BlackBerry and L-SPARK Partner to Accelerate Tech Innovation

Canadian software leaders BlackBerry and L-SPARK have partnered to create a new accelerator program for small and medium-sized technology enterprises (SMEs).

The accelerator program aims to help SMEs grow their business and bring products to market in areas including sensor fusion, device security, robotics, medical devices and autonomous vehicles. BlackBerry, an Ottawa-based enterprise software and services provider, and L-SPARK, a leading accelerator for Software as a Service (SaaS) companies, will offer their expertise, resources, and training to six companies over the course of the six-month program.

“Partnering with BlackBerry to accelerate the growth of high-potential Canadian SMEs is the most effective way to grow the next great, global, technology company,” says Leo Lax, executive managing director of L-SPARK. “But more importantly, it is a great way to elevate the entire Canadian technology community to reach and thrive within the global marketplace.”

SMEs accepted into the accelerator program will be well supported. Blackberry will be working with the companies throughout the research and development phases to create product prototypes. These organizations will then have access to BlackBerry’s QNX technology to power their products. The same QNX technology that securely powers nuclear power plants, surgical robots, and autonomous vehicles for powerhouses like Audi, Cisco, Ford, General Electric and Siemens.

“BlackBerry is proud to play an integral role in the growth of Canada’s innovation economy,” says Grant Courville, VP of QNX engineering for BlackBerry. “The new accelerator program is a great opportunity for us to better interact and collaborate with Canadian software companies and help them bring to market innovative products that will shape the way we’ll live, work and play in the future.”

Canadian tech companies continue to innovate, moving the industry forward and pushing cities like Ottawa and Toronto to the highest ranks of North American tech markets.