DMZ

Want to build a startup or build your career this summer? We’re running two student programs designed to help you level up fast. Basecamp (for startup builders): ➔ Turn a startup idea into a real product. ➔ Get mentorship from DMZ founders and startup experts. ➔ Pitch live for $30K in grant funding. Em-BA (for career skills), powered by the Embark Student Foundation. ➔ Learn practical AI, sales and marketing skills. ➔ Get paid to solve real business challenges as a team. ➔ Pitch your work for a chance to win $20K. Open to students and new grads across Canada. Apply by April 20: dmz.to/Summer26 Embark Student Corp.

The latest report from Proptech Collective puts real clarity behind the momentum of Canada’s proptech industry: maturing startups, tighter capital and growing demand for solutions that actually work on the ground. That’s where the Centre for Housing Innovation (CHI) comes in: supporting founders as they pilot with municipalities and turn innovation into infrastructure. Swipe through the signals shaping PropTech in Canada and the collaborators helping move it forward. Applications are now open for the CHI Accelerator Cohort 3. Apply by May 8: dmz.to/Apply-CHI The Centre for Housing Innovation is funded by the Government of Canada through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario | Agence fédérale de ... (FedDev Ontario). The Phil App, trax.co 🇨🇦

400+ of Canada’s top women founders, leaders and supporters came together for our Women Innovation Summit ✨ We packed Design Exchange to go ALL IN for a day of connection, conversation and real outcomes – here’s what went down: $200K+ was awarded to woman-led startups at our marquee pitch competition, led by DMZ Ventures: ➡️ Julie Mai, RD (July Health) received $100K in investment commitments. ➡️ Lourdes Juan (Knead Tech) received $50K in investment commitments. ➡️ Britney-Raquel Lawrence (ClassClown) received $50K in investment commitments. ➡️ Dr. Shazhan Amed (Haibu Health) received a $10K grant on behalf of BDC. We named our 2026 Woman of the Year, Isabelle Hudon. As President & CEO of BDC, her leadership has expanded access to capital, backed underrepresented founders and helped move Canada’s innovation economy forward. Because ALL IN isn’t just a theme – it’s action: showing up with capital, backing founders and building an ecosystem where more people can win. A special thank you to our speakers and host, including Amber Mac, Lisa Zarzeczny, Deb Pimentel, Vicky Laurens, Natasha Gagnon and Kumutha Ramanathan, plus our partners: Elevate, GrowWise Partners, Profitual, HAB STRATEGY, EQ Bank, TD Innovation Partners, Scotiabank, DMZ Ventures and all of our Community Partners! Read more: https://lnkd.in/eYGY3mbW

Canada hitting NATO’s 2% defence spending target is more than a milestone. It’s a signal. What stands out isn’t just the investment, it’s how money is being deployed. A shift toward domestic defence innovation, new partnerships beyond the U.S. and a focus on modernizing infrastructure. Moments like this don’t just reshape military strategy. They reshape markets. From AI and cybersecurity to advanced manufacturing and dual-use tech, there’s a real opportunity for Canadian startups to define the next chapter of global security. The question now is execution. Canada must make the most of this moment for our economy and innovation ecosystem.

Women founders secured real capital at DMZ’s Women Innovation Summit. See what else is moving in Tech Talk. ⤵️

CIX 2026 ✅ Thanks to our partners at Elevate, the day was packed with real conversations on what’s next, including: → A fireside between Michael Tamblyn (Rakuten Kobo Inc., DMZ Advisory Council) and Abdullah Snobar on what it takes to build globally from Canada. → A pitch from Cashew (Addy Graves), accepting their CIX Startup Award – Emerging Category. Great to hear from DMZ Advisory Council member Michael Tamblyn on the long game of global expansion, and to celebrate Cashew’s continued momentum!

Canada’s housing challenge demands more than ideas – it requires skills, collaboration and access to trusted knowledge. That’s why, through the Centre for Housing Innovation (CHI), we’re supporting the growth of Canada’s housing sector by making high-quality learning resources more accessible. We’re proud to announce the brand-new CHI Resource Hub: a free, centralized platform that brings together reports, training, webinars, podcasts and events from leaders across Canada’s housing ecosystem. From policy insights to practical learning, the hub will upskill professionals, policymakers, and innovators who are building the future of housing in Canada. Explore resources from organizations like GroundBreak Ventures, NGen Canada, CivicAction, Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), Home Construction Regulatory Authority (HCRA), Ontario Home Builders' Association (OHBA), and more. Explore the CHI Resource Hub now: dmz.to/CHI-resource-hub Applications are now open for the CHI Accelerator Cohort 3. Apply by May 8: dmz.to/Apply-CHI The Centre for Housing Innovation is funded by the Government of Canada through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario | Agence fédérale de ... (FedDev Ontario).

This week at CIX: Abdullah Snobar x Michael Tamblyn.  Michael Tamblyn (CEO, Rakuten Kobo Inc. + DMZ Advisory Council) has spent three decades building digital companies across cycles, markets and continents – helping turn a Toronto startup into a global platform reaching readers in 30+ countries. Joined by our very own Abdullah Snobar, this fireside goes deep on what it actually takes to build globally from Canada, beyond the path to the U.S. Together, they’ll unpack: → Early product decisions to international scale → Canada-first to global-first thinking → Moving from hype cycles to durable companies We’ll see you this Wednesday. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/g-ug9n6N Elevate