# Western Innovation (WINN) Initiative

> Western Innovation (WINN) Initiative is a VC fund in Vancouver backing Software and Health Care. See 20 investments, check sizes, portfolio. Updated Aug 2026.

- Type: VC Fund
- Location: Vancouver, Canada
- Total investments: 20
- Last investment: Dec 2018
- Lead investor: 75%
- Last updated: Aug 2026
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/westerneconomicdiversificationcanada/
- Website: https://www.wd-deo.gc.ca/eng/19644.asp

Western Innovation (WINN) Initiative is a VC fund in Vancouver focused on Software and Health Care. WINN is a federal initiative promotes the development and diversification of the western Canadian economy by providing financial support to qualified businesses to help them accelerate bringing innovative products, processes, and services to global marketplace. It also stimulates greater private sector investment in western Canadiancommercialization activities.

## Investment focus

### Industry

| Industry | Investments | Share |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Software | 8 | 40% |
| Health Care | 4 | 20% |
| Manufacturing | 4 | 20% |
| SaaS | 3 | 15% |
| Enterprise Software | 3 | 15% |

71 industries tracked in total.

### Stage

| Stage | Investments | Share |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Grant | 17 | 85% |
| Debt Financing | 2 | 10% |
| Funding Round | 1 | 5% |

### Country

| Country | Investments | Share |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Canada | 19 | 95% |
| Belgium | 1 | 5% |

## Investments

| Company | Description | Amount | Stage | Date | Website |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Biba Ventures | Active outdoor play is essential to the development of healthy children. Getting enough active outdoor play is a concern that most modern parents are familiar with.For those parents concerned that their children are spending too much time sitting in front of a screen, Biba is a game-changer. It allows kids to have the fun, and sought after,digital rewards that they are so accustomed to, while also encouraging active play. |  | Grant | Dec 13, 2018 |  |
| Acuva Technologies | Acuva Technologies is developing ultraviolet light emitting diode (UV-LED) based drinking water purification systems targeting low to moderate volumes of water in various sizes. Acuva’s reactor is a compact, modular, and scalable system comprising UV LEDs, to provide a dose of UV radiation to water flowing through the device. The UV puriicationsystem obtains germicidal destruction of biological contaminants such as viruses and bacteria. | $2.1M | Grant | Nov 29, 2018 |  |
| Vendasta | At Vendasta, our core purpose is to drive local economies by democratizing technology for small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). We accomplish this by providing a robust platform to local experts around the world—our channel partners. Partners use Vendasta’s technology to market, sell, bill, fulfill, and deliver digital solutions to their SMBclients. Our end-to-end platform and marketplace are tightly integrated into an operating system delivered to SMBs, providing a single sign-on to their digital products and analytics. Vendasta serves 50,000+ channel partners, who in turn work with more than five million SMBs worldwide. Sign up for free and explore Vendasta at www.vendasta.com. | $2.4M | Grant | Nov 28, 2018 |  |
| FLYHT Aerospace Solutions | FLYHT Aerospace Solutions provides real-time aircraft intelligence and cockpit communications for the aerospace industry. It offers AFIRS and UpTime, an automated flight information reporting system (AFIRS) installed on aircraft that captures and monitors functions from the aircraft and the black box, and provides voice and text messagingcapabilities that enable pilots to communicate with ground support; and FLYHTStream, a technology that performs real-time triggered alerting and black-box data streaming in the event of an abnormal situation on an aircraft. FLYHT Aerospace Solutions also offers FLYHTFuel, a program that focuses attention on areas of savings potential to provide information necessary to make decisions about the operation; and FLYHTASD, an aircraft situational display that shows the aircraft position reports from AFIRS through the Iridium satellite network. Moreover, it provides FLYHTHealth that consists of automated engine trend reporting and real-time engine and airframe exceedance monitoring, and real-time diagnostics; FLYHTLog, which enables operators to monitor the status of their aircraft and have detailed Out, Off, On, and In time information; FLYHTMail, a two-way text messaging system to the flight deck is established through the multi-control display unit or an iPad application; FLYHTVoice, an onboard satellite phone; and underfloor stowage unit that offers the flight crew additional stowage space in the cockpit. It supports aviation customers in various sectors, including commercial, business, and military aircraft. FLYHT Aerospace Solutions serves in Africa, the Middle East, Europe, Australasia, Asia, and North, South, and Central America. AeroMechanical Services that began operation in 1998 became FLYHT Aerospace Solutions in May 2012, with its headquarters in Calgary in Canada. | $2.7M | Grant | Nov 20, 2018 |  |
| Aimsio | Aimsio is a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) company that helps organizations in heavy construction and energy improve their efficiency by connecting their field operations and back-office. Aimsio offers a streamlined approach to managing complex multi-million dollar operations that require multiple engagements across various departments, combiningseveral components of day-to-day business operations into one simplified platform. | $300K | Grant | Nov 20, 2018 |  |
| Kent Imaging | Kent Imaging is an innovator in multispectral oxygenation imaging, designs, manufactures, and markets imaging technology to improve plastic surgery, colorectal surgery, trauma, wound care, limb salvage, podiatry, burns, and cardiac specialties. The team at Kent Imaging is committed to improving patient outcomes by delivering innovative andpractical solutions for the healthcare industry. Kent Imaging holds multiple patents in medical technology and is currently commercializing the breakthrough multispectral imaging solutions that assess tissue oxygen saturation. The company is headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and has locations in Chicago, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, and Seattle. | $1.1M | Grant | Nov 20, 2018 |  |
| GeologicAI | GeologicAI is a software company specializes in Oil and Gas software. | $200K | Grant | Nov 20, 2018 |  |
| Nanalysis | Nanalysis is a manufacturer of benchtop NMR spectrometers for biotech and pharmaceutical applications. They focus on maximizing the value of their magnetic resonance technologies, which are used in NMR spectrometers and magnetic resonance imaging. | $2.7M | Grant | Nov 20, 2018 |  |
| QuirkLogic | QuirkLogic focuses on developing digital tools that are designed to help corporate teams spark and grow big ideas. QuirkLogic provides business productivity tools that help develops ideas. | $1.5M | Grant | Nov 20, 2018 |  |
| Attabotics | Attabotics provides a robotic warehousing and fulfillment system that has the potential to redefine the market. The company specializes in the fields of industrial automation, robotics, and software engineering. | $1.3M | Grant | Nov 20, 2018 |  |

