As the leaves start to hit the ground (yes, it’s that time already), we are looking back to shine the light on this month’s highlights, featuring three Ottawa-based companies working to redefine innovation and growth in very different, but equally impactful ways.

From 3XMAG’s groundbreaking UAV survey at Mer Bleue to DashQ’s AI-powered leap in rental efficiency to Tunes on Wheels’ continued momentum through strategic partnerships, these stories reflect the entrepreneurial spirit thriving across our region.

Whether it’s drones mapping wetlands, tech simplifying housing, or mobile bike shops on the move, there’s plenty of inspiration to spotlight this fall.

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3XMAG at Mer Bleue: Pioneering UAV Geophysics and UXO Detection in Ottawa

When it comes to innovation in UAV geophysics, few companies have achieved the rapid traction of 3XMAG Technologies Inc. Founded in Ottawa, 3XMAG Technologies Inc. is turning heads with its ability to map large, complex sites at unprecedented speed and accuracy—all while opening new pathways in environmental monitoring and defence remediation.

Breaking New Ground at Mer Bleue

In June 2025, 3XMAG completed the first UAV-based triaxial magnetometry survey in the National Capital Region at Mer Bleue, a federally protected Ramsar wetland just outside of downtown Ottawa. In just four flight days, the team mapped 125 acres, producing high-resolution subsurface intelligence at a fraction of the cost and time required by traditional methods.

The results sparked immediate interest. Three defence primes reached out for follow-up discussions, and the Department of National Defence’s Counter-Explosive Threats group invited the company to deliver a technical briefing.

Why Mer Bleue?

Mer Bleue was more than just a test site; it was a proving ground. Managed by the National Capital Commission, the bog at Mer Bleue offered a rare opportunity to demonstrate how UAV-based geophysics could solve real-world challenges.

• Traditional ground teams and helicopters struggle in wetlands, but UAVs provide a lightweight, non-invasive way to collect subsurface data.
• The project’s proximity to Ottawa’s federal decision-makers also maximized visibility with government stakeholders.
• Mer Bleue’s sensitive ecology added to the challenge. Crews worked from floating mats and boardwalks to avoid disturbing the peat layers, while regulatory approvals demanded multiple permits and expanded insurance coverage.

Despite these hurdles, 3XMAG delivered results within 48 hours, compressing a process that typically takes weeks.

The Mer Bleue pilot validated several breakthroughs:

• Rapid in-field data processing, producing preliminary maps within hours.
• Large-area UAV magnetometry with sub-meter resolution, covering hundreds of acres in just days.
• A minimum viable cost model, demonstrating that clients can achieve up to 50% cost savings while quadrupling data density.

From Pilot to Platform

What began as a single pilot has evolved into the foundation of 3XMAG’s long-term strategy. The Mer Bleue project showed that their UAV platform could seamlessly shift between applications—from mineral exploration to defence UXO detection to environmental monitoring.

This flexibility is now driving new pilots across Canada, including upcoming projects with Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, defence remediation sites, and legacy mining areas.

Ottawa as a Living Laboratory

For 3XMAG, Ottawa is more than a headquarters—it’s a proving ground. The city’s innovation ecosystem has opened doors to federal regulators, defence HQ, and research institutions. Partnerships with Carleton University and the Nicol Internship program have provided vital resources, from wetland expertise to insurance coverage.

The company is also spearheading the Subsurface Geophysical Test Range at Area X.O, which will become Canada’s first multi-sensor proving ground for UAVs, robotics, magnetometry, and radiometry payloads.

In parallel, 3XMAG is developing a semi-automated cloud data-processing pipeline, with an alpha release slated for Q1 2026. This will move the company from a hardware vendor to a data-platform provider, delivering near-real-time decision support for miners, defence agencies, and environmental scientists.

