> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://upnext.world/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Calgary Innovation Week 2026: A Farm-Supply Platform Takes Startup of the Year - URL: https://upnext.world/calgary-innovation-week-2026-recap/ - Published: 2026-11-10T23:19:03.000Z - Updated: 2026-11-11T03:00:27.000Z - Description: Paradigm Inputs won Startup of the Year at Platform Calgary’s Top 10 pitch night during Calgary Innovation Week 2026. Livestock software, a budgeting app and a regulatory AI tool also took awards. The cohort shows Calgary founders building for the industries around them. - Author: Edwin J. Frondozo - Tags: UpNext World Tour, world-tour, Calgary Innovation Week Calgary Innovation Week ran November 2 to 5, 2026 under the theme "Built Here. Backed Here." Platform Calgary closed the week with its 16th Launch Party, which put ten local startups on stage. The cohort leaned toward agriculture, finance and AI tools for work, with one hardware company in the mix. SPONSORED · SLINGSHOT ****Farmers, brokers and CFOs all call a business number. Is yours your cell?** Give your startup a real business line. Slingshot sets one up in two minutes, priced like a coffee, month to month. It leaves when you leave. [Get your business line → ](https://slingshot.tel/?utm%5Fsource=upnext&utm%5Fmedium=newsletter&utm%5Fcampaign=calgary-innovation-week-recap) ## The Startup of the Year [**Paradigm Inputs**](https://www.paradigminputs.com/?ref=upnext.world) **\[Biotech / AgTech\].** Paradigm Inputs won Startup of the Year and the Ecosystem Award at Platform Calgary's Top 10 pitch night, presented by Alberta Innovates. The company pairs agricultural distribution with software so independent brokers can sell generic crop inputs to Canadian farmers. Brokers group their growers' orders and coordinate delivery, and the platform handles invoicing, payments, accounts receivable, inventory and sales dashboards. Its AgAssist feature gives brokers product details and a label library. The founders are Mitch Johnstone, CEO, and Marc-Andre Fortin, Chief Commercial Officer, who come from finance, technology and ag distribution. --- ## Special Awards [**Agrivanna**](https://agrivanna.com/?ref=upnext.world) **\[Biotech / AgTech\]** won the Alex Raczenko Pitch Award. It builds livestock management tools that let ranchers record spoken notes on animals, treatments and herd moves, even without cell service. The company also offers pasture mapping and grazing plans. [**Waypoint Budget**](https://waypointbudget.com/?ref=upnext.world) **\[Fintech\]** won the Alumni Award. The Canadian budgeting app was founded by Calgary developers Florencia Chomski and Ahmad Jamal. It covers budgeting, goal tracking and transaction management, and has passed 14,000+ users while bootstrapped. [**Verano.ai**](https://verano.ai/?ref=upnext.world) **\[AI / Enterprise\]** won the Sponsor's Choice Award. Its AI platform tracks regulatory changes, finds the obligations they create and maps them to a company's internal policies and controls. It was named to the 2026 RegTech100. --- ## Standouts [**Splice N Connect**](https://splicenconnect.com/?ref=upnext.world) **\[Hardware\]** was the only hardware company in the cohort. It makes non-invasive sensors that watch electrical cable splices and terminations to help predict failures and prevent blackouts. The company has closed a $1.75M pre-seed round. [**Made It Legal**](https://madeit.legal/?ref=upnext.world) **\[LegalTech\]**. AI that speeds up contract review, redlining and approvals for enterprise legal teams. [**Candidly AI**](https://candidly-ai.com/?ref=upnext.world) **\[AI / Enterprise\]**. A self-hosted voice AI that runs stakeholder interviews at scale. [**Black Owl Systems**](https://www.blackowlsystems.com/?ref=upnext.world) **\[Fintech\]**. Automated lease accounting software for corporate finance teams. [**Leeg**](https://leegworks.com/?ref=upnext.world) **\[Enterprise Software\].** A workforce intelligence platform that helps employers see and use their people's skills. [**Fledge**](https://www.fledge.health/?ref=upnext.world) **\[Healthtech\].** Practical tools for parents and educators who help young people build emotional resilience. ****Running a pitch competition, accelerator or demo day?** UpNext produces editorial showcases for innovation centres, accelerators and trade agencies, putting your cohort in front of a network of 150,000+ founders, investors and innovation leaders, with a direct introduction channel to every company. Talk to us about your next cohort. ## Why It Matters for the UpNext Network Calgary's Top 10 shows a city building software for the industries around it, from crop inputs and ranching to energy cables and corporate compliance. Several of these teams already have users, a funding round or an industry listing behind them. Founders who want to meet the people backing this kind of company can [join the UpNext network](https://upnext.world/).