New Defence Accelerator Launches in Atlantic Canada

A new national defence accelerator has been launched in Atlantic Canada to build an innovation ecosystem that will strengthen Canada's sovereignty, competitiveness, and security by connecting innovators with the military sector.

Vimy Forge is a public–private partnership designed to close the gap between Canadian innovation and defence procurement. Its mission is to equip Canadian startups and SMEs with the tools, clearances, and market pathways they need to succeed with the Department of National Defence (DND), Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), and allied defence markets.

Founded by British Army veteran and Fredericton-based business advisor Duncan McSporran, Vimy Forge will offer companies tailored programs covering commercialization, compliance, prototyping, testing, and communications. The goal is to help companies advance breakthrough ideas into mission-ready solutions.

Canada Commits to Increased Defence Spending

The new accelerator comes at a time when Canada is increasing its commitment to defence spending to two percent GDP. In October, the federal government launched a new Defence Investment Agency to centralize and speed up defence procurement and equipment purchases for the Canadian Armed Forces.

By aligning innovators, industry, academia, and government, Vimy Forge is building a collaborative ecosystem to connect entrepreneurs to the defence sector.

"This is only the beginning, we've now entered a critical stage. As a team we are committed to ensuring Canadian innovation gets into the right hands, faster with some great partners."

— Duncan McSporran

Who We're Looking For

Vimy Forge will open the door to companies and teams who want to work in the military sector. We are looking for companies that are building something that could strengthen Canadian or allied defence, security, or resilience.