Innovation Factory

Building something from the ground up? You don't need a big budget to grow revenue and cut costs. Join Domenique Mastronardi, President and Partner at Beck's Broth, for a practical, honest look at how the brand scaled from farmers' markets to $1M+. Here's what you'll walk away with: ✅ A simple checklist for knowing when your product is actually ready to scale ✅ A better understanding of how to use grants, loans, and other funding to support growth ✅ Ideas for building a brand people genuinely want to talk about ✅ A much more realistic picture of what "success" actually looks like behind the scenes 🗓️ Thursday, October 8 | 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. EDT | Virtual 📌Register today: https://loom.ly/XPP2OFk #Entrepreneurship #StartupGrowth #iFinnovator #SmallBusiness #FounderStory

Not selling your company anytime soon? Good. That might be the best time to learn how exits actually work. On October 15, TechExit.io Toronto brings founders, CEOs, buyers, investors and M&A experts together at MaRS to get into the decisions that can shape an eventual deal years before it happens. The buyer’s playbook. Valuation. Diligence. Negotiating leverage. Earn-outs. Life after the deal. It’s a day for understanding your options before you need to make them. 🙌Innovation Factory community members save 20% with code IF20. October 15 | MaRS Centre 💡Register → https://loom.ly/d1K7hr #Innovation #Entrepreneurship #Business #Startups #Networking #Events #Ontario #CDNtech #BusinessGrowth #Funding #Investment #VentureCapital

📣 We’re excited to join the conversation on women’s health at the third annual Femtech Canada Forum! Hosted by Femtech Canada, a nationwide network operated by Innovation Factory, this annual gathering brings together key opinion leaders, innovators, investors, researchers, and advocates to explore how Canada can capitalize on the $1 trillion global femtech market. Join us there: 🗓️ November 3, 2026 | 10AM - 4PM (EST) 📍 Artscape Daniels Spectrum, Toronto Save your seat! 👉 https://loom.ly/VThKn9o forum2026 #Femtech #FemtechCanadaForum #WomensHealth #WomensHealthGap #FemHealth #FemtechCanada

Today, we pause to remember the children who never came home and the survivors who carry this history. On the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Innovation Factory joins communities across Canada in remembering those lost to residential and day schools, and the families and communities still affected. Ways to take part today: 🔸 Wear orange for Orange Shirt Day 🔸 Learn about the treaties and Indigenous peoples of your region 🔸 Support Indigenous artists and businesses We have also compiled a list of resources that includes local learning opportunities, ways to support Indigenous businesses, and mental health supports. 💡Read the full article here: https://loom.ly/NGeledk #NationalDayForTruthAndReconciliation #EveryChildMatters #Halton #Hamilton #Ontario #CDNtech

💡Last week, MPP Stephen Crawford and MPP Monica Ciriello sat down at Innovation Factory with founders from nine companies across our network. The topic was one that comes up constantly in our community and rarely gets a room like this: why it is so hard for a smaller Canadian tech company to sell to its own government. Founders talked through procurement processes built for much larger vendors, and through the practical side of artificial intelligence sovereignty, where data is allowed to live, who owns the compute, and how intellectual property holds up on a public contract. A massive thank you to both MPPs for coming to listen, and to all the founders who brought their valued opinions and experiences to the table. That is what makes conversations like this impactful. Here are some snippets from the day!👇 Chris Pye — Sentinel R&D Maryam Emami — AI Materia Ryan McCann — Alvian Networks Tony Zare — Providius Milfred Hammerbacher — s2e Technologies Inc. Kelly Dore — Acuity Insights Nick Scozzaro — ShadowHQ Jamie Harsevoort — Launchit Solutions Steve McBride — Weever #Innovation #Entrepreneurship #Business #Startups #Ontario #CDNtech #BusinessGrowth

Spring is recruiting Coaches for Invest Together in Femtech, running October - December 2026. This program pairs impact investors with mission-aligned femtech founders, culminating in $100,000+ awarded to the top company by the investor cohort. We need people with real femtech sector experience to serve as Founder Coaches, guiding founders through due diligence and Investor Coaches, supporting investor teams through diligence and deal evaluation. If you've built, invested in, or advised femtech companies and want to help shape the next generation of both, we want to hear from you. 📧 Contact Naomi Boon, naomi@spring.is to express your interest or learn more. #WomensHealth #Investment #Femtech #DueDiligence

Want to learn more about how you can work with Mohawk College, IDEAWORKS at Mohawk College and Mohawk College Co-op and Experiential Learning to access funding from the Mitacs AI Advantage program? Here's who to connect with: - Krislynn McKinlay, M. Ed, CCDP, one of our talented co-op advisors: she works with our software development, cybersecurity and networking program. - Our research leads with expertise in AI: Stephen Adams, Simon Galton and Saeed Toosizadeh - Our sector specific research centres that leverage AI: Mariano Arriaga for Energy and Power, Fergus McKee for Digital Health, or Matthew Shelley for digital twins. If you have an idea and aren't sure where to start, feel free to connect with Sherif Abdou, Gregor MacLean or myself- we can point you in the right direction.

Members of the HCE team were on hand this past Thursday to celebrate our longtime partner and customer, Innovation Factory at its 16th annual LiONS LAIR pitch competition and gala. Congratulations to the founders who took the stage and shared their ideas. It’s exciting to see the talent and ambition driving the next generation of technology companies. At HCE Telecom, we’re thrilled to support startups pushing the boundaries of technology right here in our backyard, and proud to be part of a community that helps innovation grow. Thank you to Innovation Factory for bringing everyone together for such a memorable evening. Congratulations to all the participants! #HCEConnected #LiONSLAIR #InnovationFactory #HamiltonInnovation #Startups