Innovation Saskatchewan
Innovation Saskatchewan is a Saskatchewan Crown corporation that provides R&D grants, tax credits, and operates Research and Technology Parks in Saskatoon and Regina to accelerate commercialization for startups, researchers, and investors in the province.
- Company typePublic
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersSaskatoon, Canada
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Innovation Saskatchewan does
Innovation Saskatchewan is a Crown corporation of the Government of Saskatchewan, established in 2009 and headquartered in Saskatoon, that operates as the province's principal innovation and commercialization agency. It administers a portfolio of funding programs — including the Saskatchewan Advantage Innovation Fund (SAIF, up to $450,000), Agtech Growth Fund (AGF), Made in Saskatchewan Technology (MIST) Program, Innovation & Science Fund (ISF, $5.2M annually as of 2025), and the Saskatchewan Technology Startup Incentive (STSI) offering a 45% non-refundable tax credit to Saskatchewan-based investors — and serves three primary customer segments: tech companies and startups, academic and industry researchers, and investors. In May 2025 the organization rebranded from Innovation Place to Innovation Saskatchewan Research and Technology Park and reorganized its mandate around four priority sectors: life sciences, mining and critical minerals, energy, and agriculture.
The agency also operates physical innovation infrastructure. The Research and Technology Parks in Saskatoon (15 Innovation Boulevard) and Regina (10 Research Drive) collectively house approximately 100+ tenant companies and provide specialized facilities including the L.F. Kristjanson Biotechnology Complex (with automated greenhouse compartments, growth chambers, and shared lab equipment), the Collider co-working space (hot desks, meeting rooms, podcast studio, 24/7 access), and the SaskTel 5G Innovation Lab powered by Samsung. Network infrastructure spans multiple 10 Gbps campus links, dual ISP paths, exclusive CANARIE research network access, and 99.9% uptime targets. The agency funds accelerator programming (SIGMA at the University of Saskatchewan, the new RISE regional incubator via Southeast TechHub) and recently co-established Western Canada's first Small Modular Reactor Safety, Licensing, and Testing Centre at the University of Regina with SaskPower and PrairiesCan.
The business model is government appropriation rather than commercial revenue. Innovation Saskatchewan is fully owned by the Government of Saskatchewan, has no external shareholders, and is funded by provincial budgets (with matched federal contributions on specific programs). It does not charge market rates for its grants; income derives from a combination of legislative appropriations, federal cost-shared funding (Canada Foundation for Innovation, PrairiesCan), tenant rentals at the R+T Parks, and co-working fees at Collider. The go-to-market motion is event-driven and partnership-led: program awareness flows through the website, social channels, an annual Innovation Week, sponsored events such as the SASK AI EXPO, and direct outreach via regional partners (Saskatchewan Polytechnic, U of Regina, U of Saskatchewan, SETH, AiSK). Headcount is 51-100, and the operating geographies are exclusively Saskatchewan-based, with SAIF the only program explicitly open to out-of-province applicants.
Innovation Saskatchewan firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Innovation Saskatchewan
- Legal name
- Innovation Saskatchewan
- Website
- https://innovationsask.ca
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Innovation Saskatchewan is a Saskatchewan Crown corporation that provides R&D grants, tax credits, and operates Research and Technology Parks in Saskatoon and Regina to accelerate commercialization for startups, researchers, and investors in the province.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Innovation Saskatchewan industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Government Innovation Services
- NAICS
- Grantmaking Foundations (813211)
- SIC
- Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- National Development Banks & State Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) (BPADACAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Corporate Foundations & CSR Grantmaking (BPAGAKAC)
Keywords
Where Innovation Saskatchewan is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Saskatoon
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Innovation Saskatchewan business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Others, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Government Funding: Innovation Saskatchewan is a Crown corporation funded by the Government of Saskatchewan. It provides non-repayable grants, funding programs, and tax credits to support innovation rather than generating revenue from product sales.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Saskatchewan Technology Startup Incentive (STSI) - 45% Tax Credit |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Innovation Saskatchewan product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Innovation Saskatchewan is a provincial Crown corporation that distributes non-repayable R&D grants and tax credits to technology companies, researchers, and investors, and operates two Research and Technology Parks (Saskatoon and Regina) that provide office, laboratory, greenhouse, and co-working space to tenants. Its programs include the Saskatchewan Advantage Innovation Fund (SAIF, up to $450,000), Agtech Growth Fund (AGF), Innovation & Science Fund (ISF), Made in Saskatchewan Technology (MIST) Program, Innovation Challenge, and the Saskatchewan Technology Startup Incentive (STSI), a 45% non-refundable tax credit to Saskatchewan-based investors.
