Homegrown logistics firm gets $4.5M from Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund
CBC News | Posted: December 12, 2018 6:27 PM | Last Updated: December 12, 2018
ATTAbotics, which designs and manufactures automated storage and retrieval systems, to expand operations
A company that specializes in robotic logistics has been chosen as the second recipient of a grant from the city's $100-million fund designed to boost the local economy.
ATTAbotics will receive up to $4.5 million from the Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund (OCIF), officials announced Wednesday.
The funding will allow the company to scale up its manufacturing facilities and create 150 new jobs, a press release from Calgary Economic Development said.
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ATTAbotics designs and manufactures automated storage and retrieval systems to store, access and move warehoused goods with robotics.
"OCIF funding was critical in determining if we would be able to scale up our manufacturing in Calgary," said Scott Gravelle, who co-founded ATTAbotics in 2016.
"ATTAbotics is an economic engine for e-commerce operations and we are proud the systems and technology we are exporting worldwide are developed in Calgary."
The Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund was launched by the city in April to support investments "that spur growth and create jobs in strategic sectors," the release said.
"The scrutiny that goes into the project reviews on behalf of taxpayers is very thorough, thoughtful and rigorous and the opportunity to support ATTAbotics met all the criteria," said Barry Munro, chair of the fund's board of directors.
"This is a chance to support local entrepreneurs making a significant investment in diversifying our economy doing what Calgary is known for — creating and producing systems and technology the world wants."
The OCIF funding will support construction of two production centres at a new facility in the YYC Global Logistics Park at Calgary International Airport.
Since its launch, OCIF has received more than 175 applications.
The first OCIF grant of $1.5 million was awarded in October to MobSquad, a company that provides Silicon Valley startups with software engineers who work remotely from Canadian satellite offices.
The next OCIF announcements are expected in early 2019.
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