A biological analytics and software company specializing in large-scale DNA data has garnered federal capital for a special project.
Vancouver-based Koonkie works with mining companies, consultants, universities, and even NASA to solve complex data challenges in natural and industrial systems, applying a breadth of expertise that spans the processing, analysis, and interpretation of high-volume genomic datasets in order to deliver actionable insights for important decision-making.
“Our scientists capture value and biological insights from your data,” the company claims, offering a range of custom software solutions.
For example, Koonkie can find native microbes that can increase bio-mining yields, reduce toxicity in tailings, help prospect for new ore deposits, serve as an indicator of environmental health, and more.
As part of The Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy, the federal government this month invested $3 million into Koonkie toward a $9M project aimed at developing an AI-powered platform that integrates environmental DNA analysis, soil health data, and remote sensing to support ecological restoration and biodiversity monitoring at mine sites.
According to the Critical Minerals Strategy, Canada is a “leading mining nation backed by a rich endowment of resources” with “vast opportunities when it comes to critical minerals,” and the formal strategy aims to take better advantage.
Minister of Industry Mélanie Joly says that “Canada has what the world needs to power the economy of the future, and we have the talent and ingenuity to turn those advantages into made-in-Canada solutions.”
The capital hails from Canada’s Digital Technology Cluster, known as DIGITAL.
The investment in Koonkie supports “cutting-edge technologies” that “advance responsible resource development and improve mine restoration,” according to Joly.
Rhonda Barnet, who is serving as interim chief executive officer for DIGITAL, suggests that the nation’s “economic security depends on getting more Canadian innovations into the hands of the industries that need them most,” and supporting Koonkie is one example of making this happen.
“That’s the role DIGITAL was created to play,” says Barnet. “Connecting technology builders with industry partners to accelerate commercialization, adoption, and long-term economic impact.”
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