2024-08-09

The programs we’re investing in

$20 million to accelerate AI startup
Together, let's enrich Canada’s AI ecosystem 

The Acceleration program puts funding on the table to help finance the growth of AI startups and SMEs across Canada. The program funds initiatives that:

  • promote the growth of startups applying AI to value chains
  • strengthen collaboration between Canada’s top AI incubators and accelerators
  • attract additional venture capital and investment in AI to Canada
  • encourage top AI talent to establish their business in Canada
  • support the emergence of new global AI leaders

Alberta

1 program

New Brunswick

1 program

Nova Scotia

1 program

Ontario

3 programs

Quebec

5 programs

Accelerate AI

Corporate Innovation Program

Propel Virtual Accelerator

Propulsion

Scale AI Québec

Supply AI Program

Supply Chain AI

Supply Chain AI West

Supply Chain Stream

The Holt Xchange

Volta AI

ventureLAB Innovation Centre

Accelerate AI

Province
Ontario
City
Markham
Length of Program
12 months
Description

ventureLAB’s Accelerate AI program (VAAI) supports growing and scaling Canadian AI hardware and software startups in the supply chain industry. Through tailored, streamlined support, participating ventures will accelerate their development and commercialization journeys, receiving support in four key areas: attracting and retaining talent, customer acquisition, access to capital, and technology development. Based in York Region, Canada’s second-largest tech cluster, the VAAI leverages the region’s existing strengths and expertise to further expand Canada’s AI leadership.

Business stage
Validation - A minimum viable product and evidence that it solves a real problem for an identified market
Efficiency - Initial traction in a receptive enough market to build a business in
Scale - Evidence that a scalable sale and marketing process has been established, accelerating revenue/customer growth
Services
  • Co-work / office space; Laboratory space / maker space; Business coaching / consulting / mentoring / leadership development;
  • Trade and export support;
  • Networking events and key introductions;
  • Access to funding; Regulatory assistance;
  • Intellectual property education and assistance;
  • Practical prototype / MVP development assistance;
  • Other
Learn more about this program
BCF Ventures

Corporate Innovation Program

Province
Quebec
City
Montreal
Length of Program
4 months
Description

This is a 6-months corporate accelerator program for AI Supply Chain Startups at the Seed/Series A stages. The goal of the program is to accelerate the collaboration between AI-based Supply Chain startups and corporations to drive value in today’s chase for innovation. By matching corporations and startups in 5 different streams of the supply chain industry, we hope that they will come out of the program stronger as a company to compete in their market.

Business stage
Discovery - Clearly articulated and plausible problem/solution statement and the capacity to test it
Validation - A minimum viable product and evidence that it solves a real problem for an identified market
Efficiency - Initial traction in a receptive enough market to build a business in
Scale - Evidence that a scalable sale and marketing process has been established, accelerating revenue/customer growth
Mature - Stable profit from year to year
Services
  • Business coaching / consulting / mentoring / leadership development;
  • Trade and export support;
  • Networking events and key introductions;
  • Access to funding;
  • Regulatory assistance;
  • Intellectual property education and assistance
Learn more about this program
Propel ICT Inc.

Propel Virtual Accelerator

Province
New Brunswick
City
Saint John
Length of Program
3 months; 6 months
Description

As Atlantic Canada’s virtual accelerator for ICT start-ups, Propel ICT Inc. (Propel) works with founders in three stages of the development of their ventures: Stage 1 (3 months) – validation of problem/solution fit; Stage 2 (3 months) – identification and profiling of target ideal early adopter customers; and Stage 3 (6 months) – development and validation of a repeatable, scalable sales process. Programming consists of a combination of curated content housed in Propel’s learning management platform combined with coaching and mentorship provided by a business coach assigned to each founder https://www.propelict.com

