​Defence technology is having a moment — and Canada is starting to pay attention.

​Between shifting NATO commitments, a federal government under pressure to increase defence spending, and a generation of founders applying AI, autonomy, and dual-use hardware to problems that matter, the sector is moving faster than most people realize. The opportunity is real. So is the gap between where Canadian startups are and where the capital and contracts are flowing.

​🍻 This informal, patio mixer brings together founders and executives working at the intersection of defence, security, and deep tech — for drinks, conversation, and the kinds of connections that don't happen at a conference.

​Co-hosted on the margins of CANSEC by UBC Sauder's ScaleUp Program.

​This is for people building in defence tech, dual-use hardware and software, AI for national security, critical infrastructure, and adjacent deep tech. If you're early-stage or scaling and serious about this space, you belong in the room.

​About UBC Sauder's ScaleUp Program

​UBC Sauder's ScaleUp Program is Canada's first scale-stage defence technology accelerator and executive leadership program, designed to support high-potential Canadian companies navigate the path from advanced innovation to procurement, partnerships, and global market readiness. Delivered by the team behind CDL-Vancouver, the program supports founders building defence-relevant technologies with the commercial discipline, strategic access, and ecosystem connections required to grow in complex sectors.

​Anchored at UBC Sauder and connected to one of Canada's strongest commercialization ecosystems, the program brings together founders, CXOs, defence-sector operators, investors, and institutional partners to strengthen Canada's next generation of globally competitive defence technology firms.