Product overview
Innovation Saskatchewan is a crown corporation that provides a comprehensive innovation ecosystem through two main pillars: (1) Funding Programs including SAIF, AGF, STSI, ISF, MIST, and Innovation Challenge that support tech companies, researchers, and startups; and (2) Research and Technology Parks in Saskatoon and Regina featuring Collider co-working spaces, the L.F. Kristjanson Biotechnology Complex, and tenant amenities. The organization connects tech companies, investors, and researchers through funding, advanced facilities, and collaborative partnerships to accelerate research and technology for Saskatchewan's economy.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- R+T Park Saskatoon Research and Technology Park in Saskatoon at 15 Innovation Boulevard providing office space, laboratory facilities, greenhouse compartments, co-working space, and tenant amenities to approximately 100+ tech and research companies, co-located with the University of Saskatchewan campus.
- R+T Park Regina Research and Technology Park in Regina at 10 Research Drive on the University of Regina campus, providing office space, meeting facilities, and a SaskTel 5G Innovation Lab to tech and research tenants.
- Collider Co-Working Space Co-working space available at both Saskatoon and Regina R+T Park locations, offering 24/7 access, hot desks, private offices, meeting rooms, event space, a video conferencing facility, a podcast studio, and dedicated bandwidth per company. Includes the SaskTel 5G Innovation Lab powered by Samsung.
- Saskatchewan Advantage Innovation Fund (SAIF) Non-repayable grant program providing funding of up to $450,000 for R&D projects that advance technological innovations in Saskatchewan's key economic sectors, including mining, energy, manufacturing, and healthcare. Out-of-province applicants are eligible.
- Agtech Growth Fund (AGF) Non-repayable funding program specifically for agricultural technology companies to accelerate the growth and commercialization of agtech innovations in Saskatchewan.
- Saskatchewan Technology Startup Incentive (STSI) Tax credit program offering a 45% non-refundable credit to Saskatchewan-based investors who invest in eligible Saskatchewan tech startups — described as the most aggressive tech tax credit program in Canada.
- Innovation & Science Fund (ISF) Research funding program supporting studies in priority areas such as water security, sustainability, and antimicrobial resistance, with funding matched by the Canada Foundation for Innovation. Annual program value $5.2 million.
- Made in Saskatchewan Technology (MIST) Program Program supporting Saskatchewan-based technology companies to develop and commercialize innovative products within the province.
- Innovation Challenge Challenge program inviting Saskatchewan innovators to develop technology-based solutions to address provincial priorities, such as protecting Saskatchewan waters from invasive species.
- L.F. Kristjanson Biotechnology Complex Specialized biotechnology research facility at R+T Park Saskatoon offering private greenhouse compartments with automated environmental controls (photoperiod, humidity, light, irrigation, fertigation, temperature), growth chambers, laboratory space with automated HVAC, and shared equipment including autoclave and spray chamber.
- SaskTel 5G Innovation Lab 5G testing and development laboratory located in both Regina and Saskatoon R+T Parks, offering a clean 5G network powered by Samsung for testing and developing new technology. Open to tenants and the public.
- Network and Wi-Fi Services High-performance network infrastructure for R+T Park tenants with redundant ISP connections including SaskTel, SRNet, and CANARIE access, bandwidth scaling from 1,000-3,000 Mbps depending on tenant space size, multiple 10Gbps links between campus networks, 1Gbps and 10Gbps ISP connections with 40Gbps+ support, dual high-capacity ISP paths, IPv6 support, NTP server access, and a 99.9% uptime target.
