Seen & Heard: CCI’s 2026 Capital & Growth Summit

Canada’s high-growth companies are steering through an innovation economy defined by tougher global competition and shifting geopolitical dynamics. At the 2026 Capital & Growth Summit, CCI gathered founders, investors, capital markets leaders, and advisors from across the country to explore how Canadian scale-ups can secure capital, manage risk, and grow in a volatile global market.

Held in Toronto, the half-day summit examined the financing conditions shaping Canada’s next generation of high-growth firms, from sovereign investment and strategic industries to market uncertainty, scaling pressures, and long-term competitiveness.

Through panel discussions and fireside conversations, speakers explored what it will take for Canadian companies to secure capital, navigate risk, and continue building globally competitive businesses from Canada.

After a networking lunch between innovators and investors, the afternoon kicked off with welcoming remarks from CCI’s new Chief Executive Officer Patrick Searle, CCI Co-Founder and Chair Jim Balsillie, and Gena Custode, Managing Director, Technology and Innovation Banking at Roynat Capital | Scotiabank, a presenting partner of this years summit.

“We are in a moment where economic strength, national resilience, and sovereignty are no longer sentimental abstractions, but the core conditions driving the health of our firms and Canada’s future prosperity,” said Mr. Balsillie. “Capital is no longer neutral. Where it comes from, who controls it, and under what conditions is critical for Canadian companies, conditions for which CCI has been advocating since day one.”

What followed was a series of on-stage conversations centred on the issues top of mind for investors and innovators in the room. Our first panel, Capital and Sovereignty: Financing Canada’s Strategic Advantage, explored how capital can strengthen Canada’s strategic position as geopolitical tensions, supply-chain shifts, and demand for critical technologies increase.

The discussion featured Christian Weedbrook, Founder and CEO of Xanadu; Lyne Jacques, Chief Revenue Officer at Miovision; Oni Prisecaru, Executive Director of M&A Advisory at Deloitte; and Mathieu Duffar, Partner, Growth Venture Fund at BDC, in a conversation moderated by Konata Lake, Partner at Torys LLP.

Panelists discussed the strategic imperative of financing Canadian firms in sectors such as defence, artificial intelligence, and other areas where ownership, control, and scale matter for long-term national competitiveness. The conversation underscored that capital is not only a growth tool, but a strategic asset in a more uncertain global economy.

Lyne Jacques, Chief Revenue Officer at Miovision, pointed to the growing pressure on Canadian companies to move proven technologies into real-world deployment and public infrastructure systems.

“Canadian companies are already building technologies that matter to how communities move, plan, and manage infrastructure. The challenge is making sure those companies have the capital and market access to grow without losing control of the value they create. If Canada wants long-term competitiveness, it needs to back companies that can scale here and serve global markets from a Canadian home base.”

Christian Weedbrook, Founder and CEO of Xanadu, spoke about the importance of backing Canadian companies working at the frontier of global technology.

“Canada has world-class talent and world-class technology companies. The question is whether we can move at the speed required to compete. If we want Canadian innovation to shape global markets, we need capital, customers, and policy that can keep pace."

In our second panel, Fuelling High-Growth Companies: Smarter Capital for Scale, experts unpacked the funding dynamics for Canadian firms advancing from growth to scale.

The conversation featured Niraj Mathur, Co-Founder and CEO of Blumind; Tony Barkett, Head of RBCx Banking; Simon Foster, Vice Chair and Partner at Capital Canada Limited; and Matt Mayers, Co-Founder and COO of Spellbook, in a discussion moderated by Shivalika Handa, National Technology Leader and Partner at PwC Canada.

In a more disciplined funding environment, founders and investors discussed what it takes to build durable companies, attract the right capital, and make smarter decisions about growth.

Niraj Mathur, Co-Founder and CEO of Blumind, emphasized that Canadian companies need support that reflects the realities of scaling in deep technology markets.

“Building a company in Canada requires more than early belief. It requires patient capital, experienced partners, and a market that is willing to back Canadian technology as it grows. If Canada wants more global champions, we need to help promising companies move from invention to scale.”

Matt Mayers, Co-Founder and COO of Spellbook, reflected on the operation discipline required to scale a company in a more cautious investment environment.

"Scaling companies need to be ruthlessly focused on growing both quickly and sustainably in this environment. If you're one of the few teams that have won investors' attention, deciding who to accept funding from is nuanced, and the choice can heavily influence your trajectory. Most teams don't have this luxury, however, and if you're not in a trendy space while scaling rapidly with strong unit economics, the best investor is usually the one willing to write a cheque."

To round out the day’s discussions, John Ruffolo, Co-Founder and Vice Chair of CCI and Founder and Managing Director of Maverix Private Equity, and Sara Wilshaw, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, International Trade and Chief Trade Commissioner of Canada, joined Mitch Villeneuve, Director of Economic Policy at Scotiabank, for a fireside chat on the role of capital, trade, and strategic decision-making in helping Canadian companies compete in global markets.

With trade pressures, market volatility, and geopolitical uncertainty affecting companies across sectors, the conversation focused on how Canadian firms can better navigate risk while expanding at home and abroad.

John Ruffolo, Co-Founder and Vice Chair of CCI and Founder and Managing Director of Maverix Private Equity spoke about the need for Canada to take a more intentional approach to supporting homegrown scale-ups.

“Canada has the entrepreneurs, the talent, and the technology to compete with anyone. But ambition has to be matched by execution. That means mobilizing capital, opening global markets, and making sure Canadian companies have the support they need to scale from here, and win globally.”

During the cocktail reception, Devon Morrison of Wealhouse Capital Management, brought the summit’s themes of capital access, growth, and risk management into sharp relief for Canadian-headquartered companies scaling globally.

In closing the 4th edition of the Capital and Growth Summit, CCI’s Patrick Searle, reminded attendees of the importance and necessity of these conversations.

“Canadian companies are building globally competitive technologies in some of the most strategic sectors of the economy. The challenge is making sure they have the capital, customers, and policy environment to scale from Canada, and define global markets. That means being more deliberate about how we finance growth and more focused on keeping long-term value anchored here at home.”

CCI’s 2026 Capital & Growth Summit was made possible by the support of our presenting, executive, and supporting partners, whose leadership helps strengthen access to growth capital for Canadian innovators, including Deloitte, Roynat Capital | Scotiabank, Capital Canada Limited, PwC, BDC, RBCx, and Wealhouse Capital Management.