Powered by Elevate, CIX Startup Awards is the largest national showcase of Canada's most innovative emerging, early, and growth-stage startups

TORONTO, ON / ACCESS Newswire / November 3, 2025 / The CIX Startup Awards, Canada's premier startup awards program selected and recognized by North American investors, is now accepting applications for 2026. From Monday, November 3 at 12:00 PM through Sunday, November 30 at 11:59 PM, Canada's most innovative tech companies can apply at https://cixsummit.com/startup-awards for a chance to be recognized at the 2026 CIX Summit on March 25, 2026 in one of three categories: Emerging, Early, and Growth. CIX is Canada's only tech agnostic awards program across all stages, pre-seed to growth.

Selected by a committee of 100+ esteemed investors, including Altos Ventures, Antler, Forum Ventures, Inovia, IVP, Golden, Mighty Capital, Panache and White Star, CIX's awards program has helped elevate Canada's most promising startups across all stages to an international audience. In 2025, winners covered a wide range of sectors, including climate tech, fintech, bio and med tech, AI, agriculture, and e-commerce.

Past CIX Startup Award alumni include some of Canada's most notable tech success stories, such as Ada, ApplyBoard, Clio, ecobee, League, Miovision, Wattpad, Wave, Wealthsimple, and Xanadu.

The 2026 award recipients will be announced in January, with winning founders and CEOs set to pitch live to a room full of investors at the CIX Summit in Toronto on March 25, 2026. The annual summit - consistently sold out - draws more than 500 investors, founders, and industry leaders from across North America's tech ecosystem.

Fast Facts

• 78% of CIX Award recipients were funded within 6 months of CIX recognition

• 86% were funded within a year

• 22% of the CIX selection committee is made up of US investors

The 2026 CIX Selection Committee, comprising 100+ top global investors and experts in innovation, will evaluate submissions based on six criteria: Business Model, Quality of Product and Service Offering, Innovation, Market Opportunity, Depth of Management, and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion of Leadership. CIX awards program is unique because each entry is reviewed by at least 20 investor judges.

What's In It For Startups

Winners of the CIX Startup Awards earn national recognition as part of Canada's longest-running and most prestigious innovation program. Award recipients are featured on the main stage at the CIX Summit, gain early access to 1:1 investor meetings, receive national media coverage, and are invited to exclusive VIP events. They also secure a permanent place among CIX's alumni on the official website.

"CIX Summit is the Oscars of our tech industry! I attend CIX every year to see the impressive award winners and network with the who's who of the Canadian tech scene. The conversations I have and connections I make at CIX are invaluable," said Roy Pereira, CEO & Co-founder, Unified.to, and former two-time CIX Startup Awards recipient.

"The CIX Startup Awards are a cornerstone of Canada's innovation ecosystem, helping connect the country's most promising tech companies with the capital and support they need to scale globally," said Lisa Zarzeczny, CEO and Co-Founder of Elevate. Elevate acquired CIX Summit in 2023, and the 18th annual edition, taking place March 25, 2026, marks the third year under Elevate's leadership. "We're proud to continue this legacy of recognizing excellence and giving Canadian founders a powerful platform to showcase their innovations to top investors across North America. I encourage all eligible founders to seize this opportunity and apply before the November 30 deadline."

Applications are now open for Canadian startups at no cost at https://cixsummit.com/startup-awards and will close on Sunday, November 30, 2025 at 11:59 PM EST. For more information about the CIX Startup Awards, visit CIXSummit.com.

About Elevate

Elevate is a Canadian non-profit that unites world-class innovators to catalyze transformation in the Canadian tech ecosystem. Through year-round programs and events, including the annual Elevate Festival and CIX Summit, Elevate places a spotlight on Canadian innovation, facilitates global connections with startups and investors, and inspires Canadians to embrace a go-for-gold mentality to help shape the future of the Canadian innovation economy. Elevate has hosted global icons such as First Lady & Author Michelle Obama, Businesswoman & TV personality Martha Stewart, CEO of OpenAI Sam Altman, Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, and U.S. Vice President Al Gore, each of whom has inspired millions of people. Learn more at Elevate.ca.

Contact Information

Amanda Connon-Unda
SENIOR DIRECTOR OF MARKETING
AMANDA@ELEVATE.CA

SOURCE: Elevate