HAMILTON & HALTON, ON, July 8, 2026 – Innovation Factory announces the top 10 finalists for the 2026 LiONS LAIR pitch competition, a highly anticipated gala event within the region’s innovation and business community. These 10 start-ups will pitch at the gala on September 24, 2026, in front of an audience of over 350 attendees at the Oakville Banquet & Conference Centre. The finalists will also field questions from a panel of experts, the ‘LiONS,’ who will ultimately determine who will take home the cash prizes.
This year’s finalists are Sensible Vascular, Remmen Brakes, LIVESENS, NexScale AI, TOMI, Tiny Tube Bio, Twish Cart, HumanisRx, NewGen Health, and Gasner HealthTech. Each start-up represents a unique solution and showcases the thriving innovation spirit of the region. Before facing the judges at the gala, the finalists will participate in a series of training sessions to support their success in the competition and throughout their investment and commercialization journey.
The 10 finalists were selected from 40 companies with innovative solutions from various industries that participated in Innovation Factory’s intensive training program, Founders Fast Track. This program equipped the start-ups with tools, mentorship, and networking opportunities, which culminated in a speed-pitching event, reviewed by angel and venture capital investors. Based on scores from the investors, the top start-ups were offered an exclusive invitation to showcase their companies at Innovation Factory’s LiONS LAIR pitch competition, a platform that promotes innovation and provides access to networking and community-building opportunities.
“LiONS LAIR is all about celebrating our region’s entrepreneurs. Watching these ten startups progress through our Founders Fast Track program has been incredible, and we are proud to continue supporting them as they scale, pitch, and bring their solutions to market,” remarked David Carter, CEO of Innovation Factory.
The LiONS LAIR gala brings together a community of innovators, entrepreneurs, business experts, and industry leaders who directly impact innovation in the region. The evening features cocktail networking, dinner service, live pitch presentations, an awards ceremony, and exclusive live interviews with the winners on Cable 14, creating an environment where meaningful business connections and partnerships can flourish.
Over the past 15 years, LiONS LAIR has supported 185 high-potential companies and innovators and awarded more than $1 million in cash and in-kind prizes.
This annually sold-out pitch competition and gala is scheduled to take place on September 24, 2026, in Oakville, Ontario. Visit lionslair.ca to purchase your tickets or table today.
About Innovation Factory
Innovation Factory is a not-for-profit business accelerator, serving as the catalyst for technology innovation in the Brant, Halton, Hamilton, and Norfolk regions since 2010. Innovation Factory provides business services, training, mentorship, and strategic connections to drive market adoption, leverage intellectual property, and increase revenues, investment, and jobs. Innovators can also access sector-specific resources, including exclusive smart transportation test environments and data, and a formal life science and health innovation ecosystem.
