This essay from CCI’s CEO was originally featured in the CCI Newsletter and shared with subscribers on July 1, 2026. To receive our monthly briefing on the scale-ups shaping Canada’s future, the policies that matter, and insights you won’t find anywhere else—subscribe here.

Dear CEOs,

This summer, wildfires are disrupting communities across Canada, Spain has declared a national climate emergency and tens of thousands of people have been evacuated in France. August may be the traditional month for switching off, but the heat has other plans.

Hot temperatures need cool ideas. Let me introduce you to one.

SenseNet, a newly minted CCI member based in Vancouver, has developed technology that can detect wildfires while they are still small—and, in some cases, still smouldering.

Its system combines ground sensors, AI-enabled cameras, satellite imagery and weather data. Changes in temperature, air quality and gas levels can signal trouble before smoke is visible from a road or lookout tower. The alert gives fire crews and local authorities something increasingly scarce: time. SenseNet’s technology is being deployed in Canada and abroad to help protect communities, industrial sites and critical infrastructure. It is a Canadian solution to a problem being felt around the world.

Canadians know something about working around the weather. We build through deep freezes, dig out after snowstorms and make the most of summers that never seem long enough. Now we are adapting to a different kind of extreme, and there's no time for a siesta.

That persistence is one reason I remain convinced that Canadians are the most ambitious entrepreneurs around. Our companies are developing practical answers for a world that is becoming hotter, less predictable and more tense. We need to give them opportunities to test those answers at home, sell them abroad and grow from Canada.

No technology will bring back the old dog days of summer. Working through dangerous heat should not become a badge of honour, either. But we can find better ways to live in a changing climate, and build Canadian solutions that help the rest of the world do the same.

Stay cool,

Patrick

Patrick Searle is the Chief Executive Officer of the Council of Canadian Innovators, a national member-based organization reshaping how governments across Canada think about innovation policy, and supporting homegrown scale-ups to drive prosperity. If you are interested in learning more about the Council or joining our cause, get in touch.

INNOVATION UPDATES

Federal Procurement Measures for Small Businesses: The federal government announced measures to reduce barriers for small and medium-sized enterprises seeking government contracts and to expand Innovative Solutions Canada. Streamlined processes, transparent evaluation criteria, and a focus on value, innovation and scale will be essential to turning these commitments into results. Read CCI’s full statement.

Defence Drone Initiative: The federal government launched a new procurement pathway designed to move Canadian drone and autonomous-systems technologies more quickly from development and testing into production for the Canadian Armed Forces and Canadian Coast Guard. The initiative encompasses robotics, artificial intelligence, sensors, secure communications, navigation, propulsion and advanced materials. Learn more about the initiative.

Consultation on AI Transparency: The federal government opened consultations on measures to improve transparency around AI systems and AI-generated content. The consultation covers disclosure when people interact with AI, standardized information about system capabilities and limitations, serious-incident reporting, and oversight of AI agents. Submissions are open until September 23, 2026. Learn more and participate.

Secure Defence-Drone Innovation Hub: An Espace Aéro-led consortium will receive $29.6 million over two years to establish and operate a secure uncrewed-systems innovation hub in Mirabel, Quebec. Bringing together 30 organizations from industry, academia and the non-profit sector, the hub will help develop, test and move promising Canadian autonomous-systems technologies toward operational deployment. Read the announcement.

For more of our perspectives on Canada's innovation ecosystem, visit the updates page on our website.

THE BIG READ

Long known for oil, fishing and a persistent talent drain, St. John’s is emerging as one of Atlantic Canada’s most promising innovation hubs. The success of Verafin—acquired by Nasdaq for $3.6 billion—helped establish a deep pool of experienced talent that is now fuelling a new generation of startups. The Globe and Mail explores how the city’s close-knit ecosystem is turning one landmark success into broader economic momentum—and what could still hold it back. Read the full article.

Visiting the region soon? Check out our Field Notes for St. John's, featuring our recommendations for the best place to host your next board dinner or grab a coffee with an investor, and the great leaders and companies you should know in the region.

SCALE-UPS TO WATCH

In June and July, we welcomed some new members to the council.

• Algo Communication Products Ltd., led by CEO Ryan Zoehner, is a Burnaby-based technology manufacturer that designs and produces internet protocol paging and alerting systems. Its speakers, displays, intercoms and visual alerting devices help organizations communicate across buildings and campuses during daily operations and emergencies.
  
  
• BluWave-ai, founded and led by CEO Devashish Paul, is an Ottawa-based clean technology company using artificial intelligence to improve how energy is managed across electric grids and transportation systems. Its platforms help utilities, businesses and major energy users optimize electricity demand, manage electric vehicle charging and integrate renewable energy.
  
