What Canadian AI Startups Need to Succeed, According to Founders & CTOs

Growing and launching a startup has always been difficult. Over the past few years, we’ve seen the rise of AI intensify that difficulty.

As more startups across Canada integrate this new technology into their business and product offerings, they’re bumping up against increasingly complex problems, with limited time and resources to find solutions.

“I have the privilege to lead the Startups team at Amii. Since 2021, we’ve helped more than 150 startups explore, build, and deploy ML & AI technologies,” says Adam Danyleyko, Product Owner - Startups at Amii.

“And after spending countless hours speaking with those in the community at Upper Bound, Inventures, and Collision over the past month, I’m more confident than ever that startups need our support.”

AI-driven startups face entirely unique challenges: the rapid pace of ML advancement, growing pains from scaling, market demand for effective AI features or capabilities, the pursuit of funding, and on and on and on. For growing startups, it can be difficult to know where to start.

Core Struggles & Solutions

Insights lifted directly from the community motivated Adam’s team to build Level Up: a program and network to support and empower startups with ML at their core.

Their journey began with a simple yet profound observation: while AI and ML hold transformative potential, the path to harnessing this potential is fraught with obstacles.

Through conversations with Founders, CTOs and ML Leads, they identified common threads:

1. The inability to keep up with ML research and industry trends
2. The desire for a sounding board to hash out new ideas
3. The difficulty in recruiting qualified ML talent
4. The struggle to enhance credibility and attract investment
5. The lack of meaningful connections with other startups experiencing similar struggles

Level Up bridges these support gaps.

How It Works

The main tenets of Level Up are:

Embracing Innovation Through Collaboration

Innovation thrives in an ecosystem of collaboration and knowledge-sharing. Level Up fosters meaningful connections between program peers and industry experts, creating a fertile ground for ideas to flourish.

Staying Ahead of the Curve

To remain leaders in their respective domains and drive innovation within their industries, startups must keep up with the latest research and industry trends. Level Up offers expertise from academic and industry luminaries, providing startups with invaluable insights into emerging technologies and best practices.

Building a Strong Foundation for Growth

Technological prowess isn’t the only factor to success. Strategic partnerships and talent acquisition are equally important. Through Level Up, startups can enhance their credibility and build their dream technical team through formal partnerships and access to Amii's network of top ML talent.

In practice, this looks like:

• Bi-monthly 1:1 Coaching: Personalized guidance from Amii ML Scientists to help startups navigate their ML journey.
• Quarterly Expert Sessions: Sessions led by industry experts keep startups informed on the latest research and trends.
• Peer-to-Peer Networking: Fellow startups forge connections, sharing insights and experiences to overcome mutual challenges.
• Recruitment Support: Access to Amii’s network of top ML talent eases the burden of talent acquisition.
• Amii Affiliation: Partnership with Amii can be leveraged for enhanced marketing and investment opportunities.
• Pitchbook Inclusion: Affiliated startups are featured in Amii’s pitchbook, raising their profile within Amii’s extensive network.

Participant Success

With three cohorts completed, 38 companies have flourished through the program's tailored support. In their own words:

The program has delivered transformative support to dozens of startups, helping to accelerate ML capabilities, forge essential connections, and overcome industry challenges.

An Ever-Changing Space

As interest and investment in the AI startup space reach new heights, the pressure to integrate AI well and fast is also rising.

With this technology, AI Startups aren't just navigating uncharted territory — they're navigating uncharted territory while the landscape changes in real time.

Through Level Up, Amii equips startups with the tools, expertise, and network needed to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.

Ready to Grow Your AI Startup?

Learn more about our Level Up program and sign up to receive a notice when applications re-open!

If you still have questions about how Level Up can help your startup accelerate its ML efforts, talk to our team: book a meeting or shoot an email to startups@amii.ca.