30 Ontario companies welcome major industry investment with Ontario government support to accelerate path to global markets for homegrown electrification, EV charging infrastructure and smart mobility solutions.
(May 9, 2025), Toronto, ON — The Ontario government is securing the future of the automotive and mobility sector and creating good-paying jobs by growing its domestic supply chain and accelerating the path of Ontario-made technologies to global markets. Fueled by a total investment of over $56 million that includes nearly $39 million from the private sector and over $17 million through the Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network (OVIN), Ontario is supporting 30 homegrown small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in bringing their innovative technologies into the global supply chain.
“By investing in homegrown innovation and helping local companies compete in global markets, Ontario is protecting the future of our automotive sector and ensuring the cars of the future are made in Ontario, by Ontario workers,” said Victor Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. “Through the Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network, our government is strengthening our domestic supply chain, driving competitiveness and resilience, and creating good-paying jobs that will withstand this storm of tariffs and economic uncertainty.”
As Ontario works to protect and create new jobs in the auto sector, these strategic collaborations between government, industry leaders and Ontario-based automotive and mobility companies will be pivotal in addressing current economic uncertainties and building long-term resilience. By investing in homegrown companies and catalyzing matching investments from established industry leaders, Ontario is paving the way for local companies to enter global markets and attract key customers for made-in-Ontario connected, autonomous and electric vehicle technologies, advanced charging solutions and smart mobility innovations.
These investments and partnerships between homegrown companies and industry leaders enable Ontario to fortify the supply chain with new technologies and secure continued industry support through early access to next-generation solutions that will enhance their competitive edge. Through these efforts, Ontario continues to reinforce its automotive manufacturing and technology strengths and cement its position as the global hub for automotive and mobility innovation.
Quick Facts
- Led by the Ontario Centre of Innovation (OCI), the Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network (OVIN) is the Government of Ontario’s flagship initiative and a key component of the Driving Prosperity plan for the automotive and mobility sector, with a mandate to drive economic development and catalyze a future that builds safer, cleaner, and more efficient transportation.
- The Ontario government has invested $56.4 million in OVIN to strengthen Ontario’s position as a North American automotive and electric vehicle (EV) innovation hub.
- The OVIN R&D Partnership Fund R&D provides co-investment for SMEs and supports strategic partnerships to develop, test, validate, demonstrate, and commercialize automotive and smart mobility technologies and solutions.
- Ontario’s automotive and mobility sector is one of North America’s most productive and diverse, including 700+ parts manufacturing companies, 500+ tool, die and mold makers and 400+ C/AV and mobility start-ups.
Quotes
“Ontario is in the driver’s seat of the global automotive and mobility sector, unleashing its boundless potential to foster innovation and catalyze lasting economic growth. This critical investment by the Ontario government through the Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network reflects Ontario’s strong commitment to fostering partnerships with global industry leaders, accelerating the growth of Ontario-made technologies, and harnessing the power of homegrown Ontario companies to create jobs and drive prosperity. Together, we ensuring that Ontario will continue to be a global automotive and mobility leader for decades to come.”
– Raed Kadri
Vice-President, Strategic Initiatives and Business Development, OCI and Head of OVIN
“This investment highlights the critical role our homegrown companies play in shaping the future of mobility. Through OVIN, we are proud to support ambitious, made-in-Ontario technologies that are advancing electrification, smart infrastructure, and connected vehicle solutions – accelerating commercialization and keeping Ontario at the forefront of the mobility revolution.”
– Claudia Krywiak
President & CEO, Ontario Centre of Innovation
About the Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network (OVIN)
The Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network (OVIN) is an initiative of the Government of Ontario, led by the Ontario Centre of Innovation (OCI), designed to reinforce Ontario’s position as a North American leader in advanced automotive technology and smart mobility solutions such as connected vehicles, autonomous vehicles and electric and low-carbon vehicle technologies.
Through resources such as research and development (R&D) support, talent and skills development, technology acceleration, business and technical supports, and demonstration grounds, OVIN provides a competitive advantage to Ontario-made automotive and mobility technology companies. For more information: https://www.ovinhub.ca
OVIN R&D Partnership Fund Recipients
The Ontario government catalyzed over $56 million in investments – including over $17 million from the province and more than $39 million from industry partners to support 30 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in developing, testing, and commercializing innovative automotive and mobility technologies.
List of Recipients:
- AlumaPower Corporation (Sarnia), in collaboration with Festival Hydro will field trial a new kind of grid independent power generator for charging EVs, using the innovative “Aluminum-air Galvanic Generator(TM)”.
- Audesse Automotive Inc. (Kitchener), in partnership with a major U.S. axle manufacturer, is deploying a connected vehicle controller tailored for electric trailers.
- Cedric Millar Integrated Solutions Inc. (Mississauga), working with Canada Metal Processing Group (“MPG Canada”), part of the Heico Companies, is building a digital control tower platform to support optimization of transportation and logistics.
