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Venture Profiles

VS Code and Cursor Now Support MCP: Opening AI Access to Custom Data and Actions

In this latest blog from the developers on our Product Traction team, they share how VS Code and Cursor now support MCP and how this opens AI access to custom data and actions.

Bridging Vision and Execution: The Relationship Between Technical Leads and Product Managers

In this latest blog from the developers on our Product Traction team, they outline the collaborative relationship between techincal leads and product managers.

Logging Is a First-Class Citizen: Building Good Logging Hygiene for Better Alerting and Observability

In this latest blog from the developers on our Product Traction team, they share the importance of building good logging hygiene for better alerting and observability.

postMessage for Cross-Context Communication

In this latest blog from the developers on our Product Traction team, they share how they're using postMessage for cross-context communication like an iframe.

🪞 Reflections in Go: What They Are and Why They Matter

In this latest blog from the developers on our Product Traction team, they explain reflections in Go, what they are and why they matter.

Agile That Works: Why Structure, Preparation, and People Matter More Than Ever

In this latest blog from the developers on our Product Traction team, they share why structure, preparation and people matter more than ever with agile software development.

Go with Me - Part 2

In this latest blog from the developers on our Product Traction team, they share how to embrace Go's quirks.

Go with Me - Part 1

In this latest blog from the developers on our Product Traction team, they share a beginner guide to what makes Go unique.

Our Head of Story, Leah Sarich, on the CollisionsYYC podcast

Leah Sarich chats with CollisionsYYC host Tyler Chisholm about supporting the growth of Calgary and Canada's innovation ecosystem, why she loves having meaningful conversations with founders and what she's observed about Alberta's evolving narrative.

Solving A Payment Processing Problem

In this latest blog from the developers on our Product Traction team, they take you behind-the-scenes of a payment processing problem and how they solved it.

Git Branch Naming Conventions

In this latest blog from the developers on our Product Traction team, they share their expertise with Git branch naming conventions and how they improve workflow.

Solving Post Step Issues in GitHub Composite Actions

In this latest blog from the developers on our Product Traction team, they share their experience using GitHub composite actions in a case study involving third-party caching.

Writing Effective Tickets

In this latest blog from the developers on our Product Traction team, they share how to write a good ticket, ensuring product development remains agile.

Understanding GraphQL Resolvers

In this latest blog from the developers on our Product Traction team, they share their expertise with GraphQL resolvers including how and when to use them.

First Impressions of the Cursor Code Editor

In this latest blog from the developers on our Product Traction team, they share their first impressions of the Cursor code editor, offering a glimpse into AI-driven development.

Unpacking Intractable Problems: A Guide to Root Cause Analysis and Simplified Solutions

In this latest blog from the developers on our Product Traction team, they share a step-by-step guide to surfacing solutions when the problem appears to be a tough challenge.

That's a Wrap on Season 2!

Season 2 of The Founder Mindset podcast concludes with a panel episode taped in front of a live audience featuring innovation leaders supporting startup growth.

Understanding Database Transactions

In this latest blog from the developers on our Product Traction team, they offer a guide for new developers to understanding database transactions.

Unlocking the Power of JSDoc

In this latest blog from the developers on our Product Traction team, they share their insights on unlocking the power of JSDoc.

Mastering TypeScript Generics

In this latest blog from the developers on our Product Traction team, they outline their best practices for mastering TypeScript Generics.

Reliable Test Suites

In this latest blog from the developers on our Product Traction team, they outline their best practices for writing less brittle test suites.

Advisory Locks: Pros + Cons + Best Practices

In this latest blog from the developers on our Product Traction team, they explore the pros, cons and best practices when it comes to using Advisory Locks.

Top Trends in Grant Funding for 2025

Where's the money going? Our Funding Catalyst team's thoughts on the Top Trends in Grant Funding for 2025.

2025 Top Trends In Software Development

In this latest blog from the developers on our Product Traction team, they outline the trends they believe will shape how software engineers work in the coming year.

Aqua Pure Technologies Secures Funding From Alberta Government

Aqua Pure Technologies, one of the companies supported by our Funding Catalyst team, secures $724,000 from the Alberta Government via Emissions Reduction Alberta.