10 of 20 investments shown.

## Co-investors
- [Automative Supplier Innovation Program](https://shizune.co/investors/profile/automative-supplier-innovation-program) — VC Fund, 1 deal together
- [BDC](https://shizune.co/investors/profile/bdc-2) — VC Fund, 1 deal together
- [Byye group](https://shizune.co/investors/profile/byye-group) — VC Fund, 1 deal together
- [Creative Destruction Lab](https://shizune.co/investors/profile/creative-destruction-lab) — VC Fund, 1 deal together
- [Yaletown Partners](https://shizune.co/investors/profile/yaletown-venture-partners) — VC Fund, 1 deal together

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## FAQ

### What does Western Innovation (WINN) Initiative invest in?

Western Innovation (WINN) Initiative invests primarily in Software, Health Care and Manufacturing startups, most often at Grant and Debt Financing stage. Most of the 20 investments tracked by Shizune back companies in Canada. The Investment Focus section breaks down every industry, stage and country in the portfolio.

### When did Western Innovation (WINN) Initiative last invest?

The most recent investment recorded for Western Innovation (WINN) Initiative closed in Dec 2018. Shizune tracks 20 investments in total for this profile, including round sizes, stages and portfolio companies, all sourced from confirmed public funding rounds and refreshed monthly.

### Is Shizune's investor data accurate?

Yes — every stat on this profile is calculated from confirmed public funding rounds monitored across hundreds of sources since 2020. This profile was last refreshed in Aug 2026 and is updated monthly. Spotted something off? Use the “Suggest an edit” link near the top of the page.

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