GCXpo 2025 ignited Canada’s Capital on September 23–24, bringing together more than 1,500 innovators, investors, and stakeholders for the nation’s premier emerging and dual-use tech demo day and showcase.

This year’s event featured the inaugural preview night and 90 pioneering companies and founders from Canada’s Capital and across the country demonstrating breakthrough technologies in defence, public safety, security and aerospace, smart mobility, agritech, and telecommunications. It was a powerful celebration of Canadian innovation, ingenuity and impact.

But these innovators didn’t simply showcase. They connected. They pitched to potential customers, investors, and partners. They explored new opportunities, pursued deals, and forged collaborations that will help bring their solutions to market.

Co-hosted by Area X.O, powered by Invest Ottawa, and delivered in collaboration with the Government of Canada, including the Department of National Defence (DND), FCC and ISED, Global Affairs and Transport Canada, GCXpo is the only Canadian emerging and dual-use tech demo day of its kind. It is made possible through powerful collaboration with these and other public and private partners and sponsors.

It builds on core funding from the City of Ottawa. Province of Ontario and Government of Canada, and generous sponsors including Rogers Communications, Conseil des  Écoles Catholiques du Centre-Est, EY, Calian Defence Solutions, Fasken, Next Tech Solutions, Babcock Canada Inc., Community Futures, Compass Rose, Microsoft, Bradley Kelly, InDro Robotics, OC Transpo, OSE, The Icebreaker, ONE9 and Rebel Tents.

This annual demo day and Area X.O are founded on one mission: to help bold Canadian founders and companies get technology to market faster, safely.  Together, these innovators form the backbone of Canada’s innovation economy, a community of visionaries driving collaboration across sectors to accelerate progress, enhance global competitiveness, and shape a more resilient, prosperous future for our nation and the world.

“Area X.O was built to empower founders and companies to get to market faster, safely, every day. GCXpo brings this mission to life as we strive to help accelerate the growth of the bold innovators we are honoured to serve. From defence and security to public safety, agri-tech and smart mobility, these entrepreneurs and firms are building and scaling here in Ottawa and across our country. Their work fuels new solutions, jobs, investment, exports and global revenue, building our local and national economy and changing our world for the better,” said Sonya Shorey, President and CEO of Invest Ottawa. “Together, through GCXpo and our thriving innovation ecosystem in Canada’s Capital, a global tech hub with the highest tech-talent concentration in North America, we are accelerating innovation, commercialization, and impact for Canada and the world. We are grateful for every company, partner and investor that contributes to this shared mission.”

“The Government of Canada is proud to once again be part of GCXpo. This event highlights Canadian innovations that are improving the safety and security of our transportation system and will help us build the strongest economy in the G7.”  – The Honourable Steven MacKinnon, Minister of Transport.

With over 90 exhibitors and demonstrators, three stages – the Communitech EY Zone – Powered by Innovation & Defence, Innovation Farm Zone powered by AgExpert – Cultivating the Future of Agriculture and the Smart City Zone – Building Tomorrow’s Urban Intelligence- the event created a platform for entrepreneurs to showcase how Canadian innovation is shaping the future.

“GCXpo 2025 was a powerful stage for us to showcase how Canadian innovation is shaping the safe and scalable future of robotics and autonomous systems. At ReasonX Labs, we believe safety is a catalyst—not a barrier—for innovation. This event brought together entrepreneurs, global leaders, and government partners in one place, creating the perfect environment to accelerate collaboration, inspire new ideas, and forge the partnerships that will bring Canadian technology from demonstration to global deployment.”— Mary Yazdani, Co-Founder & COO, ReasonX Labs.

The day began with an exclusive VIP breakfast and a keynote from Calian, a company deeply engaged in Canada’s defence and innovation ecosystem.

“At Calian, we know that innovation and security go hand-in-hand. GCXpo is an important platform for showcasing Canadian technology that enhances resilience at home and competitiveness abroad.” — Chris Pogue, President of Defence & Space, Calian.

Smart, Safe, and Connected: Mobility Innovation on Display

Originally launched as TCXpo, collaboration for the event first started with Transport Canada and is now growing to engage many government departments. These partnerships continue to anchor a critical part of Area X.O’s mission and impact that far exceeds GCXpo.

The Rogers Smart City Corridor included a dynamic panel exploring how a collaborative R&D project led by Area X.O, with many homegrown companies and the City of Ottawa, and funded by Transport Canada’s Enhanced Road Safety Transfer Payment Program (ERSTPP), is advancing safer, smarter, and more connected transportation systems.

Project participants and panelists highlighted how data, connectivity, and artificial intelligence are enabling next-generation mobility solutions—from intelligent infrastructure to autonomous vehicle safety validation. The discussion underscored how collaboration between innovators, government, and industry is critical to delivering technologies that improve road safety and accelerate Canada’s leadership in smart mobility.

Cultivating Canada’s Next Generation of Farming Innovation

The Innovation Farming Zone powered by AgExpert built on the success of the summer Farm Days sparked deep conversations about the future of sustainable food systems, data-driven farming, and connected equipment. The Area X.O Innovation Farm team and Farm Credit Canada (FCC) helped facilitate and instigate these discussions, highlighting FCC’s deep commitment to data-driven farming, and offering its world-class AgExpert software to support farmers and producers in making the most of the information at their fingertips.

