Ottawa, ON – June 12, 2025 — AccelerateOTT 2025, Canada’s leading founder-first innovation conference, wrapped another milestone year this week with a sold-out crowd, founder stories, and deep conversations on what it takes to scale in today’s complex economic climate.
With more than 580 registrants, this year’s edition marked one of the largest AccelerateOTT conferences to date — a powerful sign that Canada’s entrepreneurial spirit is alive, hungry, and growing. Founders, investors, and partners from across the country came together under the theme “Legends in the Making” to connect, challenge, and celebrate the next generation of builders in Canada’s capital and beyond.
“The definition of a legend is this: A fearless builder who takes bold risks to create something that changes the game – and leaves a lasting impact on the world around them,” shared Sonya Shorey, President and CEO, Invest Ottawa.
Jonathan Lowenhar, founder and managing partner at Enjoy the Work challenged the audience “Monologues are boring. Dialogues are not.” during one of the day’s most dynamic sessions. In real time, he workshopped founder pitches on stage, transforming stories through live feedback and interaction. The session embodied the essence of AccelerateOTT — authentic, collaborative, and practical.
In a deeply personal opening keynote, Kyle Braatz, Co-Founder of Fullscript, urged founders to embrace vulnerability as a leadership strength,
“Park your ego at the door and be vulnerable. Vulnerability is a superpower,”
he said to a standing-room-only crowd.
Another standout moment came from Elizabeth Audette-Bourdeau, Founder and CEO of Welbi, who reflected on early-stage startup missteps:
“We thought our validation was being in the newspaper. It was too easy to get swept up in invitations and articles. But we quickly realized that customers were the only true validation. PR is important, but customers matter more.”
The day also celebrated major ecosystem wins, including a milestone for Invest Ottawa and Trellis, with the company being the first client company to advance through the full Invest Ottawa Venture Path.
“You are creating the companies, technologies, and industries that will define our next chapter – not in Silicon Valley, not in Berlin or Boston – but right here in Ottawa, in Canada’s Innovation Capital.” remarked Shorey, drawing a round of applause as she opened the day.
The event concluded with the Startup World Cup regional pitch competition, powered by Pegasus Tech Ventures, where mDETECT took home the crown and a chance to compete for $1 million USD in Silicon Valley later this year. Second and third place finishers were loon (2nd) and Szimpla (3rd).
As the curtains close on AccelerateOTT 2025, what remains is a clear signal: Canada’s founders are stepping up, and the appetite for connection, insight, and honest dialogue is only growing. Events like this underscore the critical role that founder-led innovation will play in shaping our economy: not someday, but right now.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Patrick Kenny
Senior Director, Marketing and Communications, Invest Ottawa
613-724-7160
[email protected]
Lindsey Fair
Vice President, Marketing and Bayview Impact, Invest Ottawa
613-857-7779
[email protected]
Event Highlights, Full Program Outline, Photos, Video, Speaker Bios and more available at: