As Ottawa Innovation Week highlights the strength of the region’s innovation ecosystem, the Southern Ontario Fund for Investment in Innovation (SOFII) is proud to partner with the Kanata North Business Association (KNBA) to help more innovative companies access flexible growth capital.
Delivered by Community Futures Eastern Ontario, SOFII provides non-dilutive financing from $150,000 to $1 million to innovative Southern Ontario SMEs ready to scale through commercialization, market expansion, technology advancement, and operational growth.
“For many innovative companies, the challenge isn’t ideation — it’s accessing the right capital at the right stage and in the right structure,” says Cyndy Palleske, Executive Director of Community Futures Eastern Ontario. “Through our partnership with KNBA, SOFII can reach more high-growth, innovation-driven companies that are ready to scale but need flexible, practical financing to get there.”
SOFII has supported innovative companies across the Ottawa region and beyond, including eSight, Growcer, Trellis, Raven Connected, Corfix, and RVezy. Supported businesses have gone on to achieve major milestones, including international growth, national innovation awards, rapid revenue expansion, and strategic acquisitions. Ottawa-based eSight, for example, created more than 145 jobs before being acquired by Gentex for $88.9 million in 2023.
“The incredible history of Canada’s Largest Technology Park has always been rooted in collaboration,” says Kelly Daize, Executive Director of the KNBA. “Together, these collaborations are advancing a region that generates $17.9 billion in economic output and supports more than 63,000 jobs nationwide.”
As of March 31, 2026, SOFII has deployed more than $115 million in funding, supporting over 200 SMEs and helping create more than 6,000 jobs across Southern Ontario.