- RISE (Rural Innovation Startup Ecosystem) Program Regional startup incubator program operated by Innovation Saskatchewan through the Southeast TechHub (SETH) in Estevan, designed to help technology companies launch and scale locally in southeast Saskatchewan. Innovation Saskatchewan is investing $149,000 over three years.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 500 students engaged since 2021 through SIGMA program
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Innovation Saskatchewan
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Innovation Saskatchewan technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Innovation Saskatchewan partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- Southeast TechHub (SETH)coreInnovation Saskatchewan investing $149,000 over three years in SETH to expand startup support through Rural Innovation Startup Ecosystem (RISE) program - a first-of-its-kind regional startup incubator; similar to Co.Labs and Cultivator; strengthens regional capacity in energy, mining and critical minerals; SETH founded 2022
- Saskatchewan PolytechnicmajorInnovation Saskatchewan committing $250,000 over five years to Sask Polytech's Digital Integration Centre of Excellence (DICE) to help businesses develop and bring new technologies to market; projects include robotic dog for mining, drones for mineral detection, and AI for interior design
- Artificial Intelligence Saskatchewan Corp. (AiSK)majorInnovation Saskatchewan investing $25,000 as lead sponsor of inaugural SASK AI EXPO 2026 to bring together industry leaders, researchers, students, and startups for AI sessions, workshops, and demos across agriculture, mining, energy, healthtech, cleantech, and advanced manufacturing
- University of ReginamajorThree research projects at University of Regina received nearly $460,000 in ISF funding matched by Canada Foundation for Innovation; studies on water security, sustainability, and antimicrobial resistance with funding for lab tools, field equipment, and computer systems
- University of SaskatchewancoreInnovation Saskatchewan providing $26,300 to SIGMA (Saskatchewan Innovation Growth & Market Acceleration) program supporting venture accelerator and community events through spring 2026 including hackathons in mining, energy, and agriculture; program engaged 500+ students since 2021, graduated 56, advanced 15 startups including logistics startup RUNNR
- SaskPowermajorSaskPower contributing $4 million toward Small Modular Reactor Safety, Licensing and Testing Centre at University of Regina; Innovation Saskatchewan providing $1 million plus in-kind support; initiative aims to position Saskatchewan as nuclear research hub with SMR targeted for 2034
- Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan)majorFederal economic development agency contributing $2 million to SMR Safety, Licensing and Testing Centre; part of joint federal-provincial funding for nuclear research infrastructure
- Global Institute for Energy, Minerals and SocietycoreUniversity of Regina-led partnership with University of Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan Polytechnic, and industry partners under Global Institute for Energy, Minerals and Society for SMR research and workforce training
- Saskatchewan PolytechniccoreSask Polytech joining the R+T Park Saskatoon with new campus; program enabling faculty, researchers and students to work with public- and private-sector partners on product development and technology adoption
- SaskTelcoreSaskTel 5G Innovation Lab powered by Samsung located in both Saskatoon and Regina R+T Parks; offers clean 5G network for testing and developing new technology; open to tenants and public
- Siemens EDAmajorMajor tech tenant at R+T Park Saskatoon; developed AI-driven chip design technology originally created by Saskatchewan-founded Solido Design Automation; Jeff Dyck VP of R&D at Siemens EDA headline speaker at SASK AI EXPO
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Innovation Saskatchewan competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- BC Tech Association: British Columbia's provincial tech industry association supporting tech companies with programs, advocacy, and ecosystem services — comparable as a provincial body supporting tech ecosystem growth, with overlapping functions to Saskatchewan park operations and startup support.
- Mitacs: Canadian not-for-profit funding research and innovation through grants, fellowships, and accelerators connecting industry with academic research — comparable in providing research funding and connecting researchers with industry partners, similar to ISF and SIGMA programs.
