C100 — the global network of Canadian tech leaders that helped scale Wealthsimple, Shopify, and Ada — just announced its 2026 Fellows: 20 Canadian startups connected to Silicon Valley's top operators and investors.
Here's why this matters for your career: these companies have collectively raised over $13.2B, created more than 23,000 jobs, and reached cumulative valuations exceeding $26.6B. And they're all hiring right now, before they become household names.
Where the Smart Money Is Going
The sectors dominating this year's list:
AI Infrastructure (the actual plumbing, not apps)
- Blumind (Ottawa): Building chips that use 100-1000x less power than conventional AI chips
- NegotiateAI (SF/Toronto): AI control tower for manufacturing spend
- Clinia (Montreal): AI development platform for healthcare
Healthcare Tech (Canada's quiet superpower)
- Eli Health (Montreal): Instant hormone monitoring from saliva
- MedEssist (Toronto): Turning pharmacies into clinics with AI
- Nimble Science (Calgary): Ingestible capsule collecting gut health data
- OraQ AI (Calgary): Unifying dental and medical data
- Hyivy Health (Kitchener): Remote care for chronic pelvic conditions
Robotics & Physical AI
- Haply Robotics (Montreal): Human interface for controlling robots through touch
- Upside Robotics (Kitchener): Affordable autonomous farm robots
Clean Tech & Climate
- SenseNet (Vancouver): Wildfire detection system using satellites and sensors
- Xatoms (Toronto): AI-discovered materials for water/air purification
Fintech & Work Tools
- Blossom (Toronto): Social network for retail investors (500K+ members, $3B in assets)
- Sibli (Toronto): Investment research platform for institutional investors
- Ribbon (Toronto): AI voice interviews that screen candidates in under 5 minutes
Construction & Real Estate
- BuildCheck (Montreal): AI that screens construction plans before they become expensive mistakes
- Virtuo (Calgary): Home-journey platform connecting builders, brokers, and buyers
Fitness & Consumer Health
- Train Fitness (Toronto): AI-powered workout tracking through Apple Watch
- EmergConnect (Toronto): Reimagining how people access healthcare
What This Means for You
Companies that have completed C100 programs outperform typical venture-backed success rates by nearly 10x. Translation: these aren't lottery tickets. They're calculated bets by people who scaled Shopify and Wealthsimple.
The Job Multiplier Effect
Research from MIT and UC Berkeley shows every startup job creates 4-5 more around it (suppliers, service providers, companies adopting their tech). 20 companies × 50 employees each = 1,000 direct jobs + 4,000+ indirect jobs over the next 3 years.
How to Use This List
1. Match your current skills to a sector
- Marketing/sales → Fintech (Blossom, Sibli), Healthcare (MedEssist, Eli Health)
- Operations/PM → Robotics (Haply, Upside), Climate (SenseNet, Xatoms)
- Technical → AI infrastructure (Blumind, NegotiateAI, Clinia)
- Construction/trades → BuildCheck, real estate tech (Virtuo)
2. Learn one adjacent skill fast
Don't wait until you're "qualified." These companies need people who can learn. Sales rep → add basic SQL = RevOps job. Project manager → learn Python basics = Product role at AI startup.
3. Apply before they're famous
Right now, you're competing against 50 other applicants. In 18 months, you'll be competing against 5,000. C100 gives you early access to companies before they hit TechCrunch.
4. Follow the pattern: infrastructure > consumer
Notice what's NOT on this list? Consumer apps. Social media clones. Food delivery. Smart money is betting on companies building the infrastructure for the next decade: AI chips, healthcare platforms, climate tech, robotics.
The Bottom Line
Canada's AI and cybersecurity sectors are building critical infrastructure for the next decade — chips that make AI actually work, systems that prevent fraud, robots that feed the world, tech that catches wildfires in real-time.
These aren't "cute" startups. They're foundational companies solving hard problems. And they all need people who can sell, build, operate, and scale.
Your move: Pick 3-5 companies where your skills translate. Check their careers pages. Apply this week.
Complete Company Directory
AI & Infrastructure
- Blumind - Ottawa, ON
- NegotiateAI - San Francisco, CA
- Clinia - Montréal, QC
- Tempo Labs - Toronto, ON
Healthcare & Medical Tech
- Eli Health - Montréal, QC
- MedEssist - Toronto, ON
- Nimble Science - Calgary, AB
- OraQ AI - Calgary, AB
- Hyivy Health - Kitchener, ON
- EmergConnect - Toronto, ON
Robotics & Automation
- Haply Robotics - Montréal, QC
- Upside Robotics - Kitchener, ON
Climate & Clean Tech
Fintech & Financial Services
HR Tech & Recruitment
- Ribbon - Toronto, ON
Construction & Real Estate
- BuildCheck - Montréal, QC
- Virtuo - Calgary, AB
Fitness & Wellness
- Train Fitness - Toronto, ON
