Innovation Factory

06/02/2026

Last week, we attended the TiEQuest Summit 2026 at U of T Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus. This was a room packed with founders, operators, and investors all focused on one massive goal: building in Canada for the global stage.

It was incredible to hear from tech experts and business leaders like Janet Bannister (Staircase Ventures), Kirk Simpson (Courtyard), Willson Cross (Borderless AI), Eva Lau (Two Small Fish Ventures), Mike McCauley (Garage Capital), Nipun Sharma (Appetronix), and Liza Akhvledziani Carew (CHEXY). They shared great advice on how to take local ideas and turn them into global successes.

A huge shoutout to these amazing who took the stage to pitch their ventures. It was inspiring to watch them present and win $5,000!

➡️ Allowide Health Inc
➡️ Take care
➡️ Trusti

A special thank you to Nisarg Lakhmani for inviting us to this amazing event, Kiwi Charge for sponsoring it, and TechTO and TiE Toronto (Upasana Sharma) for putting it together.

Swipe to see some highlights! 👀

06/01/2026

Huge congratulations to our very own Director of Venture Growth, Graszat, for being named to The Peak’s Emerging Leaders list for 2026 in the Entrepreneurship category! 🏆

Shan’s dedication to empowering founders and driving innovation is so inspiring, and this is a recognition she truly deserves!

We're so proud to have you on our team Graszat!

05/29/2026

What happens when you put founders, investors, and ecosystem leaders in one room to talk about where funding bias actually enters the process?

You get a night of pure, unfiltered insights like the one we experienced last night, partnering with InclusifAI for Who Decides Who Gets Funded!

The room was packed as we dove into a critical conversation: how funding decisions are made, where bias enters the process, and what it takes to assess companies more accurately in an AI-driven world.

We kicked off the night with powerful opening remarks from Abu Jammeh, CPA, CA (Partner at MNP), Argentina Beltran (Founder and CEO at InclusifAI), and Fatiha Senhaji (VP of Inclusive Entrepreneurship at BDC), who beautifully set the stage for the evening.

There was also a brilliant panel discussion on the topic, moderated by Argentina Beltran, featuring incredible perspectives from panelists:

🌟 Anika Forde, CEO & Founding Director at Forde Consult Group
🌟 Fatiha Senhaji, VP of Inclusive Entrepreneurship at BDC
🌟 Jake Hirsch-Allen, Director of Partnerships and Advocacy at The Dais at Toronto Metropolitan University

We wrapped up the evening with closing remarks from our very own Shannon Graszat, Director of Venture Growth!

A massive thank you to the incredible event partners and sponsors who made this game-changing night possible: MNP, Toronto Tech Week, BDC, and Invest in Hamilton. 🤝

👉 Swipe through to see some of the top highlights and faces from the night!

05/29/2026

Yesterday, our team had an incredible time at InclusifAI's Founder and Funder Lounge! ☕️ This intimate networking session was the perfect prelude to the main event, Who Decides Who Gets Funded.

We're so proud to have partnered with InclusifAI to bring this impactful event to life, where 20 high-potential founders got direct contact with funders who are actively deploying capital.

We were especially thrilled to see so many AMAZING founders from our own ecosystem pitching their businesses, including:

🌟 Infinite Harvest Technologies Inc
🌟 Maman Biomedical
🌟 Resiliocs Intelligence
🌟 Snake AI
🌟 SmartHealthAI
🌟 Enabled Talent

A massive thank you to the partners and sponsors who helped make this high-impact gathering possible: MNP, Toronto Tech Week, BDC, and Invest in Hamilton 🙌

👉 Swipe through to see some of our favorite highlights from this session!

05/28/2026

👉 Want to help health and life science entrepreneurs turn big ideas into reality?

We’re looking for driven individuals to join our team and elevate the health innovation community in Ontario!

We're for two dynamic roles to join our growing Life Sciences team:

Program Manager (Life Science)
✔️ Manage and execute high-impact programs like SOPHIE and CAMEDA
✔️ Lead cross-functional collaboration and drive regional ecosystem capacity building
✔️ Participate in budget processes, monitor spending, and track performance metrics
✔️ Build and maintain strong networks among regional healthcare ecosystem partners

Program Coordinator (Life Science)
✔️ Coordinate delivery of HEALTHI and wHealth MedPath project programming
✔️ Act as a point of contact for program participants and stakeholders
✔️ Track program documentation and update status using CRM and project tools
✔️ Assist with reporting out on evaluation metrics to determine success and impact of programs

📍 Both roles are permanent, full-time positions

💡 Ready to apply? View the full job descriptions and send us your resume: https://loom.ly/d73YfLU

📲 Know someone who might be a good fit? Tag them in the comments to share these opportunities!

