The Canadian Food Innovation Network is awarding more than $700,000 to eight food-tech projects through its Innovation Booster Program, the organization revealed this month, matched by industry funds for a total investment of nearly $1 million.
This round of capital targets applied AI solutions on the plant floor and across the food supply chain, according to a statement.
“Canadian food businesses are operating in one of the most demanding moments our sector has faced in decades,” says Dana McCauley, CEO, Canadian Food Innovation Network. “The companies in this cohort are building the kinds of tools that the industry needs to implement to become more productive, resilient, and self-reliant.”
“The strength and resilience of Canada’s food sector rely on our ability to innovate and adapt to new challenges,” posits Melanie Joly, Minister of Industry. “By supporting homegrown food-tech companies through the Innovation Booster program, we are helping Canadian businesses drive productivity, create high-quality jobs, and ensure a more secure and sustainable food supply for all Canadians.”
Among the recipients is one from British Columbia.
FabriSight Solutions garnered over $60,000 in support of its project, “Vision-AI for Productivity and Efficiency on Production Floors.”
Through the project, the B.C. innovator will pilot an AI-powered productivity platform that uses computer vision to identify workflow inefficiencies and production losses in food manufacturing facilities.
The technology is intended to help processors improve throughput, reduce costs, and gain visibility into plant-floor operations, according to cofounder and chief executive officer Amin Ghasemazar.
“Food manufacturers often have limited visibility into how people, processes, and production flow interact on the plant floor,” explains Ghasemazar.
“With CFIN’s support, FabriSight is developing OverView to turn existing camera infrastructure into practical operational insights that help manufacturers improve line efficiency, boost labour productivity, and make faster, more confident decisions,” the entrepreneur stated.
More than 80 Canadian food-tech companies have received over $7M from CFIN’s Innovation Booster since 2021.
Across programs, CFIN has awarded more than $24M to 145 Canadian foodtech projects.
“Canada’s food innovators are developing cutting-edge technologies to strengthen our food processing capacity,” commented Heath MacDonald, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. “To help build a future with More Canada, these nine projects will improve efficiency, allowing us to process more of what we grow, reduce our dependence on other countries, and drive economic growth across Canada.”
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