  
• Ideon Technologies, co-founded by CEO Gary Agnew, is a Richmond, B.C.-based mining technology company that uses energy from supernova explosions to image deep beneath the Earth’s surface. Its hardware, software and artificial intelligence-powered services help mining companies locate and monitor mineral deposits while reducing the cost, risk and environmental impact of exploration.
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• Plume IA, founded by CEO Dr. Jasmin Landry, is a Québec-based healthcare technology company helping clinicians spend less time on medical documentation. Its artificial intelligence-powered transcription platform is built around the realities of patient care and helps physicians and other care providers manage administrative demands.
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• Qu Data Centres, led by CEO James Beer, is a Toronto-based Canadian data centre company operating nine facilities across Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa, Toronto and London, Ontario. Its secure digital infrastructure supports more than 750 organizations across government, healthcare, energy, financial services and other sectors.

The latest story in CCI’s By Canadian series highlights how BUZZ HPC is helping First Principles advance Theo, its artificial intelligence system for scientific discovery. Through reliable and scalable computing infrastructure, BUZZ HPC is giving the Canadian research organization the capacity and cost predictability needed to pursue increasingly complex work. Read the profile piece here.

Last month, CCI members marked another strong month with new investments, partnerships, product launches and international growth:

• Questrade launched Canada’s first AI-connected brokerage accounts.
• Jane App acquired clinic administration startup Ginger Desk.
• Clio launched its AI legal workspace in Canada.
• Float completed its $85-million Series C round with backing from new and returning investors.
• PharmAla licensed exclusive U.S. rights to ALA-002 to Jupiter Neurosciences in a deal worth up to US$100 million.
• BluWave-ai partnered with four Ontario utilities on a province-wide electric vehicle grid management project.
• Crypto4A Technologies and 01 Quantum partnered to advance post-quantum cybersecurity.
• Tactable opened its first permanent international office in Belfast.
• WELL Health announced plans to list WELLSTAR publicly alongside a $50-million financing.
• Novari Health will deploy its wait list and referral management software across Northern Health in British Columbia.

CCI IN THE NEWS

“Is the lowest-bidder system actually delivering what it’s supposed to be? I think the answer is No.”

– CCI Vice President of Policy & Advocacy Laurent Carbonneau featured in Research Money's article "Canada’s health care system needs to change from lowest-bidder procurement to optimizing value across the system"

“Budget 2026 is an opportunity to move beyond fragmented measures and align Canada’s tools around one objective: helping Canadian firms stay and scale here.”

– CCI Director of Federal Affairs Daniel Perry featured in Startup Growth's article "Canada's Innovation Crossroads: Scaling High-Growth Companies in Budget 2026"

“The global economy has undergone an unprecedented 40-year transformation, where wealth, power, and security are rooted in the ownership and control of intangible assets: IP and data AI.”

– CCI Chair Jim Balsillie featured in Digital Journal's article "The era of the generalist board is over"

"What's com­pletely miss­ing here is any inclu­sion of lan­guage around includ­ing Cana­dian hard­ware, data centre co-loc­a­tion, or cloud com­pute com­pan­ies in the very work of stand­ing up these major projects."

– CCI Director of Prairie Affairs Jess Sinclair, writing about Alberta’s data centre plans in the The Calgary Herald.

"It costs nothing. It requires no new legislation. It is, in every sense, a decision waiting to be made."

– CCI Director of B.C. Affairs Kiersten Enemark, writing in Business in Vancouver, about CCI's advocacy to deregulate the software engineer title under the Professional Governance Act.

«L’économie québécoise ne va pas super bien, précise-t-il. La productivité et la croissance sont médiocres.  On ne peut pas rester avec le statu quo. Cela prend la volonté politique pour placer l’innovation au cœur des actions.»

– CCI Director of Quebec Affairs Jean-François Harvey discussing in Les Affaires the priorities of innovators in the province ahead of the fall Quebec election.

DISPATCHES

With Quebec’s provincial election approaching, CCI has released What Quebec’s Innovators Need to Scale, a blueprint outlining the priorities of the province’s fastest-growing technology companies.

The recommendations focus on improving access to talent, capital and government procurement while strengthening marketplace frameworks that support intellectual property, artificial intelligence adoption and commercialization.

Read our full election primer here.
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About the Council of Canadian Innovators (CCI)

The Council of Canadian Innovators (CCI) is Canada’s business council for the 21st century economy. We are a collective of over 175 of Canada’s fastest-growing and most ambitious companies, and the founders, CEOs, and executives behind them, working together to improve the business conditions that help more homegrown companies scale, compete globally, and drive long-term prosperity.