BlackBerry and L-SPARK are looking for startups to join the second cohort of their joint accelerator program.
Launched last year, the accelerator program gives startups free licenses and training on BlackBerry QNX technology, which provides the foundation for IoT systems. BlackBerry said QNX is used by nuclear power plants, surgical robots, class III life-critical medical devices, autonomous and connected vehicles and trains, and traffic lights.
“The companies in the first cohort have secured multiple engagements with key customers as a result of their participation in this program.”
– Leo Lax
“We’re doubling down on our partnership with L-SPARK to position Canada’s high potential SMEs as leaders in our competitive technology space,” said Grant Courville, VP of product management and strategy at BlackBerry QNX. “Collaboration is the key to our collective success and we are impressed with both the quality and breadth of participants that we were able to work with as part of the first accelerator program. BlackBerry QNX’s software is the ideal platform for startups looking to build innovative solutions that solve real-world transportation industry issues.”
The accelerator is meant to help companies research and develop product prototypes in robotics, device security, sensor fusion like LiDAR and GPS, functional safety, analytics, medical devices, and autonomous vehicles. The first cohort included startups in a range of industries, from cybersecurity to 3D imaging.
“The first cohort of the BlackBerry/L-SPARK Accelerator was a great success for everyone involved and I am excited to launch this second cohort, and with BlackBerry’s help, exceed our objectives again, while continuing to build a vibrant ecosystem for BlackBerry’s industry leading technologies,” said Leo Lax, executive managing director at L-SPARK.
“The companies in the first cohort have secured multiple engagements with key customers as a result of their participation in this program and at least two of the companies had financing close after being involved in the accelerator,” he added.
L-SPARK said the National Research Council of Canada-Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP) will also be reaching out to companies that could benefit from working with the BlackBerry QNX product group. Applications are open until October 21.