Business stage
Idea - Entrepreneur with an idea; a solution in search of a problem
Discovery - Clearly articulated and plausible problem/solution statement and the capacity to test it
Validation - A minimum viable product and evidence that it solves a real problem for an identified market
Efficiency - Initial traction in a receptive enough market to build a business in
Scale - Evidence that a scalable sale and marketing process has been established, accelerating revenue/customer growth
Services
  • Business coaching / consulting / mentoring / leadership development;
  • Trade and export support;
  • Networking events and key introductions;
  • Access to funding;
  • Intellectual property education and assistance;
  • Practical prototype / MVP development assistance;
  • Other
Learn more about this program
Le CAMP

Propulsion

Province
Quebec
City
Quebec
Length of Program
9 months; 12 months
Description

Un programme d’accompagnement personnalisé pour les entreprises qui ont une technologie qui trouve des solutions aux problèmes des chaînes d’approvisionnement.

Business stage
Validation - A minimum viable product and evidence that it solves a real problem for an identified market
Efficiency - Initial traction in a receptive enough market to build a business in
Scale - Evidence that a scalable sale and marketing process has been established, accelerating revenue/customer growth
Services
  • Business coaching / consulting / mentoring / leadership development;
  • Trade and export support;
  • Regulatory assistance;
  • Intellectual property education and assistance
Learn more about this program
Centre d'entreprises et d'innovation de Montréal (CEIM)

Scale AI Québec

Province
Quebec
City
Montreal
Length of Program
12 months
Description

Le programme Scale AI Québec du CEIM s’adresse aux start-ups québécoises, en pré-démarrage ou à l’étape de commercialisation, qui développent des produits et services innovants, grâce à l’IA, lesquels ont des applications pour les chaînes d’approvisionnement. Le programme d’incubation et d’accélération du CEIM répond aux besoins spécifiques des start-ups grâce à une formule éprouvée qui augmente considérablement leurs chances de succès et leur performance, notamment en commercialisation.

Business stage
Discovery - Clearly articulated and plausible problem/solution statement and the capacity to test it
Validation - A minimum viable product and evidence that it solves a real problem for an identified market
Efficiency - Initial traction in a receptive enough market to build a business in
Scale - Evidence that a scalable sale and marketing process has been established, accelerating revenue/customer growth
Services
  • Co-work / office space; Business coaching / consulting / mentoring / leadership development;
  • Trade and export support;
  • Networking events and key introductions;
  • Regulatory assistance;
  • Intellectual property education and assistance
Learn more about this program
Toronto Metropolitan University - The DMZ

Supply AI Program

Province
Ontario
City
Toronto
Length of Program
6 months
Description

With a focus on AI-powered supply chains the DMZ is introducing a specialized remote program to support Canada’s entrepreneurs in the place they call home. The DMZ’s Supply AI program incubates and accelerates AI startups that are otherwise limited by geography, and works to increase Canada’s capacity to support the growth of AI ventures.

Business stage
Validation - A minimum viable product and evidence that it solves a real problem for an identified market
Efficiency - Initial traction in a receptive enough market to build a business in
Services
  • Business coaching / consulting / mentoring / leadership development;
  • Trade and export support;
  • Networking events and key introductions;
  • Access to funding;
  • Regulatory assistance;
  • Intellectual property education and assistance;
  • Practical prototype / MVP development assistance
Learn more about this program
MaRS Discovery District

Supply Chain AI

Province
Ontario
City
Toronto
Length of Program
6 months
Description

Build Canada’s next generation of high-growth supply chain AI companies through the following key initiatives in combination with business advisory services and access to customers, talent and investors: 1. High profile Supply Chain AI event held at MaRS 2. Co-working spaces through MaRS Beta space 3. MaRS PR Accelerator Services 4. Capital and Talent Intensive programs 5. Market Intelligence Insights

Business stage
Validation - A minimum viable product and evidence that it solves a real problem for an identified market
Efficiency - Initial traction in a receptive enough market to build a business in
Services
  • Co-work / office space;
  • Business coaching / consulting / mentoring / leadership development;
  • Networking events and key introductions;
  • Other
Learn more about this program
Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute (AMII)

Supply Chain AI West

Province
Alberta
City
Edmonton
Length of Program
9 months
Description

The Supply Chain AI West program empowers startups and early-stage founders to incorporate artificial intelligence and machine learning toward creating AI-powered supply chains through access to training and advisement services from the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute (Amii). Program participants will accelerate their AI-based supply chain solutions through educational programming, project advisement and access to Amii’s world leading research group.