What’s Next

3XMAG is turning momentum into measurable growth with a series of strategic pilots and investments on the horizon:

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  Q4 2025 – Environmental Monitoring at Canadian Nuclear Laboratories: Backed by a CA $10K MITACS research grant, this CA $35K pilot project will test UAV-based monitoring in a highly regulated setting.

• January 2026 – Defence & Mining-Site Remediation Pilots: Two paid projects are already scheduled to launch in early 2026: one at a Canadian defence range and another at a legacy mining site. Both will expand 3XMAG’s footprint in environmental monitoring and UXO remediation.
• Q1 2026 – Semi-Automated Cloud Pipeline: Building on lessons from Mer Bleue, 3XMAG is finalizing an alpha release of its cloud-based data-processing pipeline, which will deliver same-day subsurface intelligence by automating magnetics, radiometrics, and metadata workflows.
• 2026 and Beyond – Scaling to Site-Intelligence-as-a-Service: With a growing base of pilot projects and validated technology, 3XMAG is preparing to bundle UAV deployment with subscription-ready analytics software. To fuel this growth, the company is opening a CA $350K seed round to expand its engineering team and accelerate its AI/ML capabilities.

Why Ottawa?

“Ottawa couples hard tech infrastructure with unmatched market access,” says Pablo Arzate, Founder of 3XMAG. “From day one, Invest Ottawa’s Global Expansion team has been our accelerator—helping us incorporate, find mentors, secure funding, and open doors to federal buyers. Their support made Ottawa the launchpad for our dual-use geophysics platform.”

With its blend of federal connections, research partnerships, and world-class test ranges, Ottawa is enabling 3XMAG to transform how industries—from mining to defence—understand and manage the subsurface.

Looking to Grow Your Business in Ottawa?

Through Invest Ottawa’s Global Expansion team, companies gain access to mentorship, funding programs, test ranges, and introductions to government, research, and industry leaders. This hands-on support helps innovators like 3XMAG accelerate growth and scale their impact from Ottawa to global markets.

• Visit our job board.
• Join our talent pool.
• Subscribe to our Global Talent Newsletter.

Accelerating Rental Opportunities with AI-Driven Efficiency – DashQ

DashQ, an IO Accelerator company, is reshaping how landlords turn interest into signed leases. The Ottawa-based company has built an AI-powered platform that centralizes renter interactions and streamlines the lead-to-lease journey, making the process feel “as simple as booking a hotel.”

DashQ centralizes renter–property manager communication, coordinates showings, and simplifies applications and deposits – providing property managers with better oversight and helping renters secure a home more efficiently – all in one easy platform.

Speed rental approvals from days to minutes

In July 2025, DashQ launched Checkout, an e-commerce-style application that is a game-changer for leasing approvals, condensing them from ~72 hours to ~15 minutes through mobile-first workflows. With Checkout, forms, deposits, and secure verifications can be completed in minutes from any device.

In an uncertain housing market, DashQ, a Canadian tech innovator from the NCR, brings welcome certainty with its unique AI-forward application that supports both property managers and renters.

IO’s Venture Path support helps DashQ and other companies expand

As DashQ builds new solutions like Checkout, they’ve leaned on the guidance of IO Venture Path Advisors.

• Margo Crawford, IO’s Advisor for Human Resources, Leadership & Culture, has provided ongoing HR and culture advisory through one-on-one sessions and her COO peer group.
• She has supported DashQ’s leadership in strengthening their team structure and forecasting HR needs, ensuring they have the organizational capacity to match their rapid product innovation.

DashQ is also one of many companies that have leveraged Invest Ottawa’s Tech Exec Talent Services to hire executives or senior leaders in Ottawa. With deep roots in the startup community and relationships with hundreds of founders, Invest Ottawa has unique visibility into which companies are preparing to grow.

This perspective enables IO to make targeted, high-impact matches between scaling startups and local leaders seeking their next opportunity through the Tech Exec Talent Service.

