Star Metro - Fourteen of Canada's Top Startups Named as 2026 CIX Startup Award Winners

TORONTO, ON / ACCESS Newswire / February 10, 2026 / Elevate has announced the 2026 CIX Startup Awards winners: fourteen exceptional Canadian startups from across the country making an impact in health, climate, defence, fintech and marketing. Over half are impact ventures and three-quarters have female founders or C-level executives. The winners were selected from a pool of over 370 applications, reviewed by 94 leading North American investors.

These award recipients will present in person at the CIX Summit on March 25, 2026 at the Design Exchange in Toronto, connecting with 600+ investors, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders from across North America's technology ecosystem.

The 2026 CIX Startup Award Recipients:

Emerging Category Recipients:

• PRE Inc. (Marketing Tech)- Toronto, ON

• Sonaro (Healthtech)- Montreal, QC

• Cashew Research (Marketing Tech)- Calgary, AB

• Elle, MD Biotechnologies (Healthtech)- New Minas, NS

• Xubin Aerospace (Defense Tech)- Oakville, ON

Early Category Recipients:

• Qidni Labs (Medtech)- Kitchener, ON

• WeavAir (Climate Tech)- Toronto, ON

• Pontosense (Medtech)- Toronto, ON

• MedMe Health (Healthtech)- Toronto, ON

• LiORA (Climate Tech)- Calgary, AB

Growth Category Recipients:

• Venn (Fintech)- Toronto, ON

• Eavor Technologies (Climate Tech)- Calgary, AB

• Loopio (Sales Automation)- Toronto, ON

• Hiive (Fintech)- Vancouver, BC

A 19-Year Legacy of Celebrating Canada's Tech Leaders

Over the last 18 years, CIX's awards program has elevated Canada's most promising startups to an international audience. This year's fourteen winners join an illustrious alumni list including Brim Financial, Float Financial, SRTX, ApplyBoard, Clio, League, Wealthsimple, Ada, and Dapper Labs.

The CIX Selection Committee, comprised of over 90 esteemed investors including representatives from Altos Ventures, Antler, Forum Ventures, Inovia Capital, Golden Ventures, Mighty Capital, Panache Ventures, and White Star Capital, evaluated more than 370 submissions, based on six criteria: Business Model, Quality of Offering, Innovation, Market Opportunity, Management Depth, and Leadership team Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. To avoid bias, a minimum of 15 investor judges evaluated each application.

"It is a challenging time for entrepreneurs, and so it was wonderful to see the quality of this year's CIX winners," said Neha Kera, Managing Partner at Innovobot Resonance Ventures and CIX Startup Awards Co-Chair. "We are eager to see what else they will accomplish in the years to come, and I hope everyone can learn more about them at CIX".

"The competition was intense with over 350 applicants, and our selection committee did a stellar job in selecting the winners," said Matthew Leibowitz, Managing General Partner, Plaza Ventures and CIX Startup Awards Co-Chair. "We're thrilled to shine a spotlight on this year's recipients and can't wait to meet them at CIX Summit."

A Critical Platform in Challenging Times

Amid ongoing trade tensions between the USA and Canada and the lowest level of Canadian VC investment since 2020, the CIX Summit remains steadfast in its commitment to strengthen Canada's startup ecosystem. The March 25 program facilitates crucial connections between Canadian founders and North American investors while featuring discussions with Canadian unicorn startup leaders who have lessons to share with others taking the same path.

What to Expect at CIX Summit 2026

The program includes founder pitches, networking sessions, interactive roundtables, and 1-on-1 meetings between founders and investors.

Meeting Exchanges: Over 75 investors from across North America will take 1:1 meetings with founders. As each investor will take multiple meetings, there are over 450 meeting opportunities at this year's Summit.

CIX Investor Forum: A closed-door, exclusive gathering of North American VCs and LPs to network and have off-the-record conversations on the latest trends shaping early-stage and growth investing.

CIX Founder Forum: Practical guidance on raising your seed round with confidence, structuring your cap table to maintain control as you scale, and unlocking non-dilutive capital to extend runway without giving up equity.

Secure Early Bird tickets before February 26, 2026 at CIXSummit.com

About Elevate
Elevate is a Canadian non-profit that unites world-class innovators to catalyze transformation in the Canadian tech ecosystem. Through year-round programs and events, including the annual Elevate Festival and CIX Summit, Elevate places a spotlight on Canadian innovation, facilitates global connections with startups and investors, and inspires Canadians to embrace a go-for-gold mentality to help shape the future of the Canadian innovation economy. Elevate has hosted global icons such as First Lady & Author Michelle Obama, Businesswoman & TV personality Martha Stewart, CEO of OpenAI Sam Altman, Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, and U.S. Vice President Al Gore, each of whom has inspired millions of people. Learn more at Elevate.ca.

Media can apply for a media pass and access more images by visiting https://cixsummit.com/press-room.

For award winner and CIX Summit interview inquiries, please contact: Amanda Connon-Unda, Senior Director, Marketing and Communications, Elevate: [email protected]

SOURCE: Elevate

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