This is one mistake that any Canadian would tell you theyve heard more times than theyd like to admit.
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Thats why weve decided to take a look at the realities of Canadas O.G.
But while the telecom giant disappeared, the technical labor force did not.
Additionally, the citys four accredited universities churn out roughly 25,000 STEM graduates per year.
But theres still a huge demand for more.
For entrepreneurs and investors, this comes as both a blessing and a curse.
On one hand, it demonstrates that an entrepreneurial spirit pervades the entire city.
One of Kanata Norths biggest focal points isL-SPARK, led by Executive Managing Director Leo Lax.
It recently launchednew accelerator programwith BlackBerry as well.
Another ten minutes away isCarleton University, which has its ownHatchandLead to Winentrepreneurship initiatives as well.
Invest Ottawa is a government-backed non-profit organization with a number of roles to support the citys entrepreneurs.
Fortunately, the outlook is promising.
A number of key industries
Just as disparate as Ottawas startup geographies are its startup industries.
What most of these companies have in common, though, is that they are B2B.
This is probably why a majority of people havent heard of many of Ottawas most successful ventures.
With regard to the latter, itsautonomous vehiclesthats driving the trend.
Ottawa is primed to be a world-class tech ecosystem,said Harley Finkelstein, Chief Operating Officer at Shopify.
In 2017, Ottawa pulled in$148 million in VC fundingbetween 21 deals.
The numbers for thefirst half of 2018paint a similar picture as well.
Nevertheless, there are a handful of investors that are fairly active in Ottawa.
Theres alsoOntario Centres of Excellence, which offers co-investment funding, located at Bayview Yards.
All things considered, the outlook for Ottawas tech ecosystem is positive.
But its important not to downplay or overlook the success it has already achieved.
While the city may not currently be Canadas flashiest tech hub, it is undoubtedly an important one.
This article was Co-Written byZachary Laval.
Story byConrad Egusa
Conrad lives in Medellin & NYC and profiles startup ecosystems during his travels.
