NEXT AI 2027 (NEXT Canada accelerator for AI-enabled startups)

About

NEXT Canada's free, equity-free founder and venture development accelerator for early-stage AI-enabled companies incorporated in Canada, running March to September 2027 through a Toronto site or a Montréal/Remote site, with applications closing 9 December 2026 at 11:59 p.m. EST.

Benefits

• 🎓Education
  World-class curriculum taught by award-winning faculty and AI researchers, covering topics such as machine learning, deep learning in computer vision and NLP, AutoML, reinforcement learning, economics of entrepreneurship and strategy and innovation
• 🧑🏫 Mentorship and Venture Support
  Access to top AI scientists, dedicated Venture Managers, scientists-in-residence and an international pool of mentors
• 🛠️ Workshops and Speaker Series
  High-impact workshops and speaker sessions with Canadian business leaders
• 🎁In-Kind Partner Perks
  Access to perks from leading AI technology and legal partners such as NVIDIA, AWS and Osler
• 🏢Office Space
  Free office space in Toronto and in the heart of Montréal’s AI hub
• 🤝Investor Exposure (Conditional)
  Towards the end of phase two, ventures receive pitch training before being introduced to a select group of investors interested in early-stage AI; funding is not guaranteed, though many ventures have secured funding through the NEXT AI investor network

Eligibility Criteria

• Canadian Incorporation
• Mandatory requirement that the venture is incorporated in Canada or actively in the process of incorporating in Canada
• Canadian Ownership
• Mandatory requirement that the company is owned in majority by Canadian citizens and permanent residents, per the official FAQ, while the criteria list also refers to co-founders holding Canadian citizenship or permanent residency or a valid work or study permit
• AI Focus
• Mandatory requirement that AI is core to the idea or company
• Founding Team
• Mandatory requirement of at least one business co-founder and one distinct technical co-founder, each intending to receive a minimum of 10% of the company’s shares
• IP Ownership
• Mandatory requirement that all IP used by the team is owned by the venture or licensed to it
• Ideal Team
• Preferred team of at least two participants, a CEO and a CTO, with convincing strength across technical skills, business acumen and subject matter expertise
• Startup Stage
• Preferred early-stage or pre-seed ventures, and the ideal candidate has problem-solution fit plus a prototype and early traction (pilot, early revenue or funding), though idea-stage projects with strong technology differentiation are also welcome
• Market Opportunity
• Preferred business model and market opportunity conducive to massive scaling
• Solo Founders
• Solo founders may apply but are much less likely to be accepted

Participation Commitments

• No Participation Fee
• There is no cost to participate in NEXT AI
• No Equity
• The program does not take any equity in the ventures
• No Funding
• The program does not provide any funding
• Time Commitment
• Participants should be prepared to commit 6 to 8 hours per week to mandatory programming and deliverables, generally during business hours, and at least one participating (co-)founder is expected to work full-time on the venture
• Employment
• Participants may continue employment on a part-time basis, but employment is not accepted as justification for missing mandatory programming
• In-Person Attendance (Toronto Stream)
• All participant (co-)founders must attend three in-person milestone events in Toronto at their own cost: Immersion Week in March, Venture Reveal in May and Venture Day in August
• In-Person Attendance (Montréal/Remote Stream)
• All participant (co-)founders must attend two in-person milestone events in Montréal at their own cost: Immersion Week in March and Démo Day in September; participants living in the Montréal vicinity must also attend a few additional smaller in-person workshops and events

Target Region

Canada

Target Sector

Agriculture & Food, Defense & Security, Education, Energy & Utilities, Financial Services, Government & Public Sector, Healthcare & Life Sciences, Manufacturing, Media & Entertainment, Real Estate & Construction, Retail & Consumer, Semiconductors & Electronics, Sports & Fitness, Telecommunications, Transportation & Logistics, Travel & Hospitality, Other