Business is a busy world. Whether you’re steering the ship at a not-for-profit, bootstrapping a startup, or already making waves within a well-established company, it’s easy to get lost in the daily grind.
Deadlines stack up. Decisions need to be made quickly. Progress often feels incremental, and sometimes invisible, when you’re focused on simply keeping things moving.
But as 2025 winds down, there’s value in pausing. Not to declare victory, but to acknowledge momentum. Across Manitoba this year, entrepreneurs, builders, researchers, and community leaders quietly moved ideas forward. Taken together, those small steps added up.
At North Forge, Manitoba’s startup incubator supporting founders from ideation through investment readiness, reflection has become a deliberate practice. Since mid-2020, the organization has supported more than 630 startups across technology, science-based innovation, and advanced manufacturing. That impact shows up not just in metrics, but in people choosing to build here, hire locally, and tackle real-world problems.
This year, Winnipeg adtech startup TAIV, led by co-founders Noah Palansky and Jordan Davis, landed on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list for Marketing and Advertising after growing to nearly 5,000 venues across the United States. David Owasi, alongside co-founder Pasha Khoshkebari, is building Outreach Genius, an AI call-answering platform for home service businesses, and recently secured a $200,000 investment after being named one of the top startups at the Black Innovation Summit in Toronto. In construction tech, founder and CEO David Peters has scaled Construction Clock from a job-site pain point into a platform serving more than 3,000 construction companies across dozens of countries. And innovation isn’t limited to software. Win-Shield Devices founder Rob Ranson has taken inclusive respirator gear to the global stage, including presentations connected to NATO’s personal protection panel.
From January 1 to September 30, 2025, North Forge programming supported more than 170 startups across Manitoba. During that period, those companies raised $5.9 million in capital, generated $19 million in revenue, and contributed to the creation of 160 new jobs, pointing to steady growth within the province’s innovation economy.
The numbers matter, but what matters more is what they represent. Founders taking calculated risks. Teams testing markets. Companies choosing to grow in Manitoba instead of elsewhere.
This progress didn’t happen in isolation. It was shaped by mentors sharing hard-earned lessons, investors willing to listen early, and public-sector funding that treated innovation as a long-term economic driver rather than a quick win.
One of the most significant developments for entrepreneurs in 2025 was the continued growth of ElevateIP, a federally funded program supporting intellectual property awareness and protection across the Prairies. Since launching, ElevateIP has supported more than 700 prairie-owned startups, helped fund over 300 intellectual property applications, and delivered more than $3 million in direct support across Manitoba and Saskatchewan. This year also brought confirmation that the program will continue for another four years, with North Forge once again selected as the delivery partner.
For many founders, this work marks a turning point. It shifts intellectual property from something intimidating and abstract into a strategic asset that builds confidence with customers, partners, and investors.
As the calendar turns, there’s already a lot to look forward to in 2026.
North Forge’s RampUp Weekend will return April 10–12, 2026, giving entrepreneurs 52 fast-paced hours to build a business idea from the ground up. Participants form teams, test assumptions, and refine their ideas before pitching to a panel of judges for a chance to win the $10,000 top prize. For many first-time founders, RampUp offers a low-risk entry point into entrepreneurship and a chance to learn by doing.
February will also mark the launch of the inaugural DARE Innovation Awards, presented by Bell MTS, during Manitoba Tech Week on February 24, 2026. Designed to celebrate those who don’t just imagine the future but actively build it, the DARE Awards will recognize dreamers, achievers, risk-takers, and entrepreneurs across sectors and stages. Beyond trophies, the goal is visibility, shining a light on the people and teams quietly moving Manitoba forward.
That same spirit is behind Innovation Manitoba, a forthcoming book aimed at capturing the stories, lessons, and people shaping the province’s innovation ecosystem. North Forge is inviting founders, organizations, and ecosystem partners to get involved and help document a moment in time worth remembering.
As always, the most important work will happen between events. It happens in conversations, collaborations, and the willingness of founders to share lessons learned. As the year comes to a close, this isn’t about declaring an endpoint. It’s about recognizing progress and carrying that momentum forward. For now, it’s worth taking a breath and acknowledging just how far the community has come.
Innovation Manitoba, scheduled for release in late 2026, is currently accepting expressions of interest from innovators and organizations across the province. Those interested can register by emailing marketing@northforge.ca, with further details to follow in 2026.