Fluid Biomed Series A Raise

Fluid Biomed, one of the companies in our Fund I portfolio, announces a $27M USD Series A raise to fund expanded human clinical studies.

Leah Sarich on Shift podcast by Alberta Innovates

Leah Sarich chats with Shift host Jon Hagan, and Kira Kelsie of Kasm Consulting about the power of storytelling to accelerate the momentum in Alberta's innovation ecosystem.

Webflow: Reusability vs Maintainability

In this latest blog from the developers on our Product Traction team, they explore the pros and cons of website building tool, Webflow.

Simplifying Async Error Handling in JavaScript with await-of

In this latest blog from the developers on our Product Traction team, they outline their expertise simplifying Async error handling in JavaScript with `await-of`.

How to Choose Your NPM Packages

In this latest blog from the developers on our Product Traction team, they offer a comprehensive guide to choosing your NPM packages.

NPM Overrides and Yarn Resolutions

In this latest blog from the developers on our Product Traction team, they share their best practices for navigating dependency management.

The Culinary Art of Code: Keeping Your Digital Kitchen Clean

In this latest blog from the developers on our Product Traction team, they explore how maintaining a codebase is much like running a professional kitchen, and what can be learned from this different discipline.

Performance Testing in Postman

In this latest blog from the developers on our Product Traction team, they outline their best practices for performance testing in Postman.

Varme Secures $2.8M in funding from Alberta Government

Varme, one of the companies supported by our Funding Catalyst team, secures $2.8M from the Alberta government.

A $50M Milestone

Our Funding Catalyst team has helped startups and scaleups across North America secure more than $50M over the last three years! That means so many more ventures have been able to make it to their next stage of growth. Hear from founders who've benefitted from this service and much more in this blog.

The Pros and Cons of Caching

In this latest blog from the developers on our Product Traction team, they share their expertise into the pros and cons of caching.

Best Logging 2.0

In this latest blog from the developers on our Product Traction team, they share their best logging practices for using Trace, Debug, Info, Warn, and Error appropriately.

Season 2: The Founder Mindset podcast

Welcome to Season Two of The Founder Mindset podcast! Our Head of Story Leah Sarich hosts all new conversations with founders across Canada about the truths of entrepreneurship. Listen now.

Syantra's DOD Grant

Syantra, one of the companies supported by our Funding Catalyst team, secures millions in a grant from the U.S. Department of Defense. Read the article published by the University of Calgary's Schulich School of Engineering.

What is an "Issuer" in Auth0 and OAuth2?

In this latest blog from the developers on our Product Traction team, they dive deep into the realm of Auth0 to explore the Auth0 Issuer.

The Mystery of the Recurring Records

In this latest blog from the developers on our Product Traction team, they share how a complex case led to their best practices in API handling and data processing.

The DTO - Why It's Useful

In this latest blog from the developers on our Product Traction team, they explain what a Data Transfer Object is and why using it is a best practice.

Developing A Good Logging Practice

In this latest blog from the developers on our Product Traction team, they share their tips and tricks for developing a strong logging practice.

Meet the Product Traction Team

Did you know we have an awesome team of Product, Design and Engineering talent? In this post, we introduce you to the Product Traction team. Hear from them in their own words in these short videos.

Funding Body Insights

If you're going after grant funding, it's helpful to know precisely what the funding bodies are looking for. In this post, you'll get tips directly from funding body representatives to help improve your chances of success.

Kaizen Cycle for Continuous Improvement

In this latest blog from the developers on our Product Traction team, they share their thoughts on the Kaizen cycle for continuous improvement.

Type Annotation vs Type Assertion in TypeScript

In this latest blog from the developers on our Product Traction team, they outline the difference between Type Annotation and Type Assertion in TypeScript.

Firebase Hosting GitHub Action

Firebase Hosting GitHub Action - why the developers on our Product Traction team say it's a helpful tool for moving fast.

Investors and NDF

Our Managing Partner James Lochrie outlines why he believes all startups and scaleups should have a non-dilutive funding strategy.