Business stage
Discovery - Clearly articulated and plausible problem/solution statement and the capacity to test it
Validation - A minimum viable product and evidence that it solves a real problem for an identified market
Efficiency - Initial traction in a receptive enough market to build a business in
Services
  • Co-work / office space;
  • Laboratory space / maker space;
  • Business coaching / consulting / mentoring / leadership development;
  • Networking events and key introductions;
  • Practical prototype / MVP development assistance
Learn more about this program
HEC Montréal - École des dirigeants

Supply Chain Stream

Province
Quebec
City
Montreal
Length of Program
9 months
Description

The Creative Destruction Lab (CDL) is an objectives-based program for massively scalable, seed-stage science- and technology-based companies. In partnership with HEC Montréal, CDL-Montreal will run a program mainly focused on artificial intelligence and data science to capitalize on Montreal’s expertise in the sector.

Business stage
Efficiency - Initial traction in a receptive enough market to build a business in
Scale - Evidence that a scalable sale and marketing process has been established, accelerating revenue/customer growth
Mature - Stable profit from year to year
Services
  • Business coaching / consulting / mentoring / leadership development;
  • Trade and export support;
  • Networking events and key introductions
Learn more about this program
The Holt Xchange

The Holt Xchange

Province
Quebec
City
Montreal
Length of Program
3 months
Description

Backed by Holdun, The Holt Xchange is Canada’s most active seed fintech investor. We track over 10,000 early stage fintechs globally and solicit the ones that present a best match with our Advisor network (i.e. individuals who represent financial institutions, institutional investors or experts). To date, we’ve received over 1,500 applications from close to 75 countries, in which we then invest up to $130K in the top 1% of applications globally.

Business stage
Validation - A minimum viable product and evidence that it solves a real problem for an identified market
Efficiency - Initial traction in a receptive enough market to build a business in
Services
  • Business coaching / consulting / mentoring / leadership development;
  • Networking events and key introductions;
  • Access to funding;
  • Regulatory assistance;
  • Practical prototype / MVP development assistance
Learn more about this program
Volta

Volta AI

Province
Nova Scotia
City
Halifax
Length of Program
12 months
Description

Volta aims to launch a program (Volta AI) where eligible AI supply chain focused ventures are given additional access to programming and funding opportunities facilitated and administered by Volta. Eligible ventures will receive support to attend focused programming, workshops, consulting, and global events. Ventures will also gain access to experts and investors in the AI space. Volta AI’s goal is to accelerate the early growth of new ventures by augmenting existing resources and building new programming that founders can take advantage of. Also, Volta AI aims to attract more AI supply chain focused ventures to the Atlantic Canadian ecosystem and provide them with the required connections and support to create added value for their venture.

Business stage
Discovery - Clearly articulated and plausible problem/solution statement and the capacity to test it
Validation - A minimum viable product and evidence that it solves a real problem for an identified market
Efficiency - Initial traction in a receptive enough market to build a business in
Scale - Evidence that a scalable sale and marketing process has been established, accelerating revenue/customer growth
Services
  • Co-work / office space;
  • Business coaching / consulting / mentoring / leadership development;
  • Trade and export support;
  • Networking events and key introductions;
  • Access to funding;
  • Intellectual property education and assistance
Learn more about this program
Made possible through the
financial support of
Gouvernement du Québec
Gouvernement du Canada
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