SVG Ventures has announced a direct investment of US$ 500,000 in Brilliant Harvest, a Calgary-based agtech company that is part of the THRIVE IV Accelerator cohort. The capital infusion was made via the SVG Ventures Pioneer Fund, a US$ 50 million investment vehicle focused on high-potential agri food technology ventures. Headquartered in Alberta, this third fund is anchored by Farm Credit Canada (FCC), the country’s largest agricultural term lender.
The funding marks a targeted initiative to support scalable technology-driven agricultural startups with strong market applicability and growth trajectories. Brilliant Harvest develops artificial intelligence-based solutions aimed at addressing operational inefficiencies in agricultural production systems. The investment reflects SVG Ventures’ commitment to enabling technological advancement across the agricultural value chain, with a particular focus on regional clusters of innovation such as those emerging in Alberta.
John Hartnett, Founder and CEO of SVG Ventures, emphasized that the company’s decision to invest was driven by both the potential of Brilliant Harvest’s AI-enabled product offerings and its alignment with pressing industry challenges. Hartnett underscored the importance of supporting ventures that are not only commercially viable but also directly applicable to the evolving needs of modern agriculture.
“Brilliant Harvest represents exactly the kind of bold innovation we seek out at SVG Ventures. They are solving real problems in agriculture with scalable AI-driven solutions, and this investment reflects our deep belief in both the team and the broader potential of the Canadian agtech sector.”
Alberta-Based Partnership Drives Innovation Pipeline
The investment also highlights SVG Ventures’ active role in nurturing the Canadian agrifoodtech ecosystem through sustained regional engagement. Central to this agenda has been the firm’s partnership with Alberta Innovates, the province’s government-backed innovation support agency. Together, the two organizations are executing the Scale-Up GAP program—a platform explicitly designed to identify and support Alberta’s most promising growth-stage companies.
John Cassidy, Managing Director of Canada at SVG Ventures, credited the Scale-Up GAP initiative with playing a pivotal role in surfacing investment-ready companies such as Brilliant Harvest. Cassidy noted that the program serves as a discovery and acceleration mechanism, enabling more targeted capital deployment into Alberta’s innovation economy.
“Our partnership with Alberta Innovates has been nothing short of transformative. The Scale-Up GAP program has been a critical platform for discovering and elevating companies like Brilliant Harvest. We could not have achieved this without their support, and together we’re building a globally recognized agtech ecosystem right here in Alberta.”
Institutional Support Anchors Ecosystem Growth
Dr. Michael Mahon, CEO of Alberta Innovates, also commented on the announcement, highlighting the broader strategic intent behind the partnership. He described the Brilliant Harvest investment as a case-in-point demonstration of how public-private collaboration can yield measurable outcomes for regional innovation ecosystems.
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“Brilliant Harvest’s success—and the broader strength of Alberta’s agtech sector—demonstrates the real-world impact of programs like Scale-Up GAP. We’re proud to work alongside SVG Ventures to grow and showcase Alberta’s world-class innovation ecosystem.”
The $500,000 investment adds to SVG Ventures’ track record of facilitating growth in the agri food sector through structured investment and acceleration platforms. With Brilliant Harvest now part of its active portfolio, SVG Ventures continues to expand its presence in Canada, particularly within provinces where innovation, sustainability, and agricultural production intersect.
Brilliant Harvest’s integration into the SVG Ventures Pioneer Fund portfolio not only provides the company with capital but also opens pathways to a global agtech network via SVG’s broader THRIVE platform. The move underscores Alberta’s positioning as a node of agrifoodtech innovation and reflects growing investor interest in Canadian companies focused on sustainable, AI-driven agricultural solutions.
As the regional ecosystem continues to mature through coordinated funding and development programs, Alberta is increasingly viewed as a strategic base for scaling technology ventures capable of addressing global agricultural challenges. SVG Ventures’ continued investment in the region signals both confidence in its potential and a long-term commitment to fostering commercially viable innovation in the agri-food sector.
