June 13, 2025 – Ottawa, ON – Invest Ottawa (IO) is proud to announce that Trellis has become the first client company to advance through the IO Venture Path portfolio of programs, recently graduating from IO Accelerator and moving into IO ScaleUp.  

Co-founded in 2019 by Fahim Sheikh, Krishna Vemulapali, Denis LeClair and Dominic Plouffe, Trellis is an AI-powered software platform that accelerates top-line growth and maximizes profitability for brands on e-commerce marketplaces. Leveraging advanced advertising automation, dynamic pricing, and data-driven insights, Trellis empowers businesses to optimize performance across digital sales channels.  

In 2020, Trellis started their journey on the IO Venture Path by joining the IO Ignition program. 

“Trellis is a great example of a company that’s not just thinking big – they’re driving real results,” said Michelle Younes, Director of Venture Programs at Invest Ottawa. “They’ve progressed through the IO Venture Path with impressive speed, staying laser-focused and making the most of our support at every stage. We’re proud to support them as they enter IO ScaleUp and continue to expand their impact worldwide.” 

How the IO Venture Path Creates Value 

The IO Venture Path provides an opportunity for tech startups in the National Capital Region to access mentorship, resources and support that can accelerate growth potential, sustainability, and pave the way towards financial independence. The path consists of three stage-gated programs: 

• IO Ignition, a ten-week bootcamp for early-stage companies that need support validating an idea and building a strong business foundation.  

• IO Accelerator, for businesses that have early market traction, and are seeking help to find product-market fit, secure funding, and build out major business disciplines.  

• IO ScaleUp, for high-growth firms in Ottawa, looking to expand globally, scale operations and leadership and actively drive towards $100M in revenue.  

Championing Entrepreneurial Growth 

Trellis joined the IO Accelerator in January 2021 as a team of 12. At the time, they had raised angel funds and were working towards their first $100K in annual recurring revenue (ARR). With support of the IO Accelerator, the company has grown rapidly to a team of 40 and has seen significant growth over the past few years. Trellis was also recently recognized as a leader in the Amazon Advertising space.      

As a testament to their rapid growth, Trellis was ranked as Ottawa’s fastest-growing company in 2024 and recently ranked again in the top ten, with an impressive 343.75% in revenue growth over the last three years. 

IO ScaleUp will provide Trellis with strategic growth resources to expand brand reach, integrate into new marketplaces, in addition to Amazon, Walmart and Shopify, and scale their global presence—accelerating their momentum and supporting their growth goals. 

“Invest Ottawa has been instrumental to Trellis’ success—from their world-class advisors and high-impact networking programs to deep dives with industry experts that sharpened our strategy. Having worked with teams in Silicon Valley, Dallas, Boston, and Singapore, I can confidently say the tech talent in Ottawa is second to none. With a growing list of e-commerce success stories, Ottawa is fast becoming a powerhouse tech hub for the next generation of digital commerce.” 

— Fahim Sheikh, CEO of Trellis 

Companies like Trellis succeed because of their vision, determination and innovation; Invest Ottawa’s mission through the IO Venture Path is to help accelerate that momentum and celebrate their milestones along the way.  

About Invest Ottawa 

Invest Ottawa is the lead economic development agency for knowledge-based industries in Canada’s Capital Region, facilitating economic growth and job creation in Ottawa. Guided by a vision to help realize Ottawa’s full potential as a globally recognized, innovative, inclusive, and future-ready city, Invest Ottawa delivers venture development, global expansion and talent programs and services that catalyze the growth and success of entrepreneurs and firms. These include small business training, mentorship, acceleration for technology firms, foreign business and investment attraction, local business retention and expansion in targeted sectors, commercialization and marketing, Ottawa’s diversified economy and high quality of life. Invest Ottawa is also the manager of Bayview Yards, Ottawa’s innovation hub and one-stop business acceleration shop, and founder and operator of Area X.O, the R&D complex for next-gen smart mobility, autonomy, and connectivity technologies. Since 2013, Invest Ottawa has supported almost 14,000 companies, contributed to the creation of more than 14,700 jobs, helped domestic companies raise $1.86 billion in capital and attracted $1.47 billion in domestic and foreign direct investment to Ottawa.  

About Trellis 

Trellis offers advertising automation, dynamic pricing, and powerful analytics to connect brands with the right customers on Amazon, Walmart, and beyond. Through full-funnel analysis, we help brands of all sizes maximize share of voice, improve catalog productivity, engage repeat customers, and drive revenue growth for sustained online success. Trellis’ software balances the best of AI precision with human intuition, giving growing brands built-in, customizable strategy and flexible execution. 

Media Contact 

Patrick Kenny  
Senior Director, Marketing and Communications, Invest Ottawa  
613-724-7160  
[email protected]