October 7, 2025, Hamilton & Halton, Ontario
Today, 13 innovative companies were selected to receive non-repayable contributions of up to $20,000, and one additional company was selected for a non-repayable contribution of up to $15,000, from Innovation Factory, in partnership with Boundless Accelerator, through Cohort Four of the i.d.e.a. Fund™.
The i.d.e.a. Fund™ is a southern Ontario-focused initiative that was developed to help clean growth firms access the tools they need to succeed. It provides financial and business advisory supports to develop or redesign green products, services, processes and technologies that reduce impacts to our environment and create made-in-Canada climate change solutions.
The program fosters inclusion and diversity, with a focus on driving sustainable and circular economy growth in Canada. Supported by a $5.2 million Government of Canada investment for Boundless Accelerator, through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), the i.d.e.a. Fund™ is being delivered by six Regional Innovation Centres (RICs): Boundless Accelerator, Innovate Niagara, Innovation Factory, Launch Lab, TechAlliance of Southwestern Ontario, and WEtech Alliance.
“This new group of innovators represents a key investment in Canada’s clean future. By providing them with both funding and mentorship through the i.d.e.a. Fund™, we’re not just helping companies grow—we’re accelerating the development of real, market-ready solutions that will make a measurable difference in our communities and for the environment. This is about building a sustainable economy from the ground up,” said David Carter, CEO of Innovation Factory.
“Canada’s future depends on bold innovation and sustainable economic growth,” said the Honourable Evan Solomon, Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario. “The work of the i.d.e.a. Fund and Regional Innovation Centre partners is helping southern Ontario’s entrepreneurs commercialize clean technologies and adopt sustainable practices. These investments are strengthening our communities, protecting our environment, and positioning Canada as a global leader in clean growth.” The Innovation Factory supported companies in Cohort Four are:
To learn more about the i.d.e.a. Fund™ visit innovationfactory.ca/idea-fund.
Quick Facts
- Across southern Ontario, 75 companies have been selected to participate in Cohort Four of the i.d.e.a. Fund and will collectively receive non-repayable contributions of up to $1,485,000 https://www.idea-fund.ca/cohort-4-recipients/. To date, the i.d.e.a. Fund™ has supported nearly 390 businesses since its inception in 2022.
- Innovation Factory is a Regional Innovation Centre in Hamilton, Ontario, that works to foster entrepreneurship and the commercialization of innovations to help build globally competitive companies in the Hamilton region.
- Regional Innovation Centres (RICs) help Ontario’s early-stage entrepreneurs succeed by offering mentorship, market intelligence, and connecting them to funding resources to help innovators work through the challenges of developing their ideas to make them marketable.
Associated Links
- Boundless Accelerator launches the Southern Ontario Environmental Impact Fund
- Innovation Factory i.d.e.a Fund™
- i.d.e.a. Fund™
- FedDev Ontario
Contacts
Jennifer Gauvreau
Director, Marketing
Innovation Factory
[email protected]
Sofia Ouslis
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Artificial Intelligence, Digital Innovation and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario
[email protected]
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.
About FedDev Ontario
For over 15 years, the Government of Canada, through FedDev Ontario, has worked to advance and diversify the southern Ontario economy through funding opportunities and business services that support innovation, growth and job creation in Canada’s most populous region. The Agency has delivered impressive results, which can be seen in southern Ontario businesses that are creating innovative technologies, improving productivity, growing revenues, creating jobs, and in the economic advancement of communities across the region. Learn more about the impact the Agency is having in southern Ontario by exploring our investment profiles, our Southern Ontario Spotlight, and FedDev Ontario’s X, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn accounts.