- Alberta Innovates: Alberta's provincial innovation agency funding R&D, providing grants, and supporting tech commercialization across health, energy, environment, and agri sectors — directly comparable to Innovation Saskatchewan in mandate, structure, and programs (e.g., Alberta Innovates' grants parallel SAIF/AGF).
- Alberta Enterprise Corporation: Alberta's provincial venture capital and tech ecosystem investor, supporting early-stage tech through fund-of-funds and ecosystem programs — comparable in stimulating provincial tech investment and complementing grant programs, paralleling Innovation Saskatchewan's STSI and SAIF.
- Co.Labs: Saskatoon-based coworking and innovation hub providing programming, mentorship, and connections to founders — a direct in-province peer comparable to Innovation Saskatchewan's Collider co-working offering, providing overlapping community and ecosystem services.
- NRC IRAP (Industrial Research Assistance Program): Federal Canadian program providing funding, advisory services, and innovation support to SMEs for technology development — directly comparable in providing non-repayable R&D grants and tech commercialization assistance to Canadian companies, including those in Saskatchewan.
- Ontario Centre of Innovation (OCI): Ontario's provincial innovation agency (formerly Ontario Centres of Excellence) supporting startups and tech commercialization through funding programs and ecosystem support — directly comparable provincial mandate with grant and acceleration programs.
- Cultivator (formerly Innovation Place / SK technology accelerator): Saskatoon-based tech accelerator and startup support organization providing mentorship, programming, and connections to investors — a direct in-province peer referenced by Innovation Saskatchewan, providing comparable accelerator programs to SIGMA and tenant support services.
Regional players
- Innovate UK: UK's national innovation agency funding and supporting business-led R&D and technology commercialization — analogous in mandate to fund R&D and accelerate tech growth, but operates nationally in the UK rather than sub-nationally in a Canadian province.
Broad incumbents
- Genome Canada: National funding agency for genomics and biosciences research, providing large-scale grants to research projects — comparable in grantmaking for R&D but operates federally across multiple provinces rather than focusing on a single provincial ecosystem.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Innovation Saskatchewan social profiles
Digital presenceInnovation Saskatchewan financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Innovation Saskatchewan leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Innovation Saskatchewan subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
Innovation Saskatchewan funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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Innovation Saskatchewan M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments11 records
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Frequently asked questions about Innovation Saskatchewan
What does Innovation Saskatchewan do?
Innovation Saskatchewan is a provincial Crown corporation that distributes non-repayable R&D grants and tax credits to technology companies, researchers, and investors, and operates two Research and Technology Parks (Saskatoon and Regina) that provide office, laboratory, greenhouse, and co-working space to tenants. Its programs include the Saskatchewan Advantage Innovation Fund (SAIF, up to $450,000), Agtech Growth Fund (AGF), Innovation & Science Fund (ISF), Made in Saskatchewan Technology (MIST) Program, Innovation Challenge, and the Saskatchewan Technology Startup Incentive (STSI), a 45% non-refundable tax credit to Saskatchewan-based investors.
Is Innovation Saskatchewan a public or private company?
Innovation Saskatchewan is a public company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Innovation Saskatchewan founded?
Innovation Saskatchewan was founded in 2009. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Innovation Saskatchewan based?
Innovation Saskatchewan is headquartered in Saskatoon, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Innovation Saskatchewan make money?
One revenue line is on record: government Funding.
Who are Innovation Saskatchewan's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are BC Tech Association, Mitacs, Alberta Innovates, Alberta Enterprise Corporation, Co.Labs, NRC IRAP (Industrial Research Assistance Program), Ontario Centre of Innovation (OCI) and Cultivator (formerly Innovation Place / SK technology accelerator). Innovate UK is listed as a regional player. Genome Canada is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Innovation Saskatchewan have an API?
No public API is recorded for Innovation Saskatchewan.
What industry is Innovation Saskatchewan in?
Innovation Saskatchewan's product category is Government Innovation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPADACAC, National Development Banks & State Development Finance Institutions (DFIs), with a secondary code of BPAGAKAC, Corporate Foundations & CSR Grantmaking. Its NAICS code is 813211 and its SIC code is 8700.