As global communications and defence environments become increasingly complex, the ability to reliably detect and understand radio frequency activity is becoming more critical than ever.

Traditional electronic sensing systems can struggle in contested, high-interference, remote, or harsh operating environments, creating growing demand for new approaches that are more resilient, adaptable, and secure.

Ottawa-based Optii is helping solve that challenge through advanced photonics innovation.

Reimagining Sensing Through Light

Optii Corp. is a Canadian photonics and defence technology company developing passive, fibre-optic sensing systems designed for environments where conventional electronic sensing may fail or become unreliable.

Using light, optical fibre, and advanced signal interpretation, Optii’s technology detects and characterizes radio frequency activity without requiring powered electronics at the sensing point. This creates a highly resilient sensing architecture with potential applications across defence, aerospace, critical infrastructure, emergency response, and dual-use communication resilience systems.

“Optii is building a new way to sense and understand the radio frequency environment using light instead of traditional electronic sensors,” said Dr. Daisy Williams, Founder and CEO of Optii Corp. “Our goal is to give partners a resilient sensing layer that can continue operating in conditions where conventional systems may be degraded, disrupted, or unable to perform.”

Today, the company is advancing from validated prototype demonstrations toward partner integration and operational testing, positioning itself at the intersection of photonics, RF sensing, software, and defence innovation.

Why Ottawa

For Optii, Ottawa was a natural place to build. The company established and continues to grow its presence in Canada’s capital because of the city’s unique concentration of photonics, telecommunications, defence, government, and advanced technology expertise.

“Ottawa gives Optii access to a very unique mix of deep technical talent, public-sector proximity, defence and aerospace networks, and a collaborative innovation community,” said Daniyal Zafar, Strategic Partnerships Lead at Optii Corp. “For a dual-use technology company, that combination is extremely valuable.”

Ottawa’s role as a global centre for telecommunications and photonics was particularly important for the company’s growth trajectory. The city’s collaborative ecosystem enables companies like Optii to connect directly with universities, technical advisors, innovation organizations, defence stakeholders, and commercialization partners.

For Dr. Williams, Ottawa also represents a personal and scientific connection. She completed her PhD in Physics at the University of Ottawa through the Centre for Research in Photonics, an experience that helped shape both her technical expertise and Optii’s understanding of Ottawa as a place where advanced science and commercialization can intersect successfully.

“Ottawa is not just where Optii is building,” said Dr. Williams. “It is also where my scientific foundation in photonics was shaped.”

Building Talent at the Intersection of Science and Commercialization

As a deep-tech company operating across multiple disciplines, Optii’s growth depends on highly specialized talent capable of bridging technical and commercial challenges.

The company is actively focused on expertise in:

• Photonics and optical systems
• RF engineering and signal analysis
• Software development and data interpretation
• Hardware prototyping and systems integration
• Defence and aerospace commercialization
• Research, grant, and commercialization strategy

“We look for people who are not only technically strong, but also curious, adaptable, and comfortable solving problems that do not yet have a standard playbook,” said Dr. Williams.

Optii says Ottawa’s talent market has exceeded expectations, particularly due to the concentration of interdisciplinary expertise spanning engineering, telecommunications, software, defence, and government-facing innovation.

“One assumption that changed was the idea that a smaller market would make it harder to find specialized talent,” the company shared. “In practice, Ottawa has a strong and concentrated talent base for the type of work Optii is doing.”

Growing Through Collaboration

For Optii, collaboration is not just part of the ecosystem, it is part of the company’s culture.

Its work requires close coordination between researchers, engineers, commercialization partners, defence stakeholders, and customers to bring highly specialized technology into operational environments.

“Optii’s technology is built on deep science, but the company is built through collaboration,” said Dr. Daisy Williams. “We believe the strongest innovations come from bringing different perspectives together around a difficult problem.”

That collaborative approach is creating opportunities beyond Canada’s borders.

Optii was recently selected to participate in the Virginia Beach Economic Development International Incubator, a highly competitive program that accepts only four international companies annually. To date, Optii is the only Canadian company to have been accepted into the program, providing the company with a strategic platform to deepen relationships within the U.S. innovation and defence ecosystem.

The company is also engaged with the Mid-Atlantic Tech Bridge and the Naval Information Warfare Command Atlantic (NIWC Atlantic), organizations that are currently pursuing a Foreign Comparative Test (FCT) for Optii’s technology with the United States Navy.

The FCT program evaluates mature technologies from allied nations for potential adoption by the U.S. Department of Defense and represents an important validation pathway for emerging defence innovations.

The company describes Ottawa’s innovation ecosystem as both technically credible and highly supportive, an environment that has helped accelerate its growth as an employer and emerging Canadian technology company.

“Ottawa has been a strong place to build because the ecosystem is both technically credible and genuinely collaborative,” said Zafar. “For a company like Optii, that support makes a real difference.”

Looking Ahead

As Optii advances partner testing, systems integration, and commercialization efforts, Ottawa will remain central to the company’s growth strategy.

The company expects continued expansion in photonics, RF systems, software development, product integration, and strategic partnership roles as it scales its technology for operational deployment.

“As Optii grows, we want Ottawa to remain a core part of our story,” said Dr. Williams. “This is a city with the talent, technical depth, and collaborative spirit needed to help Canadian technology companies compete globally.”

For companies building advanced technologies with global relevance, Optii sees Ottawa not simply as a place to operate, but as a place to grow.

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Learn More

Learn more about Optii Corp. and its advanced photonics sensing technology at optii.ca.

Interested in scaling your global technology company in Canada’s capital?

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