British Columbia is opening a second funding call designed to help early-stage technology companies prove their products in real-world environments and move closer to commercial adoption.
Through Innovate BC’s Early-Stage Demonstration Call, the province will provide up to $2 million for pilot-scale demonstrations of technologies developed in B.C.
Eligible projects can receive as much as 40% of their costs, up to a maximum of $500,000 each. Applications will be accepted from September 28 through October 30, 2026.
The program targets technologies with potential applications in air and marine transportation, logistics, health, forestry, emergency management, mining, critical minerals and other major industries.
Early-stage companies, particularly those developing hardware, frequently encounter a commercialization gap: prospective customers want evidence that a product works under real operating conditions, but generating that evidence can be costly.
The demonstration program is intended to address that challenge by helping companies prove performance, secure third-party validation and show potential customers and investors the value of their technology.
“B.C. companies are developing technologies with the potential to solve real challenges across our economy, and proving those solutions in the environments they’re built for is a critical step toward adoption and impact,” said Peter Cowan, president and CEO of Innovate BC.
The first funding call supported 14 projects across five sectors with nearly $3.5 million. Among the participating companies was Mostar Labs, which is deploying its LilyPad floating clean-energy platform at a remote coastal site to demonstrate its ability to replace diesel power.
“Early-stage hardware companies face a gap: customers want proof in real conditions, and proof costs money,” said Mostar Labs CEO Meiz Majdoub Jr. “That is how a B.C. startup earns its first reference customer and stays anchored in British Columbia.”
Companies that successfully validate their technology may also become better positioned to participate in other Innovate BC initiatives, including the Integrated Marketplace.
Created by the provincial and federal governments in 2023, the Integrated Marketplace connects B.C. technology companies with industry partners where their products can be tested and deployed. The initiative is backed by up to $41.5 million from the B.C. Ministry of Jobs and Economic Growth and $11.7 million from PacifiCan.
The new funding call is also part of the province’s Look West economic strategy, which aims to diversify markets and expand industries including technology, aerospace, marine, artificial intelligence, quantum computing and life sciences.
More information about eligibility and the application process is available through Innovate BC.
Leave a Reply