Bluedrop Training and Simulation, a longtime player in the East Coast innovation economy, is receiving a $448,950 loan from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency to incorporate AI into its product offerings.

One half of an organization that also includes Bluedrop ISM, or integrated skills management, Bluedrop Training and Simulation sells virtual reality simulators and training programs for industrial applications. A statement from ACOA said the company, which is based in St John's, plans to use the funding to incorporate generative AI into its software.

“This repayable investment will help the company leverage AI to quickly adapt its simulations to individual needs based on real-time feedback, making the trainee and instructor experience more personalized and effective,” ACOA said. “These improvements will help Bluedrop enhance mission training while remaining competitive and efficient, reaching new markets and maintaining data security.”

Originally founded in 1992 by Emad Rizkalla, Bluedrop went public on the Toronto Stock Exchange via a reverse acquisition in 2012. The virtual reality simulation division was created in 2013, and its clients now include all three branches of the Canadian military, first responders of various stripes and the energy sector.

In 2021, the company went private, again under the ownership of Rizbollo Holdings and Name 3 Capital. Both purchasing companies were controlled by Rizkalla and board chair Derrick Rowe.

According to LinkedIn data, Bluedrop now has more than 150 employees across its two business units.

“ACOA funding is helping Bluedrop transform the training paradigm and improve the training experience by introducing AI-driven instructors and instructions,” said Jean-Claude Siew, Bluedrop’s executive vice president for technology and simulation.

“It will also help accelerate developments by improving the tools supported by AI, while adding non-symmetrical training methods to adapt to specific trainee needs.”