing modular composting technology that reduces the time it takes to compost from three months to just five days. As a result, they won him $95,000 in SAIF support.
“We rely heavily on the expertise and recommendations of our external advisory committee to evaluate the complete proposal,” Harvey said. “The committee is made up of agricultural producers from both the crop and animal sides, industry experts, and government colleagues from the Department of Agriculture, Department of Trade and Export Development.”
“Committee members will help ensure that proposed projects respond to real industry needs and that solutions are commercially viable,” she continued. “Funding decisions are made based on expert recommendations.”
It's not just the domestic market where these local companies shine; Innovation Saskatchewan also appears to be a springboard for reaching the global stage.
“Both SAIF and AGF have helped Saskatchewan businesses secure more follow-on funding and gain greater visibility,” Harvey said. “SAIF companies have received a total of more than $100 million in post-project funding from investors and other programs.His AGF, launched in 2020, said recipients will receive his $25 million in post-project funding. It helped us secure more than that.”
Ryan Kidrowski, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, World-Spectator
