/Investors

MaRS Investment Accelerator Fund (IAF)

Accelerator

Toronto · Pre-Seed–Series B · 13 people tracked

Also known as MaRS Investment Accelerator Fund

Find your way into MaRS Investment Accelerator Fund (IAF)

1,451 people in our graph share verified history with the MaRS Investment Accelerator Fund (IAF) team — schools, employers, funds. One of them is your warm intro.

Lu Hanunlockedknows Harry Gandhi · together at eHealth Ontario (overlapped)
×4knows the team · via Ecobee
knows the team · via International Rescue Committee
knows the team · via Relay Ventures
×4knows the team · via Amplify Capital
knows the team · via Thiel Fellowship 2015
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Investment thesis

MaRS operates as Canada's anchor innovation hub, supporting founders from pre-seed funding through international expansion across life sciences, cleantech and emerging technologies such as AI, quantum, robotics and advanced manufacturing. Through the MaRS Capital Program and its investment arm MaRS IAF, it connects vetted ventures with investors, corporates, philanthropists and government partners. Beyond capital, MaRS offers office, lab and event space at the MaRS Centre and Waterfront hubs, targeted accelerator programming, expert advisory guidance and the MaRS Connect platform linking founders, investors and innovation buyers. Its mission is to commercialize science and technology, strengthen Canada's industrial base and drive global impact.

Source: firm website, verified Sep 27, 2026.

Stage
Pre-Seed–Series B
HQ
Toronto, ON, CA
Instruments
Equity · Grants · Debt
Founded
2001
Last 12 months
1 investment
AUM
$109M
Portfolio companies
24

Team · 13 people

from the firm's website & curated

What they invest in

from 22 of 24 portfolio companies

AI & Machine Learning ×8Cleantech ×8Energy ×7Deep Tech ×6SaaS ×6Climate Tech ×5Healthtech ×3Impact & Social Good ×3

HQs:Canada×16European Union×1

Who they back

founder profiles across 11 portfolio companies
27%
solo founders
3 of 11 mapped founding teams

Founding team size:solo founder×32 founders×73 founders×1

Portfolio companies · 24 tracked

alumni founders can tell you what the program is really like

By year:2025 · 12024 · 12023 · 32019 · 12012 · 17 dated

Aslan Renewablesaslanrenewables.comNov 2025

Aslan Renewables installs modular hydropower systems beside existing dams and water-control structures in North America, converting managed water flow into always-on clean electricity for communities, industry, and grids.

CleantechClimate TechEnergy

Co-investorsUCeed FundsAntares Ventures Pte. Ltd.MaRS Investment Accelerator Fund

Ayrton Energyayrtonenergy.comin

Ayrton Energy develops a hydrogen storage and transport solution based on a proprietary liquid organic hydrogen carrier (LOHC) and electrochemistry, storing hydrogen as a liquid at ambient conditions so it can be moved using existing fuel infrastructure.

CleantechClimate TechEnergyCalgary, CA

Co-investorsBDC Climate Tech Fund IIClean Energy VenturesCreative Destruction Lab (CDL)ForesightMaRSThe 51 Ventures+5 more

Cognotacognota.comin𝕏Mar 2019

Cognota provides a platform for learning and development (L&D) and talent professionals to manage workforce development and transformation.

AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareHR TechSaaSToronto

Ryan Austin(Founder)inDavid Sikora(Director)

BoardLaura Lenz(Director)

Co-investorsBlossom Street VenturesDifferential VenturesHouston Angel NetworkTIA VenturesBDC Capital CorporationGeneration Ventures+3 more

FeX Energyfexenergy.comin

FeX Energy develops iron-based thermochemical energy storage systems that convert electricity into sustained high-temperature heat up to 900°C for industrial applications.

CleantechDeep TechEnergyMontreal, CA

Jeffrey Bergthorson(Professor)

Co-investorsAmplify CapitalAntares Ventures Pte. Ltd.Fathom Fund

Growcerthegrowcer.cain

Growcer provides modular growing infrastructure and ecosystem support to enable communities to produce fresh food year-round locally.

AgTechFoodTechHardwareImpact & Social Good

Corey Ellis(Co-founder)inAlida Burke(Co-founder)in

Co-investorsOntario Centre of InnovationOntario Centre of Innovation programsSheBoot

Innerspaceinnerspace.euinAug 2023

Innerspace is a health-tech company that helps pharmaceutical companies improve quality, efficiency, and compliance in aseptic manufacturing.