Learn more

Alongside Tech Exec Talent Services, DashQ continues to use the IO Job Board to recruit for additional roles. Invest Ottawa is proud to provide these resources to help companies like DashQ to strengthen their teams and continue their growth journey.

• IO relaunched the Capital Talent Newsletter – Subscribe today.
• Looking to hire? Learn more about IO’s Tech Exec Talent Services.
• Looking for a job? Sign up for Job Alerts on IO’s Job Board.
• Interested in IO Accelerator? Learn more, or check out all programs in the IO Venture Path.

Tunes on Wheels Rides Momentum: From Summer Company to Strategic Growth

What started as a COVID-era side hustle has become one of Ottawa’s most recognizable mobile service brands.

Founded by Julien Chort, a graduate of the 2023 Summer Company program delivered by Invest Ottawa, Tunes on Wheels now operates a fleet of three mobile vans, offering bicycle, ski, snowboard, and skate services throughout the Ottawa-Gatineau region.

“Tunes On Wheels is your local mobile bicycle, ski, snow and skate service and repair shop,” Julien explained. “We serve the Ottawa/Gatineau region and provide the convenience of a mobile shop, offering quality work at affordable prices all with great customer service.”

Julien’s entrepreneurial journey began with a need for reliable summer work during the pandemic, but quickly evolved into something much bigger.

“This was a COVID baby for me,” he said. “Started out of necessity to find a stable summer job. We’ve been able to grow the business, build a strong four-man team, and aim to be the largest mobile bicycle service provider and expand to compete with the largest chain stores in the region.”

New Partnerships Fuel 2025 Growth

Tunes on Wheels hit a major milestone this year, partnering with CAA to offer mobile bike services to their members.

Julien calls this development a big step forward. “We were able to grow our fleet to three vans, hire Eli—one of our great employees! This was a great step for us, as it increased the quality of our service offering with new equipment and tools and boosted our overall booking availability for both CAA and Tunes on Wheels customers.”

Tunes on Wheels also expanded its footprint through a partnership with the National Capital Commission (NCC), delivering pop-ups and service events along popular cycling routes as part of its Weekend Bikedays initiative.

• In 2025, the team delivered 11 pop-ups along the Kichi Zibi Mikan (KZM) and Sir George-Étienne Cartier Parkway (SGEC).
• They also delivered 5 pop-ups in Gatineau Park.

These events brought convenient, expert bike service to cyclists right on the trails, reinforcing the brand’s mission to meet customers where they are.

How Summer Company Helped Jumpstart the Journey

Julien credits the Summer Company program, offered by the Ontario government and delivered by Invest Ottawa, for helping provide early-stage support and mentorship.

“Summer Company’s mentors provided me guidance on growth and possible re-branding leads,” he said, directly giving a nod to Ryan Gencarelli of Wild Idea Co., and the business advice he provided through the program.

He also noted the lasting impact of guest speakers who shared their insights through sessions provided during the program as well.

“We increased our prices in 2024 thanks to Karla Briones’ presentation she gave in 2023. I still have her PDF file,” he shared. “I learned to be more relatable and outgoing, and most importantly, was also able to grow my circle of friends that share the same drive as I do.”

Looking Ahead

Julien already has his sights set on further expansion for Tunes on Wheels in 2026.

• “We are expanding with CAA to on-call, emergency bicycle calls and are excited to see what we can improve on for next season,” he says.
• “We’re also planning on replacing one service van, and possibly hiring one more employee.”

In the meantime, customers can look forward to end-of-season pop-ups with the NCC, along with the return of winter sports service bookings starting in November—including mobile skate sharpening, a new service Julien plans to roll out soon.

From solo start-up to full-service team with major partnerships in place, Julien Chort’s Tunes on Wheels is proving that with determination, the right support, and a great set of tools, you really can keep everything moving forward.

• Learn more about Tunes on Wheels.
• Discover more about the Summer Company program and how it helps young entrepreneurs launch their ventures

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