Crystal Phillips on CollisionsYYC Podcast

Crystal Phillips chats with Tyler Chisholm on the CollisionsYYC podcast about how Alberta's innovation ecosystem is uniquely collaborative, allowing us to grow faster.

Avenue Magazine Innovation Issue

Journalist Cailynn Klingbeil talks to our Managing Partner, James Lochrie for Avenue Magazine's Innovation Issue. She spoke with James about why he bet on Calgary and his vision for the tech and innovation economy.

Founder-First Software Engineering

What does a founder-first approach to software development look like? Our Product Traction team dives right in.

Bōde Funding Announcement

Bōde accepts a $1M CAN investment from Thin Air Labs Fund I.

PhenoTips Venture Profile

In this Venture Profile video, learn how PhenoTips is digitizing medical genetics to create better outcomes for patients and populations.

Do you know - PhenoTips

On Rare Disease Day, learn more about PhenoTips, their mission to digitize medical genetics and their solutions in Rare Disease, Cancer Genetics and Health Systems.

Grant Writing 101: Getting Ready

The first blog post in our Grant Writing 101 campaign... Getting Ready. Founders, here's everything you need to know BEFORE you go after that first grant.

Thin Air Labs helping high-tech industry grow in Calgary and beyond

Business Journalist David Parker features Thin Air Labs and the work we do to support the tech industry in Calgary and beyond in the Calgary Herald.

Top Trends in Grant Funding 2024

Where's the money going? Our Funding Catalyst team's thoughts on the Top Trends in Grant Funding for 2024.

The Impact of $30M

We've helped Founders secure more than $30M in grant funding. Founders tell us about the impact this funding has had on their company's growth.

Village Wellth Funding Catalyst Testimonial

CEO of Village Wellth, Richard Irwin, shares how their business acquisition platform connects buyers with sellers, improving the process for everyone, and how our Funding Catalyst team helped them get funding at a pivotal time of growth.

Casey Reid

Product Growth Lead Casey Reid loves the momentum in Calgary's growing innovation ecosystem. They share how growth looks different now for tech companies than even a few years ago.

Dr. Katie Greene

Dr. Katie Greene was a scientist for over a decade and now she's applying that rigour to innovation as our Director of Operations. 

Unlocking Product Growth

Do you know what Product Growth is and how it can help your company grow? Our Product Growth Lead Casey Reid explains why data and analytics have the power to transform your business. 

Season 1 Wraps!

Season 1 of our podcast The Founder Mindset is complete! Listen to all six episodes where host Leah Sarich sits down with Alberta entrepreneurs for a candid conversation about what it feels like to build a global company.

James Lochrie on the BetaKit podcast

James Lochrie chats with BetaKit about why Alberta is the place to invest, why Calgary is punching above its weight in startup growth and how recent wins are creating a sense of what's possible for venture building in Alberta.

A Case for Weekly Data Meetings

Our Product Growth Lead Casey Reid explains why companies should prioritize a regular data review to optimize growth and drive success.

Web Analytics Reimagined

Our Product Growth Lead, Casey Reid, explores why growing companies should consider analytics beyond Google. 

The Founder Mindset Podcast

We're doing a podcast! This six episode series is called The Founder Mindset or "Why Would You Do This?" Host is our Head of Story, Leah Sarich. Produced in partnership with OCIF, the podcast will explore what it's REALLY like to be a founder and #BuildWhatsNext. 

The Obsession With Data

Our Product Growth Lead, Casey Reid, explores the tensions and trade-offs of prioritizing growth at different inflection points in a startup's journey.

Data and Analytics as a Service

Our Product Growth Lead, Casey Reid, explains why fractional data and analytics services might be useful for startups and scaleups. 

How AWS Can Help Your Startup Succeed

Amazon Web Services - the developers on our Product Traction team take a closer look at AWS and how it can work well for startups. 

Mikata

In this Venture Profile video, learn more about how Mikata's software helps medical clinics provide outstanding care to their patients. 

CSS Frameworks - The Pros and Cons

CSS Frameworks - developers from the Product Traction team weigh the pros and cons. 

James Lochrie on the Dealmakers podcast

James Lochrie chats with Alejandro Cremades on the Dealmakers podcast about becoming an entrepreneur, then an investor and his passion for supporting founders. 

