Tech company funded for speedy pathogen testkit
Saskatchewan has long been a hotbed of innovation, especially in the world of agriculture technology. One such example is Saskatoon-based PathoScan Technologies, who just received a lucrative research and development grant from Innovation Saskatchewan.
“PathoScan was a recipient of AGF (Agtech Growth Fund), which is the agtech-focused version of SAIF (Saskatchewan Advantage Innovation Fund),” explained Kari Harvey, CEO of Innovation Saskatchewan. “The company first came to our attention through a program called Co.Hack, which is an annual hackathon put on by Saskatoon-based technology incubator Co.Labs. PathoScan won the hackathon and received seed money to develop their prototype.”
Another fortunate break came with PathoScan’s participation in OPUS - the U of S technology incubator - which backed development with research expertise and infrastructure.
“Through Innovation Saskatchewan’s regular engagements with ag producers and others in the ag industry, we heard that quicker disease detection was a need in the sector,” Harvey said. “When we heard PathoScan had a potential solution to the problem, we got in touch with them to encourage them to apply.”
The application paid off with PathoScan becoming the recipient of $75,000 in milestone-based AGF support.
“Grant recipients like PathoScan get a portion of the funding upfront and the rest of the grant is based on certain development goals,” Harvey said. “For Pathoscan specifically, a major goal for them in this project is to conduct field trials and refine their product based on the data collected from the trials.”
Through their technology, PathoScan has developed a kit that allows farmers to test for pathogens with any crop quickly and accurately. Instead of waiting for lab results, the company boasts results within an hour. AGF funding will help PathoScan refine their technology through upcoming field testing.
“The AGF funding and support from Innovation Saskatchewan will catalyze our mission at PathoScan to empower farmers with immediate, in-field crop disease diagnostics, drastically reducing response times and safeguarding livelihoods,” PathoScan Founder Tayab Soomro said. “By minimizing crop losses due to disease, PathoScan will help sustain the agricultural economy, ensure food security and foster a more sustainable approach to farming.”
Over the past 12 years, SAIF has devoted more than $14.7 million toward 59 projects, which resulted in over $50 million in private investment and $103 million in post-project investment.
The AGF funding branch is newer, launching in 2020, and has already invested more than $4.4 million through 23 projects, translating to over $19.4 million in private investment and $25.3 million in post-project investment.
Given those results, it seems like a no-brainer for homegrown companies to apply for funding.
“Last intake we received 10 expressions of interest for the AGF,” Harvey said. “Out of those, four were invited to submit full proposals. One was selected for funding, which was PathoScan.”
The SAIF stream also received 10 expressions of interest with three of those invited to submit full proposals. The top selection was BrewNature - another Saskatoon business that is developing a modular composting technology reducing composting times from three months to only five days. They earned $95,000 in SAIF support as a result.
“We rely heavily on the expertise and recommendations from our external advisory committee to evaluate the full proposals,” Harvey said. “The committee consists of ag producers from both the crop and animal side, industry experts, and our government colleagues from the Ministries of Agriculture and Trade and Export Development.”
“The committee members help ensure that the proposed projects are addressing a real need in the industry and that the solutions are commercially viable,” she continued. “Funding decisions are made based on their expert recommendations.”
It not just the domestic market where these homegrown companies shine, Innovation Saskatchewan seems to be a launching pad to reach a global scale as well.
“Both SAIF and AGF have been instrumental in helping Saskatchewan companies secure more follow-on funding and gain larger recognition,” Harvey said. “SAIF companies have received a combined over $100 million in post-project funding from investors and other programs. The AGF, which launched in 2020, helped recipients secure more than $25 million in post-project funding.”
Ryan Kiedrowski, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The World-Spectator
