Calgary rises in the ranks as a top tech talent city and job market for those looking to do game-changing work while enjoying an affordable, vibrant lifestyle.
Less than an hour from the Canadian Rocky Mountains, Calgary is the sunniest city in Canada and is ranked the third most livable city in the world – and first in North America – by the Economist Intelligence Unit.
Critical thinkers, entrepreneurs and visionaries are moving to Calgary in droves, with the city experiencing the fastest pace of tech workforce growth in North America, according to 2022 LinkedIn Talent Insights.
The city is taking an intentional path to build a future-proof, sustainable economy that is inclusive for all by focusing on innovation and talent in its economic strategy, Calgary in the New Economy
Tech talent is streaming to the city as Calgary businesses drive the $20 billion forecasted spend on digital transformation in Alberta between 2021 and 2024. With 22 per cent growth in tech talent and total tech jobs in the last five years, Calgary placed 28th among the Top 50 North American markets in the CBRE 2022 Scoring Tech Talent report.
Bright minds with big ideas are coming together to solve global challenges in Calgary.
The energy transition presents a $61 billion opportunity in Alberta and is projected to create over 170,000 jobs by 2050. As a centre of excellence in energy, Calgary was ranked in the Top 30 cleantech ecosystems and 29th for Energy & Environment by Startup Blink. Corporate, community and civic partners are collaborating to take leadership towards a net-zero economy, with the City of Calgary declaring a Climate Emergency in 2021.
Where startups grow and scale
Enterprise technology, financial services, agriculture, energy, life sciences, creative industries, transportation and aerospace are just a few of the key sectors in Calgary. As digital transformation drives innovation across industries, Calgary is home to the majority – over 58 per cent – of the province’s privately held technology companies, with rising stars like Attabotics and Syantra putting the city on the map.
Home to over 150 fintech startups, Calgary is ranked as one of the Top 30 fintech hubs in North America by the 2021 Global Fintech Index.
Homegrown scaleups like fintech firm, Neo Financial, and software company, Benevity, are two of five unicorns that have scaled to billion-dollar valuations within the last two-and-a-half years. Soon-to-be unicorns – or Canadian narwhals – are prospering in a supportive and collaborative innovation ecosystem.
To spur the acceleration of investment and innovation, the City of Calgary established The Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund, a $100 million initiative, to invest in fund managers, accelerators and startups. Entrepreneurs are connected to over 45 business incubators and accelerators that provide access to resources, mentorship and venture capital to scale to new heights.
In a record-breaking year for venture capital, 66 companies made $500 million in deals in 2021. This year is on pace to break another record, with $427 million invested in the first two quarters of 2022 – the fourth highest venture capital investment in Canada.
Global firms call Calgary home.
Recent announcements to expand and invest in the city include multinational firms Mphasis, AWS and IBM. Global tech giant Infosys announced a Calgary digital centre in 2021 and doubled its initial jobs creation commitment in 2022, to 1,000 jobs by 2024.
The seventeen Calgary companies that top the Globe and Mail’s list of Top Growing Canadian Companies will agree the city has the talent and business environment to thrive.
Enjoy the sunshine
People are inspired to build their lives in places that are vibrant, welcoming and inclusive.
Calgary is one of Canada’s youngest and most multicultural cities, with over 120 languages spoken in the community. Known as a festival city, Calgarians enjoy arts, science and engineering, culture and culinary festivals year-round.
For an average of 333 days a year, the sun shines and invites use of the most extensive outdoor pathway and bikeway network in North America.
As one of the world’s 10 most affordable cities for housing, Calgary attracts young professionals and families to make a home here – where a community welcomes you to dream big and make the extraordinary happen.
Meaningful career opportunities and a vibrant lifestyle make Calgary easy to call home. Come experience a city of possibility created by future-focused innovators like you.
Learn more about tech career opportunities in Calgary on Live Tech, Love Life.