Andrew Browne on the CollisionsYYC podcast

Partner and Funding Catalyst Lead Andrew Browne talks to Tyler Chisholm on the CollisionsYYC podcast about helping founders find funding. 

Integrating Auth0 for SSO

Integrating Auth0 for SSO - developers from the Product Traction team take a closer look at the tool, Auth0.

Copilot: A Revolutionary AI-Powered Coding Assistant

AI and Software Development - a closer look at Copilot from the developers on our Product Traction team. 

Katie Underwood on the CollisionsYYC podcast

Product Manager Katie Underwood talks to Tyler Chisholm on the CollisionsYYC podcast about how product traction can help your startup or scaleup grow. 

Included By Design Product Traction Testimonial

Sean Crump, CEO of Included by Design, shares his vision to make the world more accessible to all and how the Product Traction team helped him strategize the build out of IBD's first product Krooshl.

Clinify Funding Announcement

Clinify accepts a $1M USD investment from Thin Air Labs Fund I.

Lumiio Funding Catalyst Testimonial

CEO of Lumiio, Blaine Penny, talks about how they're accelerating health outcomes through data and how they partnered with our Funding Catalyst team to secure significant non-dilutive funding. 

Top Trends in Non-Dilutive Funding for 2023

Where's the money going? Our Funding Catalyst team shares the top 3 areas of focus for grant funding this year.

Quickly

In this Venture Profile, learn how Quickly can help companies supercharge their cashflow by ensuring invoices are paid quickly. 

Leah Sarich on the How it's Med podcast

Head of Story, Leah Sarich, talks about storytelling to How it's Med for the Med Tech Talks podcast. 

Crystal Phillips Queen's Platinum Jubilee Medal

Our Health Lead and Head of Experience Crystal Phillips is awarded the Queen's Platinum Jubilee Medal for her service to Alberta. 

Building with Data

How data and analytics drive startup growth. 

Growing your Business with Product Traction - A Video

Product Traction Lead, and CPO, Oz Nazilli talks about how this service helps startups grow as quickly as possible. 

inqli

In this Venture Profile, learn more about inqli's knowledge sharing platform that improves employee experience by delivering fulfillment and connection.

Funding Catalyst Dr. Katie Greene on the How It's Med Podcast

Funding Catalyst Dr. Katie Greene chats with How it's Med for the Med Tech Talks podcast. 

Crystal Phillips on the How It's Med Podcast

Our Health Lead and Head of Experience, Crystal Phillips, chats with How It's Med for the Med Tech Talks podcast. 

Diabetic Foot Ulcers and the Innovation in Alberta

For Diabetes Awareness Month, we feature our portfolio company NanoTess and their solution for diabetic foot ulcers. 

Product Traction Service

Not getting the traction you want in the market? Not able to move as fast as you need to? Our Product Traction team can help. 

True Angle

The first video in a new series celebrating the founders in our community. In this venture profile, we learn more about True Angle's medical device that helps people with swallowing disorders.

Fillip

In this Venture Profile, learn more about Fillip's platform, the easiest way for businesses with fleets of drivers to pay for and track fuel costs.

James Lochrie on the Founders Uncut Podcast

James Lochrie chats with Maria Palma of Kindred Capital for the podcast Founders Uncut.

James Lochrie featured in LiveWire Calgary

James Lochrie talks with LiveWire about the momentum in Calgary's growing tech ecosystem. 

Designing Your Business Model: A Video

Hear from our Funding Catalyst Lead Andrew Browne on how to design your first business model and how it will change over time.

liveweb

Imagine talking to a real human when you visit a website. That's liveweb. Watch this video to learn more!

Thin Air Labs Fund I Secures $20M in Initial Close

Check out this BetaKit article by Meagan Simpson on Thin Air Labs Fund I initial raise.

OCIF Announces Investment into Thin Air Labs Fund I

Thin Air Labs announces an initial raise of nearly $20M for Thin Air Labs Fund I.

Thin Air Labs is a venture capital and services firm based in Calgary, Alberta, supporting ventures across Canada and around the world. For media inquiries, contact leah@thinairlabs.ca.
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