FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Ottawa, ON — February 2, 2026 — Startup Canada, in partnership with Mastercard, announces Startup AI, a new national pilot program designed to help early-stage and scale-up entrepreneurs across Canada make sense of artificial intelligence and use it responsibly, practically, and with confidence.
AI is rapidly reshaping how businesses operate, compete, and grow. Yet many entrepreneurs are being asked to adopt powerful new technologies without clear guidance, trusted frameworks, or support that reflects the realities of building a business. Startup AI was created to change that.
“Canada’s leadership in artificial intelligence reflects the strength of our research, talent, and entrepreneurial ecosystem, and this moment calls for continued collaboration across sectors. As a trusted national voice for entrepreneurs, Startup Canada is proud to launch Startup AI and grateful to Mastercard for their leadership and partnership in bringing the ecosystem together to help founders navigate this important technological shift with clarity, confidence, and trust,” said Ali Taiyeb, Board Chair, Startup Canada.
“AI is becoming a standard part of running a business and a key driver of growth. Helping founders harness the power of AI to grow their businesses is part of Mastercard’s broader efforts to help small businesses sharpen their edge through greater technology adoption and digitalization,” said Nishant Raina, Vice President, Small and Medium Enterprises, Mastercard, Canada. “We’re proud to partner with Startup Canada to connect founders to experts’ insights, education and practical tools that make AI adoption more accessible, secure and responsible.”
Startup AI will officially begin with its first regional roundtable on February 26, 2026, marking the first event in a four-part national series designed to listen, learn, and build a clearer picture of how entrepreneurs across Canada are engaging with AI today. This “listening and learning” phase will focus on understanding how founders are currently using AI, where they feel uncertain or constrained, and what support would make the greatest difference.
As part of Phase 1, Startup AI will host four regional roundtables, held virtually and in person between February and April 2026. These 90-minute facilitated sessions will convene entrepreneurs alongside ecosystem leaders and industry experts to surface real-world challenges, opportunities, and gaps related to AI adoption. Discussions will explore:
- AI readiness and real-world use cases
- Ethical and responsible adoption of AI
- Access, affordability, and ecosystem gaps
- Equity, bias, and inclusion in AI tools and systems
Insights gathered through the roundtables, along with pre- and post-program surveys, will be synthesized into two national outputs: Startup AI: What Entrepreneurs Need in 2026, a findings and insights report, and a practical Startup AI resource guide highlighting tools, supports, and organizations available to entrepreneurs.
The findings from Phase 1 will also directly inform the design of a long-term, scalable Startup AI program to be launched later in 2026, ensuring future programming is grounded in lived founder experience, not assumptions.
Startup AI is delivered in partnership with Mastercard as part of a shared commitment to responsible innovation, economic empowerment, and inclusive growth across Canada’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
More information about Startup AI and opportunities to participate is available at https://www.startupcan.ca/explore/startup-ai/.
Media Contact:
Olivia Jacobs
Senior Manager, Marketing & Communications
Startup Canada
press@startupcan.ca