Markham, Ontario-based CyberWorks Robotics says it has struck a deal to supply and test its autonomous vehicles with the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF).
The news: CyberWorks was awarded the amended contract, which is worth more than $1 million CAD, with Canada’s Department of National Defence at the end of August. The deal requires CyberWorks to deliver its next-generation, multi-role autonomous vehicles, which leverage deterministic robots and machine learning, to Canada’s military. A CyberWorks spokesperson claimed to BetaKit over email that the agreement, which expires in February 2027, also offers “a structured path” to “up to an additional $7 million in potential sales.”
From the source: “Our team has spent decades deploying autonomous technology in environments where failure is not an option, from airports and hospitals to now defence applications,” CyberWorks founder and CEO Vivek Burhanpurkar said in a statement. “This contract validates our approach to developing hallucination-free, mission-critical autonomous systems that strengthen operational resilience for the [CAF].”
The context: Burhanpurkar has been developing self-driving tech since the 1980s. Today, CyberWorks sells autonomous wheelchairs, floor cleaning robots, and transport devices. Under this agreement, CyberWorks’ tech will support “defence logistics, payload delivery, and reconnaissance operations in complex indoor and outdoor environments.” It comes as Canada drastically accelerates its military spending to shore up its capabilities, reduce its US dependence, and spur economic growth after decades of underinvestment in the sector.
CyberWorks said the contract comes through Innovation, Science, and Economic Development Canada’s Innovative Solutions Canada (ISC) program. AirMatrix, InDro Robotics, and Zero Point Cryogenics were among the other Canadian tech startups that recently struck similar deals.
Final thought: A recent BDC-Icebreaker report found that while Canada has plenty of smaller businesses that want to meet its defence needs, many are struggling to break into the sector. Industry leaders BetaKit spoke with in June argued the country needs to do more to bring defence-adjacent firms into the fold. Programs like ISC are helping, but recent research from the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and reporting from the Toronto Star indicate there is a lot more work to be done to move the needle.
Feature image courtesy of the Canadian Armed Forces. Photo by Master Corporal Robert Mitchell.