Elevate Festival Returns to Mark Nearly a Decade of Growth, Unveils New Headline Speakers

Canada's leading tech and innovation festival is set to showcase homegrown talent in AI, fintech, and more, including NBA Star Kyle Lowry and speakers from Cohere, Clio, Xanadu and more. Media accreditation is now open. Apply here.

TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Elevate Festival, Canada’s largest homegrown tech and innovation event, returns to Toronto for its ninth year from September 22-24 at Meridian Hall and the St. Lawrence Centre. What started as a gathering for startups has grown into a national platform for Canadian innovation, and this year's agenda, now live, reflects that scale. The festival arrives at a pivotal moment, as Canada works to establish itself as an independent, thriving force in the global tech and AI economy.

This year’s festival will bring together a world-class lineup of speakers, from international headliners to homegrown tech leaders, including: Kyle Lowry, former Toronto Raptor and Toronto Tempo Investor; Michael Pelosi, Country Manager, Canada, of Cohere; Christian Weedbrook, Founder and CEO of Xanadu; Jack Newton, CEO and Founder of Clio; Vivek Sagi, Chief Product and Technology Officer of Bumble Inc.; Eva Wong, Co-Founder and COO of Borrowell; Eliot Pence, CEO of Dominion Dynamics; Adam Collins, Chief Communications Officer of Reddit; Beah Burger-Lenehan, Chief Product Officer at DuckDuckGo; Mati Staniszewski, CEO of ElevenLabs; and more. See the full list of confirmed speakers here.

Elevate is thrilled to welcome Kyle Lowry to Opening Night, the Toronto Raptors legend who helped bring the city its first NBA championship in 2019 and is now an owner of Canada’s new WNBA team, the Toronto Tempo. From helping build a championship team to investing in the next generation of Canadian sport, Kyle’s story is one of leadership, ambition and building something that lasts.

The first sessions are now live on the 2026 agenda, with more being added daily. This year’s programming will tackle some of the most pressing conversations shaping Canada’s innovation economy, including:

• The Human Layer of the Internet: Chief Communications Officer for Reddit on why human perspective and trust matter more as AI makes content easier to create.
• Built to Last: Canada's Sovereign Tech Future: Leaders from Build Canada, Dominion Dynamics, Sentinel R&D, and Coveo on what it takes for Canada to build and own the technologies that will define its future.
• Are We Ready for the Driverless City? Head of Public Policy & Communications at Uber Canada dives into the opportunities and open questions as autonomous vehicles arrive on city streets.
• Building Canada’s Digital Economy: Coinbase Canada and Circle Internet Group on the growing role of stablecoins in Canada’s financial system.
• The Speed of Sound: ElevenLabs’ CEO and Co-Founder on the evolution of voice AI, from lifelike speech and cloning to real-time, multilingual conversations with machines.

Elevate Festival continues its tradition of showcasing programming tracks that cover the latest trends and challenges in the technology and business world, allowing attendees to engage in thought-provoking panels and in-depth workshops designed to foster learning, collaboration, and connection. Elevate's evolution has always mirrored the priorities of Canada's tech and innovation ecosystem, and in 2026, that means addressing what it takes for Canada to compete and lead on the global stage.

New this year, the festival is introducing Sovereign Growth, a half-day content track developed in partnership with DMZ and BDC, exploring Canada's role in areas such as dual-use technology, cloud sovereignty, and cybersecurity. Elevate Festival is also expanding its programming with content tracks designed to explore the ideas, skills, and technologies shaping what's next: Fast Forward will spotlight emerging ideas poised to become tomorrow's competitive advantage, while Crash Courses will offer hands-on learning around essential tools, technologies, and leadership best practices.

“Elevate Festival exists to push Canada’s boldest tech ideas further,” said Lisa Zarzeczny, Co-Founder and CEO of Elevate. “The stakes only continue to get higher, which is why conversations around AI and sovereignty are at the forefront of this year’s programming. Canada already has the talent and the ambition. Our job is to turn that potential into momentum. This year marks an important chapter for the Festival, and we’re bringing together the people and ideas that can help shape what comes next.”

Elevate Festival is made possible by its Founding Sponsors: TD Bank Group, Moneris, and Interac Corp., as well as its Corporate Sponsors: the Government of Ontario, the City of Toronto, Tangerine Business, ElevenLabs, Capital One Canada, Zafin, Blitzy, DMZ, Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC), BMO Wealth Management, Atheriaa, KPMG LLP, Questrade, University of Toronto, Uber Canada, Dell Technologies, Glean, Kids Help Phone (KHP), Brampton Innovation District, Riipen, EQ Bank, Italian Trade Agency, TekRek, Toronto Global, MaRS Discovery District, EliseAI, Beanfield, and IDEaS.

With support from OddBee, Bizzabo, Interprefy, AccessWire, Islands, Twenty6Two, Category Communications and Official Media Partner: The Globe and Mail. Supporting Media Partners include BetaKit, Maclean’s | SJC and UpNext Global.

For more information about Elevate Festival 2026, visit: elevatefestival.ca. To purchase tickets, please visit: elevatefestival.ca/tickets. You can also join the conversation on social media by following @ElevateTechCA and using #ElevateFest2026.

Media can apply for accreditation here by Friday, September 18, 2026.

About Elevate
Elevate is a Canadian non-profit that unites world-class innovators to catalyze transformation in the Canadian tech ecosystem. Through year-round programs and events, including the annual Elevate Festival and CIX Summit, Elevate shines a spotlight on Canadian innovation, facilitates global connections with startups and investors, and inspires Canadians to embrace a go-for-gold mentality to help shape the future of the Canadian innovation economy.