Canada’s sovereign AI darling will soon have a new office space in the nation’s capital.
The news: Toronto AI company Cohere announced on Thursday that it’s opening its third Canadian office, this time in Ottawa, next to Lansdowne Park in The Glebe neighbourhood. Cohere’s nearly 30 employees in the Ottawa region who work in go-to-market, engineering, infrastructure, and security roles will use the office.
Though the company didn’t provide a target for new hires, a spokesperson told BetaKit that Cohere will “tap into Ottawa’s strong talent pool as it expands its footprint.” Public job postings show applications are open for forward-deployed engineers who can be based in Ottawa.
Cohere has more than 800 employees spread across offices in North America, Europe, and Asia, with Canadian offices already established in Toronto and Montréal.
From the source: “Ottawa is key to Canada’s AI ecosystem, connecting Canadian AI innovators with key decision-makers and policy experts, namely within the Government of Canada,” Yasir Naqvi, Member of Parliament for Ottawa Centre, said in a statement. Opening an office in the city will “reaffirm Ottawa’s role as a point of collaboration,” Naqvi added.
The context: Cohere has pitched itself as a sovereign and secure AI option for enterprises and governments. The company signed a memorandum of understanding with the federal government last year to explore uses of AI in the public service and has contracted with Canada’s Communications Security Establishment. It also marked its territory in the Ottawa region by buying the naming rights to Ottawa’s Capital Exhibition Centre, now known as the Cohere Centre.
The context: Cohere, which has more than 800 employees across offices in Toronto, Montréal, New York, London, and San Francisco, has pitched itself as a sovereign and secure AI option for enterprises and governments.. The company signed a memorandum of understanding with the federal government last year to explore uses of AI in the public service and has contracted with Canada’s Communications Security Establishment. It also marked its territory in the Ottawa region by buying the naming rights to Ottawa’s Capital Exhibition Centre, now known as the Cohere Centre.
Final thought: Beyond Parliament Hill, Ottawa is growing as a defence sector hotspot, potentially offering more business opportunities for Cohere as it courts that industry. This week, it deepened its partnership with Thales to bring its agentic AI to the Canadian Armed Forces for naval and maritime support.