Calgary focuses on tech jobs with $7 million from city's opportunity fund

More than 500 tech sector jobs are expected to be created from $7 million invested in two projects, Calgary Economic Development announced Wednesday.

The city put $100 million into the Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund to attract new jobs to the city and help chip away at the problem of empty office towers in the core.

Harvest Builders is getting $4 million from the fund and will move its headquarters into the East Village Experience space.  

It hopes to create 290 jobs, spurring the development of new technology companies.

Its CEO, Chris Simair, says it wants to help companies keep tech workers home in Calgary and other Prairie cities.

"I personally believe there's a real potential and opportunity for Calgary to become one of Canada's great tech hubs. Not only is the city filled with entrepreneurial talent and soon to have more data science expertise as well, but it's also a great place to live and work with an amazing quality of life and cost of living," Simair said.

Another company, AltaML Inc., is receiving $3.25 million from the fund to create 240 internships for graduating students at companies working in artificial intelligence and machine learning.