Thirteen Canadian tech startups have been accepted into the Lazaridis Institute’s ScaleUp Program, representing the program’s largest cohort yet.
The Lazaridis ScaleUp Program aims to help companies accelerate their growth with mentorship, programming, and access to a global network of experts. The 13 selected companies represent a wide range of verticals.
“Canadian entrepreneurs have clearly taken up the challenge, pivoting, building, and thriving.”
This year, the program will have a virtual format due to travel and gathering restrictions.
Over the next 12 months, the Lazaridis Institute said the cohort will meet virtually, until gathering restrictions are relaxed, for workshops led by tech executives and experts.
“It’s safe to say we didn’t anticipate bringing in our biggest cohort ever this year,” said Kim Morouney, managing director of the Lazaridis Institute. “The quality of companies that applied was just phenomenal. Canadian entrepreneurs have clearly taken up the challenge, pivoting, building, and thriving as they focus on customers’ changing needs.”
One of the companies accepted into this year’s program included BlueDot, a Toronto healthtech startup that builds solutions that aim to track, contextualize, and anticipate infectious disease risks. Earlier this year, the Government of Canada announced that it signed a deal with BlueDot to use the company’s disease analytics platform to track the spread of COVID-19.
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Another company joining the Lazaridis ScaleUp Program is Ottawa-based Tehama, which raised a $14 million Series A this year in its first external fundraise. Tehama’s platform offers teams secure virtual offices, rooms, and desktops, and allows team members to access company data and enterprise applications. The startup claims to have seen increased demand for remote working solutions amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Lazaridis Institute claims the 50 companies in the first five ScaleUp Program cohorts have accessed $600 million in capital in less than four years and created more than 2,088 jobs. Recent raises from alumni include Toronto-based Maple’s $75 million round and Calgary-based Symend’s $73 million Series B round.
The full list of companies in the sixth cohort of the Lazaridis ScaleUp Program includes:
- BlueDot, Toronto
- Diva International, Kitchener
- Evidence Partners, Kanata
- FISPAN, Vancouver
- Flashfood, Toronto
- HiMama, Toronto
- Nanoleaf, Toronto
- ODS Medical, Montreal
- ProteinQure, Toronto
- 02 Industries, Kitchener
- RVezy, Ottawa
- SkyHive, Vancouver
- Tehama, Ottawa
Image source Wilfrid Laurier University.