07 — Calgary, Alberta, Canada

TGNA Foresight Score: 71 · ▲ Stable

The signal: In 2024, Calgary surpassed Vancouver for the first time in venture capital investment with $346 million across 33 deals powered primarily by energy technology, with a tech workforce that grew 61% between 2021 and 2024 to nearly 65,000 workers.

Signs: Calgary's tech workforce grew 78% between 2018 and 2023, from 26,100 to 59,500 workers, CBRE ranked it the fastest-growing tech labor market in North America over that period. Alberta is home to two of North America's largest renewable energy projects, both developed in partnership with Amazon, a solar farm contributing over one million MWh annually to the provincial grid.

Events: Amazon opened its YYC4 robotic fulfillment center in Calgary in 2024. AWS launched its Canada West Region in Calgary backed by a $4.3 billion investment over 15 years, projected to contribute $4.9 billion to Canada's GDP by 2037. Calgary's tech companies raised $630 million in venture capital in 2024 alone.

Trends: Calgary has spent the last decade converting its energy expertise into a technology advantage. Historically, the city was defined entirely by oil and now is one of the most dynamic tech markets in the country.

Drivers: For decades, Calgary's structural advantage has been the energy sector expertise, world-class infrastructure built on resource wealth, and a cost of living that makes it genuinely attractive for the talent it needs to keep growing.

Federico Quinzaños

Founder - The Grand North America