“At FCC, we know innovation needs more than capital—it thrives on collaboration. By working with the exceptional team at Area X.O and GCXpo, we collectively help innovators develop technology and build connections that will drive a prosperous future for Canadian agriculture.” — Graeme Millen, Vice-President of Strategic Finance and Business Development, FCC.

“GCXpo’s Innovation Farming Zone powered by AgExpert demonstrated the tremendous opportunity for us to showcase how Ontario-based companies are advancing the future of farming, in collaboration with Ottawa-based technology companies, partners and suppliers. At the event, we had the ability to speak with local farmers, investors, and technology partners, which will help accelerate our ability to bring smarter, more sustainable solutions to market. For our team, this event highlighted how agriculture and technology together can drive food security, economic growth, and global leadership.”— Chuck Baresich, General Manager, Haggerty Agrobotics.

Fueling Economic Growth, Security and Sovereignty Through Defence and Dual-Use Innovation

The Communitech EY Defence Zone, launched for the first time in 2025, became a major draw with most sessions standing room only, flowing outside of the tent. The highlight of the day was a keynote address from the Honourable Minister McGuinty, underscoring Canada’s growing commitment to innovation that strengthens mission readiness, national security, and economic resilience.

Across the Zone, Canadian ingenuity was on full display. Exhibitors demonstrated next-generation AI, autonomous systems, and robotics, alongside advances in cybersecurity, smart mobility, and public safety technologies that protect citizens at home and abroad. Together, these innovators showcased the bold work of Ottawa and Canadian companies developing solutions that safeguard our forces, generate jobs, attract investment, and grow our economy.

One of the most distinctively Canadian innovations at GCXpo was AirShare’s interceptor technology—homegrown in its design, validation, and even its ethos. Instead of lethal force, their drone interceptors rely on soft, spaghetti-like fillers and non-lethal components.

It’s an approach that reflects a Canadian sensibility: effective, innovative, and polite by design. The interceptors drew significant attention throughout the day, including thoughtful conversations with both Minister McGuinty and Mayor Sutcliffe about their potential role in advancing safe, responsible defence solutions.

“GCXpo 2025 was a valuable mechanism for us to directly engage with government leaders on the future of Canadian procurement and innovation. Having the Minister stop by our booth to see our technology firsthand created a meaningful dialogue about how Canada can adopt and scale homegrown solutions like ours. It’s a rare and important opportunity to connect innovators with the decision-makers who shape national policy and procurement.” — Rick Whittaker, Co-Founder and CEO, AirShare, Inc.

The impact of the Defence Zone was clear: when commercialization meets adoption, Canada accelerates procurement, reduces risk, and creates economic value. It also reflected a shared vision—one where innovators, industry, and government work together to strengthen sovereignty, support our troops and allies, and position Canada as a global leader and net exporter of trusted dual-use technologies.

 “Ottawa is uniquely positioned to capitalize on Canada’s national defence sector. I had the chance to visit GCXpo and see firsthand the incredible technology already driving innovation in areas directly connected to defence and security.”— Honourable Mark Sutcliffe, Mayor of Ottawa.

These are among the many reasons Ottawa is proud to serve as Canada’s national defence innovation hub. Here, collaboration is not just encouraged—it’s essential. Together with partners across the country, Ottawa’s innovators, researchers, and industry leaders are working to support our troops and allies, drive the adoption of trusted Canadian technology, and strengthen our domestic defence industrial base.

This collective effort is helping to safeguard our sovereignty while creating disproportionate economic and social impact for Canadians at home and around the world.

An Inflection Point for Canadian Innovation

This event, as much as it provided entertainment and education for the attendees, it was an important showcase for the founders in the national ecosystem that are helping to develop, test, validate and commercialize what we need for tomorrow’s world and a sovereign nation.

“Events like GCXpo give us a unique opportunity to meet with investors, partners, and decision-makers who are actively shaping the future of Canada’s security and innovation ecosystem. For ONE9, these connections are invaluable—they help surface new capabilities, accelerate collaboration, open doors to new business opportunities, and ensure Canadian companies have a strong foundation to scale globally.” — Glenn R. Cowan. Founder & Managing Director, ONE9.

“Beyond the event itself, what makes GCXpo powerful is its connection to Area X.O. This unique facility it provides an accessible, real-world environment where we can test and demonstrate technologies that help our customers. Our ongoing partnership with Area X.O advances innovation that delivers impact well beyond GCXpo.” — Tony March, CEO Babcock Canada.

The final session of the day in the Communitech EY Defence Zone, presented by Lindsey Fair of Invest Ottawa, brought the event home and highlighted the themes that emerged throughout the entire event as she summed up with The Tragically Hip’s Courage playing in the background. Fair underscored that Canada is at an inflection point—where change is needed, momentum is building, and leadership with courage will define the path ahead.

The message was clear: no single group can achieve this future alone. Government, innovators, investors, and organizations like Area X.O each have a vital role to play in building a sovereign and resilient future. GCXpo 2025 made that shared responsibility tangible, demonstrating what is possible when Canada comes together with purpose.