10:05 AM - 10:45 AM
Keynote: "AI Deployment Truths: What Investors Need to Know Before Funding the Next Wave"
Location: Investor Lounge

A candid breakdown of the operational realities behind AI adoption. Helps investors sharpen diligence, spot red flags early, and understand what it really takes for an AI product to scale inside the enterprise.

10:50 AM - 12:15 PM
Founder Panel: “What Founders Actually Need From Their Investment Partners”
Location: Investor Lounge

A candid, closed‑door conversation with AI founders on what truly drives successful investor–founder relationships. Expect real insights on support, expectations, and the operational realities of scaling AI companies.

This is pure gold for investors because it gives them unfiltered insight straight from the people they fund. In a boutique, no‑hype environment, this kind of candor is rare and incredibly valuable. This is the kind of session investors don’t get at big conferences.

12:15 PM - 01:15 PM
Lunch & Exploration
Location: Jack Poole Hall

Buffet Lunch + Demo Pods. Attendees meet startups, research labs, and solution providers showcasing live prototypes.

01:15 PM - 03:15 PM
Preset Founder/Investor Pitch Meetings
Location: Investor Lounge

(8)- 12 to 15 minute preset Founder/Investor pitch meetings. This window gives founders and investors enough time to:

✅ Quickly establish context
✅ Share the core problem, traction, and differentiator
✅ Ask targeted diligence questions
✅ Identify whether a deeper follow‑up is warranted

Pitch Flow:

✅2 min — Founder intro + problem
✅ 3–4 min — Product, traction, and what makes them investable
✅ 3–4 min — Investor questions
✅ 2–3 min — Next steps + exchange of materials

This keeps conversations crisp and high‑value.


10:15 AM - 10:55 AM
Keynote: AI‑driven Diligence and Investment Infrastructure
Location: Investor Lounge

How AI is reshaping sourcing, diligence, and investment decision‑making for modern investors.

10:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Canadian Lab & Startup Showcase (5min Lightning Demos)
Location: Jack Poole Hall

Canadian Lab & Startup Showcase, Fast‑paced lightning demos highlighting emerging technologies and founders:

1. 10:35am - 10:40am:
2. 10:45am - 10:50am:
3. 10:55am - 11:00am:
4. 11:05am - 11:10am:
5. 11:15am - 11:20am:
6. 11:25am - 11:30am:
7. 11:35am - 11:40am:
8. 11:45am - 11:50am:

Closing remarks and poll results

12:00 PM - 01:00 PM
Lunch & Exploration
Location: Jack Poole Hall

Buffet Lunch + Demo Pods. Attendees meet startups, research labs, and solution providers showcasing live prototypes.

01:05 PM - 03:15 PM
Preset Founder/Investor Pitch Meetings
Location: Investor Lounge

(8)- 12 to 15 minute preset Founder/Investor pitch meetings. This window gives founders and investors enough time to:

✅ Quickly establish context
✅ Share the core problem, traction, and differentiator
✅ Ask targeted diligence questions
✅ Identify whether a deeper follow‑up is warranted

Pitch Flow:

✅2 min — Founder intro + problem
✅ 3–4 min — Product, traction, and what makes them investable
✅ 3–4 min — Investor questions
✅ 2–3 min — Next steps + exchange of materials

This keeps conversations crisp and high‑value.


03:30 PM - 04:30 AM
Expert Panel: Identifying the Next AI Unicorns
Location: Investor Lounge

Who will actually break out — and how to spot them early

This panel brings together experts who sit at different points in the AI value chain, giving investors a 360° view of what makes an AI company truly scalable, defensible, and unicorn‑worthy. The conversation blends market insight, technical depth, enterprise buying behavior, and founder execution patterns — exactly what our senior audience wants.

Four distinct lenses represented:

1. A Venture Capital Partner (AI‑focused or deep‑tech fund)
2. An Enterprise Chief AI Officer or Head of AI/M
3. A Technical Founder of a Fast‑Growing AI Startup
4. An AI Researcher or Academic with Commercialization Experience