- Clockwork (Kitchener) with BGIS Global Integrated Solutions as a design partner, is developing EV charging operations and maintenance (O&M) software that supports operators in keeping chargers operational detecting, diagnosing, and resolving issues before they impact drivers.
- Dejero (Waterloo), working with Nomad Global Communication Solutions and Cyberkar Systems Inc., to develop a rugged 5G smart gateway for critical communications.
- DFN Freight Exchange Inc. (Kitchener), with Challenger Motor Freight Inc., is creating an AI-powered freight exchange platform to optimize load matching.
- EAIGLE Inc. (Markham), is partnering with Trimac Transportation Services Inc., one of the largest transportation companies in North America to develop and commercialize a real-time vision-based AI solution for connecting logistics facilities like transportation hubs, warehouses and distribution centers to conventional and autonomous heavy trucks, trailers, containers and cargo trains.
- Elocity Technologies Inc. (Toronto), in partnership with Milton Energy and Generation Solutions Inc. and Burlington Electricity Services Inc., is piloting a nano-grid EV charging solution for both commercial and residential users.
- Evolute Power (Toronto), with Eaton Industries Canada, is advancing its smart energy management system for electric vehicle infrastructure.
- FleetRover Inc. (Toronto), in collaboration with industry partner and Mack Trucks Canada, is building an AI-powered logistics platform to reduce empty truck mileage.
- GeoMate Inc. (Kitchener), in partnership with the City of Kitchener, is building high-definition maps to support autonomous driving in urban environments.
- Global Sensor Systems Inc. (Mississauga), partnering with OMS Express, is improving vehicle backup systems using multi-sensor technologies.
- GravitySlide Inc. (Hamilton), is collaborating with Nomad Custom Trailers Inc. to deliver an improved electric drive product for slow-speed maneuvering & parking of travel-trailer RVs and commercial trailers.
- GreenLIB (Kingston), with technical support from Kingston Process Metallurgy and commercial support from Ocean Partners USA, is scaling up a pre-treatment process to recover and upgrade critical elements—such as lithium, graphite, and nickel/cobalt—from end-of-life lithium-ion batteries.
- Illuminex AI (Cobourg), in collaboration with the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) is developing and testing InspectEx, an AI-driven and sensor-fusion-based inspection platform for airfields and public road infrastructure.
- iMVR Inc. (Beamsville), in collaboration with DriveWise and Aerodrome International Security, is integrating virtual reality into airport training programs for airside vehicle operators.
- Inmotive Inc. (North York), working with Bando Chemical Industries, is advancing a two-speed belt drive system for electric two-wheelers.
- KA Imaging Inc. (Waterloo), partnering with Dana Canada Corporation, is applying X-ray imaging to improve quality assurance in battery component manufacturing.
- Next Hydrogen Solutions Inc. (Mississauga), in collaboration with a large Canadian retailer, is building the largest onsite green hydrogen fueling system at a major distribution centre in Ontario.
- Palitronica Inc. (Waterloo), in partnership with Continental Automotive Technologies, is enhancing quality assurance and supply chain cybersecurity through non-destructive, electronics testing.
- Pantonium Inc. (Toronto), Pantonium Inc. (Toronto), in partnership with Vesta Networks is developing On-Demand Transit technology to support Indigenous, rural and remote communities.
- Proventus Global (Toronto), in collaboration with Thinking Capital, will develop and demonstrate an innovative DC fast-charger that combines solar generation, an energy storage solution, and a DC microgrid within a single enclosure, offering a cost-effective and green-friendly solution for EV charging infrastructure.
- RideFlag Technologies Inc. (Mississauga), is collaborating with The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) on a TaaS (Tolling as a Service) pilot with the goal of enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of the world’s longest High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lane stretching 119km on Interstate 15.
- Rose Rocket (Toronto), is partnering with Geotab to build the first-ever Verified Asset Capacity Database connecting freight brokers with authenticated and quality carriers to mitigate fraud in the North American Supply Chain.
- SafeSight Exploration Inc. (North Bay), with the City of North Bay and Rogers Communications, is implementing real-time 3D road mapping supported by 5G networks.
- Sheba Microsystems (Toronto), is partnering with a US based OEM, to develop an automotive qualified and packaged Silicon micro-actuator-based technology to move image sensors to compensate for thermal effects and ensure ADAS cameras are consistently in focus.
- Soneil Spark (Brampton), working with OK Tire, is designing a grid load-balancing system that enables more efficient use of existing electrical infrastructure, helping businesses deploy EV charging stations without costly and time-consuming power upgrades.
- Variablegrid Adaptive Power Inc. (Toronto), in collaboration with Hypercharge Networks and Leading Ahead Inc., is developing an energy management platform that dynamically controls EV charging across any network and enables multi-tier power coordination and vehicle-to-grid (V2G) functionality.
- YScope Inc. (Toronto), collaborating with Uber Technologies Inc., is developing high efficiency data collection and compression tools for data platforms.
- e-Zinc Inc. (Toronto), working with Toyota Tsusho Canada Inc. to develop long duration energy storage (LDES) to support grid storage for applications like advanced EV charging.