TORONTO, ON, September 28, 2026 - ventureLAB today brings Canadian hardtech and deeptech founders together with investors at the inaugural Hardtech Investor Network (HIN) Venture Summit. Held at The Quay in Toronto, the event is designed around a challenge these companies know well: finding investors who understand the capital, time and technical work required to bring physical technologies to market.
Hardtech companies often face longer development cycles, higher upfront costs and more complex paths to commercialization than software startups. The Summit gives founders and investors a place to discuss those realities directly, share what they are looking for and build connections that can continue beyond the event.
“Canada has no shortage of founders building the hardtech and deeptech innovations this country needs. What’s been missing is a capital ecosystem built for them. The HIN Venture Summit exists to change that, so the companies building our most critical technology can scale here, in Canada, instead of looking elsewhere for investors who understand what they’re building,” said Raymond Chik, Advisory Board Chair of the Hardtech Investor Network.
The program includes two Investor Reverse Pitch sessions, giving founders a chance to hear directly from investors about their investment priorities. DISC Alloys, LIOR Pupillometry and Minera Systems will then take the stage for the Founder Pitch Competition.
Raymond Chik will open the Summit, followed by Sharif Virani, CEO of SPUR Innovation Center, speaking about AI, compute and infrastructure.
Turning to the funding challenges behind these technologies, “The Hardtech Money Problem: Raising Capital in Physical AI” will bring together Ronen Benin, Founder and CEO of Zero to One Strategic; William Ma, Managing Director at MaRS IAF; and Shambhavi Mishra, Associate Partner at Antler. Moderated by ventureLAB’s Dejana Dua, the panel will explore what it takes to raise early-stage capital and how founders can stand out to investors.
Building on that discussion, Peter Suma, Managing Partner of The StrongNorth Fund at BDC, will join a fireside chat exploring how capital and commercialization can help build Canada’s next generation of hardtech companies and strengthen technological sovereignty.
To close the formal program, Paula Cruickshank, Senior Vice President, Fund Investments at BDC Capital, will deliver remarks before attendees continue their conversations at the networking reception.
Following the Summit, founders will receive an investor deal book and investors will receive a founder deal book to help them identify relevant connections and continue conversations.
About ventureLAB
ventureLAB is a leading global founder community for hardware technology and deep tech companies in Canada. Located at the heart of Ontario’s innovation corridor in York Region, ventureLAB is part of one of the biggest and most diverse tech communities in the country. Its initiatives in capital raising, talent retention, technology and IP commercialization, and customer acquisition have helped thousands of companies create over 7,800 jobs and raise more than $530 million in investment capital. ventureLAB powers hardtech founders to build and scale globally competitive ventures that advance Canada’s knowledge-based economy.
Media Contact
Noor Haq
Head of Business Development & Marketing
ventureLAB
nhaq@venturelab.ca
