Canada’s Startup Support Ecosystem: Incubators & Accelerators
Canada’s innovation economy is thriving, thanks in large part to a strong network of incubators and accelerators. Whether you’re building a tech startup, scaling a cleantech venture, or launching a social enterprise, these programs provide the mentorship, resources, and connections needed to turn an idea into a market-ready business. Incubators generally support early-stage startups with […]
A Short Guide to Collaborative Funding in Canada
Collaborative funding refers to public–private funding models and co-investment arrangements where two or more partners share cash, contributions, roles, and risk to deliver an innovation project. These partnerships can include industry and academia, multiple firms, or cross-sector consortia. What distinguishes collaborative funding from single-applicant grants isn’t just the number of partners—it’s the shared financial commitment, […]
If You’re Gearing up to Submit your SR&ED Claim, Here’s What you Need to Know
For many Canadian companies, SR&ED remains one of the most valuable sources of non-dilutive funding they’ll access all year. It’s also the easiest program to get wrong. If a SR&ED claim submission is on your horizon, here are a few critical things to keep in mind this year. 1. CRA Has Quietly Removed a Major […]
The Hidden Risk of Relying on Previous SR&ED Approvals
As Canadian companies gear up to submit their SR&ED claims by the end of June, experienced teams often make a risky assumption: that past success guarantees future approvals. “We’ve been approved every year, so we must be eligible.” “This project is basically the same as last year.” “We’ve already been through a successful CRA audit; […]
Consumer Tech Strategy for 2026: Translating Consumer Demand Data
The consumer technology landscape is evolving around a set of increasingly well-documented behavioural shifts: demand for long-term value and durability, expectations for multifunctional and integrated experiences, rising adoption of AI-driven personalization, and heightened awareness of wellness and sustainability. For companies planning technology R&D programs for 2026 and beyond, these signals extend well beyond product positioning; […]
Food R&D Strategy for 2026: Translating Consumer Demand Data
How health, value and ingredient transparency trends shape food R&D strategy, experimental development, technical risk, and SR&ED aligned investment decisions. Consumer demand in the food sector is increasingly shaped by three well-documented drivers: health and wellness, value-oriented purchasing, and heightened scrutiny of ingredients and processing. For companies planning food R&D programs for 2026 and beyond, […]
SR&ED Documentation Do’s and Don’ts
As the calendar year comes to a close, it also marks fiscal year-end for many Canadian companies. This is the point when teams begin preparing their upcoming SR&ED claims, pulling together technical narratives and financial support for work completed over the year. Having strong documentation habits in place before this process begins can significantly reduce […]
What 2025 Scale AI Funding Data Reveals About AI Funding in Canada
What 2025 Scale AI Funding Data Really Tells Us Scale AI recently announced a record-breaking funding round of nearly $129M, outlining the projects supported in 2025 and reinforcing just how competitive Canada’s AI funding landscape has become. As artificial intelligence continues to move from experimentation to core business infrastructure, more organizations across healthcare, retail, manufacturing, […]
Navigating Tariff Pressures: How Canadian Startups and Established Firms are Adapting
U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods are not new, but their effects are evolving. What is new is how both startups and established manufacturers are experiencing these impacts in today’s economic environment, and how Budget 2025: Shifting from Reliance to Resilience is shaping the support mechanisms to help them respond. Recent reporting suggests Canada’s economy is […]
Strategic Response Fund and the Strategic Innovation Fund
Starting in 2025, Canada is launching a $5 billion Strategic Response Fund (SRF), designed not just to promote innovation but to help industries hit hard by trade disruptions. The SRF is aimed at businesses operating in strategic, trade-exposed sectors such as steel, aluminum, automotive supply chains. Companies may qualify if their projects help sustain or […]