By Ishpreet Khanuja
Every city competing in the innovation economy faces the same challenge: how to turn potential into reality. That means investing not just in sectors, but in systems that make it easier for good ideas to grow, for founders to get funded and for communities to see the impact of progress. In Brampton, that work is already underway, with key improvements and investments in sectors such as food innovation, space and medical technology.
Moderated by Dr. Shiraz Suleman, physician, investor, and HALO Health board member, Altitude Accelerator’s star panel at the recent Founders and Funders event brought together Boston Scientific Vice President Ken Spears, Brar’s Foods CEO Kiran Mann, and Carvahlo Capital CEO and space tech investor Jason Carvalho.
Through this discussion, what surfaced were the stories and insights that reached beyond sectoral innovation. Together, they defined what it means to design a city that empowers founders, attracts capital and builds for a future where innovation is accessible to all.
The Foundations of Progress
Cities that succeed in building innovation hubs know how to cultivate and embed a culture of creativity alongside an infrastructure of support. The Brampton Innovation District has laid the cultural groundwork for something big.
Recounting why his global MedTech company chose Brampton as its home, Spears, of Boston Scientific, shared, “To do the kind of work we do with certain patients takes top talent. That is why it was so important for us to locate in a part of Canada that represents innovation and, most importantly, gives us access to exceptional talent. We’ve checked all those boxes in Brampton.”
Boston Scientific has approximately 50,000 employees globally and over 1000 in Canada, with a market cap of $150 billion dollars and $17 billion in annual revenue. Their mission is to help address Canadian healthcare’s greatest challenges and save and improve the lives of patients.
Spears also highlighted the upcoming arrival of the new Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) campus as a critical next step for Brampton’s life sciences ecosystem. TMU will play a vital role in research, development, and the training of medical professionals, which must be a priority for any city serious about health innovation. For Boston Scientific, this integration of education, healthcare, and innovation is strategic and essential.
But for founders, especially those looking to break into high-barrier sectors like MedTech, these systemic strengths only matter if they are connected to real opportunities. Spears, who has spent two decades in the field, acknowledged the uphill battle, celebrated the grit it takes to be a founder and shared what he believes is the key to identifying opportunities for those entering the industry.
First, he recommends understanding the portfolio strategies of major players within the sector. He pointed to Boston Scientific’s investor presentations, which publicly outline both their innovation pipeline and current blind spots. “Get a sense of the size and structure of the markets to help you understand how we evaluate them,” he said. “You will then start to see the blind spots in our portfolio strategy. If you’re an innovator with something that could fit, I’d suggest you plug in.”
Spears encouraged founders to approach commercialization with intention. He shared the story of a founder who successfully exited by ‘getting between us and our people’, offering a solution that enhanced, rather than competing with existing systems.
Cultivating a Value-Driven Vision
While MedTech is a complex web of approvals and adjacencies, the food sector comes with its own pressures: distribution, regulation, and the need for deep consumer trust. Kiran Mann, CEO of Brar’s, shared how clarity and alignment have been at the heart of her company’s longevity and evolution.
“It all comes down to talent,” added Mann. “As an organization, we have clarity about where we want to go and what our values and vision are. What we needed was talent that shares those same values, the same passion and the drive to make real impact. You need a team that sees that same path forward and is all in.”
“When I first joined Brar’s,” she said, “my first question was: who am I, and how do I align with the city and the organizations around me?” She urged women to ask themselves not just what their purpose is, but who they want to become, and to seek out spaces where those ambitions are reflected.
For Mann, building in Brampton is about alignment among the founder, the organization, and the community. As a female leader in a traditionally male-dominated space, she knows how important it is for the city to make room for underrepresented voices to be heard.
“Women bring a unique ability to see the big picture,” she reflected. “Once we know who we are and what we are good at, we can connect our purpose to the city’s opportunities.”
Her reflections echoed a larger theme running through the event: that innovation requires infrastructure that is accessible to all. Not just for elite technologists or experienced founders, but for anyone with a clear idea, a strong team, and the drive to build.
Brampton, she said, is a place where that kind of alignment can happen. A place where purpose-driven individuals can find the right talent, partners, and city infrastructure to scale their vision.
Reaching Higher: SpaceTech in Brampton
Few sectors hold as much promise, or as much mystique, as space technology. Jason Carvahlo, who spent 20 years in tech before moving into space investments in 2017, believes Brampton is uniquely positioned to lead this revolution.
“Space tech is not just rockets and satellites,” he explained. “Space tech is everything that you see here on our computers, our mobile devices — which all operate because of the satellites that are orbiting. It holds the potential to empower every sector with data, from climate to logistics to agriculture. It is the infrastructure of the future.”
Carvahlo stated, “We now have the capability to allocate and utilize data more effectively than ever before. In today’s world, every company is essentially a data-driven company. With the ability to access real-time data—sometimes even terabytes of it—businesses can make smarter decisions.”
He provided the following examples:
“A shipping company can use real-time and predictive data to track where its ships will be, even in volatile regions or war zones. This leads to greater efficiency and improved planning.” He added how farmers can leverage both real-time and historical data to understand how climate change might impact their crops. This enables them to plan planting schedules and manage infrastructure and food distribution more effectively.
The impact on every business in every industry is profound: access to timely and comprehensive data empowers businesses to operate more efficiently and adapt to changing conditions.
Carvahlo praised Brampton’s efforts to attract companies like MDA and its commitment to federal, provincial, and municipal alignment. He also pointed to the significant gaps that could create unprecedented opportunities, including the lack of vertical integration, limited access to test beds, and the need for dedicated funding.
“What’s needed now is a space and defense innovation zone,” he said, “with land and policy readiness, and a $5 million pilot fund to help companies validate and deploy their solutions.”
The challenge, he explained, is not a lack of capital, but timing. Investors like him operate within structured balance sheets and can only write a certain number of early-stage checks per year. Government agencies like the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) are willing to match or offer large grants, but founders first need to bring a matching amount to the table, usually from private or municipal sources.
Organizations like MaRS and OCI offer matching funds of $50,000 to $100,000, but they are often not enough to unlock federal support. “In other countries,” Carvahlo said, “cities have created $5 million pilot funds. That allows founders to unlock CSA dollars and bring their innovations to life.”
The model is proven. Now it is time to apply it in Brampton.
It is a powerful takeaway from the conversation: the building blocks are already in place. The founders, the funders, the talent and the city. What is needed now is sustained alignment and continued conversation to turn possibility into impact.
Brampton Angels is actively seeking new investors who are passionate about supporting early-stage founders. If you’re interested in joining our community of angel investors and driving innovation in Canada’s startup ecosystem, visit us HERE to learn more about becoming a member.