Advanced ManufacturingAI & Machine LearningBiotechHealthtechSaaS

Sebastian Scheler(Founder)in

Co-investorsMatterwave VenturesRiverside Acceleration CapitalHTGFYaletown Partners

Innerspaceinnerspace.ioin𝕏Aug 2023

Innerspace provides occupancy analytics technology that collects and analyzes space utilization data while maintaining privacy through anonymization of device identifiers and no storage of personally identifiable information.

AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureEnterprise SoftwareFuture of WorkIoTLogistics & Supply ChainPropTechSaaSNew York, CA

James Wu(CEO)inJason GamblenMatt MacGillivrayin

Co-investors500 GlobalBeresford VenturesYaletown PartnersHTGF

Lituslitus.cain

Litus develops advanced chemistry and nanotechnology solutions to address energy challenges.

CleantechDeep TechEnergyNew MaterialsCalgary, CA

Dr. Nafie(Founder)Dr. Vitale(Founder)Dr. Pereira-Almao(Founder)

Co-investorsStartup TNTUCeed Funds

Marsddmarsdd.com

Ayrton Energy develops liquid organic hydrogen carriers using electrolysis to enable safe storage and transport of hydrogen through existing fuel infrastructure, reducing costs by up to 50 percent.

CleantechDeep TechEnergyImpact & Social GoodSector AgnosticToronto, CA

Natasha KostenukBrandi Kinkead

Co-investorsSOSVClimate InvestmentScale AI

Metafoldmetafold3d.comin

Metafold provides a geometric intelligence platform that analyzes 3D CAD data to enable manufacturers to make rapid design and manufacturing decisions.

Advanced ManufacturingAI & Machine LearningDeep Tech

Co-investorsDifferential VenturesJetstreamActive Impact Investments

Missionfrommarsmissionfrommars.cain

Mission from MaRS is a program of MaRS Discovery District that identifies, accelerates and scales the adoption of Canadian climate technology solutions across multiple sectors including public procurement, carbon removal, and building decarbonization.

CleantechClimate TechImpact & Social GoodToronto, CA

Grace Lee Reynolds(CEO)inTyler Hamilton(Senior Director, Climate)in

Nfinitenanonfinitenano.com

Nfinite makes ultra-high barrier paper that is 100% curbside recyclable and designed as a drop-in replacement for flexible plastic packaging on high-speed form-fill-seal lines.

Circular EconomyDeep TechNew Materials

Chee Hau Teoh(Cofounder)Kevin Musselman(Founder)

Co-investorsCollateral GoodFTW Ventures

Peak Powerpeakpowerenergy.comin𝕏

Peak Power enables energy service companies, solar developers, and energy brokers to offer battery storage solutions to customers through a fully financed energy-storage-as-a-service model.

AI & Machine LearningCleantechClimate TechEnergyOntario, CA

Derek Lim Soo(CEO)in

Co-investorsThe Atmospheric FundBDC Capital CorporationOsmingtonWaterpoint LaneExport Development Canada (EDC)

Planetaryplanetarytech.comin

Planetary Technologies develops ocean-based carbon removal technology to address climate change.

CleantechClimate TechDeep TechNova Scotia, CA

Dr. Greg Rau(Senior Scientist & Co-Founder)Mike Kelland(Chief Executive Officer, Co-Founder & Board Member)in

Co-investorsAmplify CapitalAstanor VenturesNucleation CapitalXAngeGreen Generation Fund

Promise Roboticspromiserobotics.comin

Promise Robotics builds robotic automation and AI-optimized workflows for residential homebuilding, offering a Factory-as-a-Service platform that spans digital design, robotic production, and on-site logistics.

Construction TechPropTechRoboticsToronto, CA

Ramtin Attar(Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer)inReza Nasseri(Co-Founder & Chief Innovation Officer)

Co-investorsAlate PartnersHorizons VenturesRadical VenturesRelay Ventures

ReliONrelioncharging.comJul 2024 · $3M

Relion provides operations and maintenance software for managing EV charging networks, offering real-time monitoring, issue detection, and field service dispatch capabilities across hardware from multiple vendors.

EnergyIoTMobility & TransportationSaaSCanada, CA

Co-investorsAnges QuebecDiagramAnges QuébecAQC CapitalChrysalixCycle Momentum

RetiSpecretispec.comin𝕏

RetiSpec develops AI-based technology that analyzes eye imaging to detect signs of disease, with a focus on early identification of Alzheimer's and other neurological conditions.

