TORONTO, ON – [April 29, 2026] – Ontario’s innovation ecosystem took centre stage today as the Ontario Centre of Innovation (OCI) kicked off Day 1 of its 17^th annual DiscoveryX conference and tradeshow, Ontario’s flagship innovation conference, bringing together entrepreneurs, investors, researchers, and industry leaders from across Canada and beyond.

With thousands of attendees and hundreds of exhibiting companies, DiscoveryX continues to highlight the strength of Ontario’s “Made-in-Ontario” technologies and the province’s growing global competitiveness across sectors including artificial intelligence, life sciences, advanced manufacturing, and clean technologies.

Day 1 of DiscoveryX saw the Globe and Mail’s Sean Silcoff do a fireside chat with Canada’s first Quantum company that has IPO’d globally, Xanadu’s CEO Christian Weedbrook; followed by a panel discuss with Google Canada’s Natasha Walji and Minister of Small Business, Nina Tangri talk to 2 Ontario-based SMEs that are part of OCI’s Digitalization Competence Centre (DCC).

The first day of DiscoveryX also marked two $20,000 prizes in OCI’s Inaugural Educator Innovation & Entrepreneurship Award sponsored by Alectra, which recognized faculty in Ontario’s colleges and universities who go beyond the classroom to mentor, commercialize, and empower student entrepreneurs. Winners of this inaugural prize were Susan Kates from Humber Polytechnic and Dr.Graham Taylor from University of Guelph.

“Artificial intelligence is transforming industries across the globe, and Ontario is well positioned to lead,” said Claudia Krywiak, President and CEO of Ontario Centre of Innovation. “Through DiscoveryX and initiatives like these awards, we are proud to showcase and support the companies driving the next generation of innovation.”

DiscoveryX 2026 continues tomorrow at Toronto’s EnerCare Centre with additional programming, including keynote speakers, investor meetings, $20,000 in pitch competition prize money, a closing keynote from world-renowned Dr.Geoffrey Hinton, and sector-focused sessions highlighting emerging technologies shaping the future of Ontario’s economy.