05/28/2026

👉 Are you a strategic leader who loves bringing big ideas to life? If yes, we'd love to have you on board!

We're for two exciting leadership roles to join our team.

Marketing Manager
✔️ Own the annual marketing plan and KPIs across all Innovation Factory brands
✔️ Lead campaigns end-to-end (SEO, paid/organic social, email, web)
✔️ Manage the marketing budget and lead a lean, high-performing team
✔️ Elevate our reputation as Canada’s thought leader in our sectors of focus

Events Manager
✔️ Set the annual event strategy for pitch competitions, conferences, and workshops
✔️ Manage full event logistics, venues, vendors, and on-site experience
✔️ Lead an amazing small events team
✔️ Coordinate high-profile government and funder visits

📍 Both roles are permanent, full-time mid-to-senior level positions based out of our Hamilton and Burlington offices.

💡 Ready to apply? View the full job descriptions and send us your resume: https://loom.ly/d73YfLU

📲 Know someone who might be a good fit? Tag them in the comments to share these opportunities!

05/28/2026

As we countdown to HERhalton 2026: Unfiltered Innovation on June 4th, we want to recognize the incredible regional and municipal partners who form the foundation of our business community.

These organizations work behind the scenes to provide the infrastructure, funding resources, and strategic networks that allow local startups and scale-ups to thrive in Halton and beyond.

We are incredibly grateful for the continued support of our regional ecosystem partners:

TechPlace: A dedicated innovation space (led by Burlington Economic Development) designed to connect growing technology companies with mentorship and resources.

Invest Milton: Coordinating local economic development initiatives to support business investment and community-driven entrepreneurship.

Halton Region: Providing vital regional programs, infrastructure planning, and economic development resources to support sustainable growth across our communities.

Burlington Economic Development: Focusing on expanding the local economy by attracting new companies and fostering an innovative employment climate in Burlington.

Town of Oakville: Driving strategic growth initiatives to cultivate a competitive, sustainable, and collaborative business environment.

📅 June 4, 2026 | 8:30 AM – 12:30 PM
📍 Holiday Inn Burlington (3063 South Service Rd)

💡Come connect with the regional network driving local innovation. Secure your breakfast ticket today:
https://loom.ly/2YaAvxM

05/27/2026

Global defence priorities are shifting, and some of the biggest innovations are coming from life sciences.

From biosecurity to trauma care, international markets are looking for advanced health technologies. If you're a Canadian life sciences founder wondering how to tap into this momentum, join us for a deep dive with Aude-Alexia Véronneau from Canada’s International Development – Global Affairs Canada. Learn how the Trade Commissioner Service can help you bridge the gap and access global defence opportunities.

📅Thursday, June 25 | 12:00pm - 1:00pm EDT | Online
🧬Register today: https://loom.ly/6hQt-IQ

Discover how life sciences global defence funding can propel your business into international defence innovation and procurement.

05/21/2026

A week ago, over 250 innovators gathered at our 16th annual Big DiF open house, and the energy was unmatched!

It was an incredible evening celebrating the founders, industry leaders, and partners who make the Hamilton and Halton regions a hub for innovation.

We were thrilled to present the prestigious Mark Chamberlain DiFizen of the Year Award to Rob McCann, recognizing his leadership as a telecom innovator, and champion of our innovation ecosystem. 💡https://loom.ly/4pSOCNk

The evening also marked a massive milestone for our smart mobility community. We officially announced that the Centre for Integrated Transportation and Mobility (CITM) has been renewed as an Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network (OVIN) Regional Technology Development Site!

With this renewal, CITM will continue providing Ontario's startups and scale-ups with the specialized technical resources, business support, and testing infrastructure needed to develop the future of smart, sustainable, and multi-modal transportation. 💡https://loom.ly/vgAbwXc

Thank you to everyone who exhibited, attended, and continues to build this community with us.

Missed the celebration? Catch the highlights below👇

05/15/2026

🙌Live from the stage at the Big DiF, the Centre for Integrated Transportation and Mobility (CITM) has been officially renewed as an Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network (OVIN) Regional Technology Development Site!

This renewal is a huge win for our local ecosystem. With this investment from Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network (OVIN), we’re doubling down to help smart mobility startups build, test, and scale their tech right here in Hamilton and Halton.

We were joined by the mayor City of Hamilton, Andrea Horwath, Claudia Krywiak, President & CEO at Ontario Centre of Innovation, Raed Kadri, Head of the Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network (OVIN) , Mona Eghanian AVP at Ontario Centre of Innovation, Geotab, HOPA, Hamilton Airport!