There’s no doubt the highlight of this year’s tech news was the Collision Conference in Toronto. The event was jam-packed with speakers, expos, networking, and pitch competitions. For in-depth coverage of Collision’s top companies, check out the Top 50 Tech Companies at the conference. AWS held its AI competition, which brought together some incredible Canadian companies. ConeLabs took home the grand prize, with founder Albert Mansour delivering the winning pitch. The presentation showcased how ConeLabs leverages AI-powered inspections to save money, time, and even lives.
As artificial intelligence continues to evolve, Amazon Web Services (AWS) is taking a leading role in helping businesses of all sizes harness its potential. Patricia Nielsen, Head of Startups for AWS Canada, shared insights into the latest AI trends and how AWS is supporting startups through its flagship programs.
The Generative AI Shift: From Experimentation to Production
2024 is shaping up to be the year of generative AI, with organizations moving beyond experimentation and proof-of-concept (PoC) projects to fully deploying AI-powered solutions. “In 2023, many companies knew they wanted to ‘do something’ with generative AI but weren’t sure where to start,” Nielsen explains.
Now, companies across various industries are launching AI-driven solutions to increase productivity and value. A standout example is Montreal-based startup BrainBox.AI, whose technology optimizes building performance while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In 2024, BrainBox.AI introduced ARIA, a solution built on Amazon Bedrock that offers real-time insights to help customers further reduce energy use and costs.
Large enterprises are also adopting AI at scale. TELUS, a Canadian telecom giant, is using AWS-powered generative AI to reduce customer service time through the My TELUS app, allowing users to start, pause, and resume conversations whenever convenient.
Demand for Flexibility in AI Integration
Nielsen points out that companies are at different stages in their AI journeys, with varying levels of expertise. Some organizations are building, training, and deploying foundation models, while others prefer integrating existing AI models into their operations. AWS offers a broad range of options to meet these needs, including custom silicon chips for demanding generative AI workloads and Amazon Bedrock, a fully managed service that provides access to foundation models from leading AI companies like Anthropic, Cohere, and Meta.
One trend Nielsen highlights is the growing preference for integrating generative AI into existing tools. AWS offers solutions like Amazon Q, a generative AI assistant that accelerates software development and leverages companies’ internal data to maximize efficiency.
Security and Privacy Take Center Stage
As organizations adopt AI, data security and privacy remain top priorities. “Data is the lifeblood of any organization, and it’s critical that it remains secure and private at all times,” says Nielsen. AWS offers AI and machine learning services that meet enterprise-grade security standards and ensure data stays within governance frameworks.
AWS’s two data centre regions, located in Calgary and Montreal, allow companies to keep data within national borders, addressing the critical need for data residency while integrating generative AI into their operations.
Spotlighting Canada’s AI Startups at the AWS AI Pitch Competition
Canada’s AI ecosystem is growing rapidly, with startups taking center stage at the AWS AI Pitch Competition. Six of the country’s fastest-growing AI startups competed, showcasing cutting-edge applications in diverse industries. The winner, Waterloo-based ConeLabs, is revolutionizing building and infrastructure inspections using AI to save time, money, and even lives.
Other notable competitors included Sibli.AI, which uses AI to assist financial companies with investment research, and Oncoustics, which applies AI to accelerate the detection of liver diseases. Deskree is helping companies deploy scalable and reusable workflows for web and mobile apps, while Foqus Technologies combines quantum information algorithms with AI learning techniques to enhance medical imaging.
AWS’s Commitment to Startups: Fuelling the Next Generation of AI Innovators
AWS’s dedication to startups goes beyond offering cloud infrastructure—it’s embedded in their DNA. “Nearly 20 years ago, AWS started as a startup itself, and we’ve grown into the world’s most comprehensive cloud provider,” says Nielsen.
AWS Activate, the company’s flagship program for startups, has supported more than 280,000 startups globally, providing $6 billion in credits and a wealth of technical resources. As the wave of generative AI innovation continues, AWS has made a $230 million USD commitment to help early-stage companies build and scale generative AI applications.
With AI at the forefront of global innovation, AWS’s initiatives aim to empower startups to transform entire industries. The company recently announced a second cohort for the AWS Generative AI Accelerator, supporting 80 startups worldwide with up to $1 million in credits each. As AI rapidly reshapes industries, AWS is positioning itself as the go-to platform for startups and enterprises alike, providing the tools and resources necessary to navigate the evolving AI landscape.
