Why Now
Canada has committed to spending two per cent of GDP on defence, supporting a $14.3B industry and over 81,000 jobs nationwide. Ninety per cent of the defence sector in Canada is made up of SMEs, yet too many companies stall before scaling into Canadian and international markets. Calian VENTURES is here to close that gap and strengthen Canada’s defence industrial base.
What We Do
Calian VENTURES partners with SMEs that have innovative, viable solutions. We help test, validate and scale technologies into Canadian and allied procurements by leveraging Calian’s engineering expertise, integrated solutions and trusted CAF relationships.
Focus Streams
At Calian VENTURES, we concentrate on three core streams where Canada can lead in sovereign capability:
- C2 Decision Support Systems deliver secure, AI-enabled, and interoperable command-and-decision support solutions that improve speed and clarity in mission-critical environments.
- Autonomous Systems include UAVs, UGVs and maritime platforms for ISR, Arctic operations, logistics missions and future multi-domain tasks.
- Space Resource Orchestration connects satellites, smallsats and ground systems to provide resilient communications and data access for Canada and its allies.
Who Benefits
Calian VENTURES creates value across the defence ecosystem. SMEs gain a clear path to scale and retain their IP while expanding into CAF and allied markets. Canada benefits from faster adoption of sovereign capabilities that improve military capability and readiness. Partners can transform ITB obligations into lasting Canadian solutions, while investors gain de-risked access to defence and dual-use markets with proven technologies.
Got a solution? Let’s scale it together.
Turning Canadian innovations into Canadian capabilities is what Calian VENTURES is all about. Whether you’re an SME ready to scale, a government program seeking rapid adoption, or a partner looking to create impact, we want to work with you.
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FAQs
- At Calian, we believe we have an important role to play in the federal government’s initiative to ensure a sovereign Canada and help build the Canadian defence industrial base. By initiating an orchestrator, we are providing value to Canada through business innovation while helping small and medium businesses get their viable products and services over the last hurdles to succeed in the defence market.
- This program allows us to make valuable connections with small and medium businesses with offerings that complement our existing solutions for the defence industry. By getting to know and investing in innovative contributors in the defence space, we can forge longer term relationships that benefit both parties for many years to come. Partnering with other Canadian businesses also unlocks potential for Industrial and Technological Benefits (ITBs) that help us fulfill our obligations to the federal government.
- We focus on three streams: C2 decision support systems, autonomous systems (air, land, sea, Arctic) and space resource orchestration (satcom, smallsats, ground systems).
- Participating in the Calian VENTURES program provides you with access to Calian’s expertise and decades of experience in the Canadian defence industry. Participating businesses get access to our internal resources, engineering, technology and existing contracts as well as our large network of partners.
- While we do not disclose exact funding amounts, we allocate resources on a case-by-case basis to help partners with the greatest potential for success.
- All money invested into Calian VENTURES for its participants comes directly from Calian corporate resources. There is no funding from third-party venture capital firms or government sources—this is a self-funded Calian initiative. This ensures that strategic decisions and resource allocation remain under corporate control.
- Not at all. Calian sees government and third-party venture capital as a signal that you are creating value and/or are aligned with defence priorities. When we say that there is no funding from third-party venture capital or government sources inside Calian VENTURES, we mean that we do not act as a flow-through entity between you and those other sources of funding. When Calian invests, we are value-add.
- The Calian team will review the information you submitted and get back to you within the next few weeks. If your application is a strong fit for the program, we will contact you to discuss the next steps. If your application shows promise but isn’t suitable for this cohort, we’ll let you know that it will be considered for a future cohort. If your product or solution does not meet the criteria to proceed, we’ll inform you that your application is closed. However, if circumstances change, we encourage you to reapply.
- Calian may occasionally invest in prototyping or proof-of-concept projects, but our primary focus is on products and solutions that are already developed and in use. We are seeking fully functioning products and solutions that need support in overcoming barriers to reaching defence customers.
- Calian is supporting C5ISRT interoperability by providing engineering support and reusing this interoperability from VCCI in TACTIQL’s FULCRUM ISR C2 capability for the Canadian Armed Forces, NATO allies and the Five Eyes.
- If a press release is appropriate based on the opportunity, we may issue one; however, this decision is made on a case-by-case basis.
- If your solution is included in what we are showcasing at CANSEC, we may invite you to exhibit with us, depending on the solution’s readiness.
- The level of solution maturity is key. We aim to work with companies that already have a viable solution. While Calian will provide expertise, technical resources and funding to help suitable partners succeed, we are not an incubator. Our focus is on mature solutions backed by an established business. We invest in helping your solution cross the “final mile” to reach its target market.
- A memorandum of understanding (MOU) will be negotiated on a case-by-case basis with partners in Calian VENTURES.
- Calian VENTURES is designed for businesses looking to solve challenges and achieve goals that will take their product or solution to the next level. To support this, we structure our support in the following ways:
- Bolt on: Integrate your solution into a larger deployable capability for future needs.
- Mature: Help you advance your solution by connecting with customers who want what you offer.
- Scale: Expand your niche capability through our existing contracts when customer demand arises.
- Position: Combine your solution with others to create new or emerging platform capabilities.
- Connect: Act as a bridge between small innovators and prime contractors—mentoring, structuring deals and aligning expectations.
- You may be a good fit if your solution aligns with federal government priorities for sovereignty and defence and you want to leverage this opportunity to take your existing product or solution to the next level.
- You might not be a good fit if:
- Your product or service does not align with current federal government priorities.
- You are still at the ideation stage in your solution development journey.
- Calian has multiple contracts with defence entities in Canada and with NATO and our NATO allies and will evaluate each solution based on needs and fit.
- Calian is always evaluating contracts and opportunities to work with our defence partners in the Canadian government, NATO and allied countries. We do not disclose which contract opportunities we are pursuing, but we may have multiple opportunities at various stages of evaluation and bidding at any time.