AI & Machine LearningDigital HealthHealthtechMedical Devices

Co-investorsiGan PartnersMaRSVerge HealthTech Fund

Smilesmile.ioin𝕏May 2012

Smile provides a loyalty platform for Shopify merchants, enabling customizable rewards programs and customer retention features for e-commerce brands of all sizes.

E-commerceRetail TechSaaS

Mike Rossi(Founder)inBill Curtisin

Co-investorsOMERS VenturesWaterloo Accelerator Centre

SPROUT FAMILYsproutfamily.cain

Sprout is Canada's end-to-end family-building platform that connects users with fertility clinics, expert care, and support resources for fertility treatments, surrogacy, and adoption.

Digital HealthFemTechHealthtechCanada, CA

Not explicitly named on page(Co Founder & COO)

Co-investorsBlue CollectiveMaRSStand Up VenturesThe 51 Ventures

StellarAlgostellaralgo.comin𝕏

StellarAlgo offers a customer data platform (CDP) built for sports teams that consolidates fan data, enables no-code audience segmentation, and automatically pushes fan segments to marketing and sales channels to grow ticket sales and reduce churn.

AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureMarketing TechSports Tech

Vincent Ircandia(Founder)inSean Fynn(Co-Founder & Chief Technology Officer)inJoseph King(Co-Founder & Chief Operating Officer)in

Co-investorsAccelerate FundComcast VenturesInterGen CapitalMaRSRBCxThin Air Labs+1 more

Vivid Machinesvivid-machines.comin𝕏Feb 2023

Vivid Machines provides real-time crop intelligence and vision-based technology for fruit producers, offering insights on crop load management, yield forecasting, plant health, and disease detection.

AgTechAI & Machine LearningHardwareToronto, CA

Jonathan Binas(Co-founder)inJenny Lemieux(Co-founder)in

Co-investorsEntrepreneur FirstSpatial CapitalStand Up VenturesTall Grass VenturesBDC Capital CorporationBDC Venture Capital+5 more

Willful Legal Techwillful.coin𝕏

Willful operates an online estate planning platform that guides individuals through creating legally valid wills and power of attorney documents.

FintechLegalTechSaaS

Erin Bury(Co-founder & CEO)inKevin Oulds(Co-founder & Head of Research and Innovation)inJulia Wilkie(Head of Customer Experience and Operations)inChris Long(Head of Product)in

Co-investorsBackbone AngelsFounderFuelTacticoMaRS

Other

Tracked investments with no reachable website or further public details — typically companies that wound down, renamed, or were absorbed.

EffencoMyomar Molecular Inc.

Portfolio news

latest coverage across their companies

Frequently asked questions

How many investments has MaRS Investment Accelerator Fund (IAF) made?
MaRS Investment Accelerator Fund (IAF) has 24 tracked investments, including 1 dated in the last 24 months.
What stage does MaRS Investment Accelerator Fund (IAF) invest at?
MaRS Investment Accelerator Fund (IAF) invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A, Series B stages.
What sectors does MaRS Investment Accelerator Fund (IAF) focus on?
MaRS Investment Accelerator Fund (IAF) focuses on Advanced Manufacturing, AI & Machine Learning, Biotech, Cleantech, Climate Tech, Construction Tech, Deep Tech, Digital Health, Energy, Enterprise Software, FoodTech, Healthtech, Impact & Social Good, Mobility & Transportation, Quantum Computing, Robotics, SaaS.
Where is MaRS Investment Accelerator Fund (IAF) located?
MaRS Investment Accelerator Fund (IAF) is headquartered in Toronto, CA.
Who does MaRS Investment Accelerator Fund (IAF) co-invest with?
MaRS Investment Accelerator Fund (IAF) most often shares deals with Amplify Capital, Differential Ventures, Ontario Centre of Innovation, among 30 tracked co-investors.

Media · Podcasts & interviews

from their channel

Women in Cleantech: On a journey to make our future more sustainable

MaRS Discovery District

Tapping the source: How relics of the industrial age could help power the future

MaRS Discovery District

MaRS Food and Agtech Demonstration Initiative – Information webinar

MaRS Discovery District

The coming storm: How AI can help us forecast and harness the weather

MaRS Discovery District

This uncanny moment: AI has us all lurching between hype and hysteria, but what are the real risk...

MaRS Discovery District

Mind over matter

MaRS Discovery District

Images

MaRS Investment Accelerator Fund (IAF) photoMaRS Investment Accelerator Fund (IAF) photoMaRS Investment Accelerator Fund (IAF) photo

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