MaRS and Vimy Forge partner to build a capital pipeline for Canada’s defence and dual-use innovators
Collaboration aims to help early-stage Canadian defence and security ventures reach the milestones needed to attract investment and keep their IP in Canada
TORONTO, Ontario (September 22, 2026) –MaRS Discovery District and Vimy Forge are joining forces to get early-stage Canadian defence and dual-use companies the capital, validation and procurement runway they need to scale, and to keep their IP and the sovereignty it represents, at home.
Ottawa recently hit NATO’s 2% spending target for the first time since the Cold War, on its way to 5% by 2035. That’s tens of billions in new defence dollars looking for somewhere to land. Defence and dual use companies with existing government contracts won’t struggle to get their piece of the pie whether through new contracts or investments. MaRS and Vimy Forge are in a unique position to create more companies capable of securing those contracts and supporting our country’s defence and sovereign capabilities by assisting high-potential early stage teams.
MaRS and Vimy Forge share the view that closing this gap requires more than additional programming, it requires a coordinated pathway through Canada’s innovation and defence ecosystems, giving companies access to the right expertise, infrastructure, customers and capital at the right stage of their development.
Later-stage defence and dual-use companies tend to attract capital relatively easily. The harder problem and the one the partnership targets, is helping earlier-stage companies reach the technical, commercial and organizational milestones needed to become investable, mission-ready ventures. Through the collaboration, MaRS and Vimy Forge intend to identify, assess and refer companies between the two organizations, coordinate investment-readiness support and connect promising ventures with investors and capital sources focused on defence, security and dual-use technology.
“Canada doesn’t have a shortage of ambitious defence and dual-use founders; we have a shortage of on-ramps for them,” said Liam Gill, Lead of the Capital Program at MaRS Discovery District. “Most of the capital in this country, especially in the defence sector, is chasing companies that have already proven themselves. We want to help the next generation founders access the resources they need to build companies in Canada. Securing our sovereignty by ensuring their talent and IP stays in Canada instead of getting acquired out from under us.”
“We see the gap MaRS is talking about every day: technically brilliant founders who can build the technology but haven’t had to raise a dollar or navigate a procurement process before. This partnership means we’re not sending them off to figure that out alone, they get our defence and security expertise and MaRS’ capital network working together, at exactly the stage they need it most,” said Ian Whytock, co-founder of Vimy Forge.
The two organizations are splitting the work among their strengths: Vimy Forge brings the defence and procurement know-how, MaRS brings the capital and investor relationships. It’s designed to sit alongside federal programs like ACOA’s Regional Defence Investment Initiative, not compete with them, one more route into the market, not a new gatekeeper.
It’s also a preview of something bigger MaRS has been building: a capital-matchmaking engine, sharpened through the MaRS Investor Network and AI-powered investor matching on MaRS Connect, that pairs founders with the investors actually suited to their sector and stage. Defence is the proving ground first. It won’t be the last.
The partnership was announced at the MaRS Capital Showcase on September 22, where founders across MaRS’ climate, health and capital portfolios pitched to a room of venture capital investors.
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About MaRS Discovery District
MaRS Discovery District is a charitable organization and one of North America’s largest urban innovation hubs, helping Canadian science and technology companies commercialize and scale. Building on a 25-year legacy of supporting founders, MaRS connects ventures with capital, customers, talent and expertise — through venture programming and partnerships, MaRS IAF (one of Canada’s most active seed-stage venture funds), MaRS Connect (a live digital marketplace linking commercially ready ventures with buyers, partners and sources of capital), and more than 1.5 million square feet of world-class lab, office and event space across the MaRS Centre and MaRS Waterfront in downtown Toronto. Since 2010, MaRS-supported ventures have generated $11.5 billion in cumulative revenue, raised $19 billion in funding and created and maintained more than 33,000 jobs.
About Vimy Forge Corp
Vimy Forge is a public–private partnership that is closing the gap between Canadian innovation and defence procurement. We equip Canadian startups and SMEs with the expertise and connections they need to succeed in the defence sector.
Anchored in Fredericton, NB, but built for national impact, Vimy Forge brings together SMEs, academia, industry partners, and government to create the conditions where Canadian solutions can scale and succeed.
With support already in place from partners across the country, Vimy Forge is positioned as the anchor for Canadian innovation in the defence sector.
For more information or to schedule and interview:
MaRS Discovery District
Gregory Hubert, Media Relations Manager
ghubert@marsdd.com
Vimy Forge Corp
Duncan McSporran, founding partner,
duncanmcsporran@vimyforge.ca