From AI-powered infrastructure and women's healthcare to climate technology and the future of work, DMZ's newest founders aren't just building ambitious companies, they're already proving there's demand for them.
This spring, we're welcoming 10 startups into DMZ's flagship programs, including seven companies joining our Incubator and three entering our Pre-Incubator. Together, they represent the next generation of founders building solutions across AI, healthcare, housing, climate, workforce technology, retail and media.
While these companies span a wide range of industries, they share one thing in common: strong early commercial momentum. Collectively, they're serving customers across North America and Europe, and securing opportunities with enterprise customers, governments and major industry partners.
Beyond the traction, this cohort reflects a few trends we're seeing across the startup ecosystem:
- AI is becoming foundational: Over 60% of the cohort is building AI-native or AI-powered solutions, helping their users work smarter across industries like workforce management, commerce, construction and operations.
- Founders are solving real-world challenges: Nearly half the cohort is focused on strengthening the systems that power Canada’s most essential industries and infrastructure.
- Women are still driving innovation: 60% of the cohort includes startups founded or co-founded by women.
- The best ideas often come from lived experiences: Whether improving healthcare, making workplaces more inclusive or tackling housing challenges, many of these founders are building solutions to problems they know firsthand.
Meet Cohort 11:
Incubator
Arbling helps jewelry retailers digitize inventory and win the agentic commerce shift turning messy product catalogs into verified, AI-readable data. By digitizing inventory and preparing retailers for the shift towards agentic commerce, the platform helps brands improve visibility and streamline operations.
Dawn Energy provides electrical panel monitoring technology that helps property owners improve energy efficiency and accelerate residential and commercial electrification upgrades.
Bringing employers, educators, governments and nonprofit organizations together, Enabled Talent has built a workforce inclusion network designed to connect skilled professionals with disabilities to meaningful employment opportunities while helping organizations address workforce shortages.
Homekin connects homeowners with interior designers through a tech-enabled marketplace that automatically matches users based on style, location and budget with revenue across virtual design, in-person services and furniture/decor sales.
July Health is a virtual direct-to-consumer health clinic and subscription app delivering diagnosis, treatment and management of underserved chronic hormonal conditions including Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) for women from teens to midlife.
Reeku operates a managed homesharing marketplace that enables apartment residents to offset housing costs by subletting their homes while they're away.
Tyce simplifies infrastructure projects with an AI-native platform that helps construction and civil engineering firms win infrastructure projects with a single click.
Pre-Incubator
Loraverse provides a modular studio platform where creative teams build, manage, and deploy generative assets with full consistency, provenance, and production control throughout the content creation process.
MyKitchenOps is a kitchen operations management platform for small independent restaurants that streamlines kitchen operations by connecting POS systems with ingredient management, recipe costing and AI-assisted menu onboarding.
Smart Workforce ai develops workforce intelligence software that automates scheduling and forecasting for shift-based industries, helping organizations align staffing with demand.
Interested in joining a community of founders, gaining access to experienced mentors, and hands-on support? Explore our programs and apply for our Fall ‘26 cohort here.
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