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Working at Ontario Centre of Innovation
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On the TechTO stage
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About
OCI describes itself as a pan-provincial collaboration platform that maximizes the commercial impact of research developed in Ontario's colleges, universities and research hospitals, and as a trusted partner of government in program delivery. BetaKit (2020-11-06) traces the organization to 2002, when the province merged seven separate non-profit research centres into Ontario Centres of Excellence; OCI's own 2020 release counts over 33 years of history, back to the original centres of the late 1980s. The same BetaKit report says OCE's base funding was cut from $31 million to $13.9 million in 2019 and that the 2020 Innovation Centre Governance Act lets the province appoint up to six of its 13 board seats. Its programs include the Life Sciences Innovation Fund, which co-invests up to $500,000 alongside angels in Ontario health companies raising $1 million to $5 million, and Collaborate 2 Commercialize, which pairs post-secondary researchers with industry partners. For 2024-2025 OCI reports $161 million invested in the ecosystem, $700 million in follow-on investment into client companies and 6,505 jobs created or retained.
Backers
Not-for-profit funded by the Government of Ontario, which appoints up to six of its board seats under the 2020 Innovation Centre Governance Act (BetaKit, 2020-11-06)
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Quick answers
What is the Ontario Centre of Innovation?
A Toronto not-for-profit, headquartered at 325 Front Street West, that delivers much of the Government of Ontario's economic development and innovation programming: R&D grants, commercialization support and early-stage investment. BetaKit called it the non-profit which delivers much of the Government of Ontario's economic development programming (2020-11-06).
When was OCI founded?
BetaKit reports Ontario Centres of Excellence was created in 2002 when the province merged seven non-profit centres into one; OCI's November 2020 release counts over 33 years of history, reaching back to the original centres of the late 1980s. The 2002 date is used here. Members voted on 2020-11-20 to adopt the Ontario Centre of Innovation name.
Does OCI invest in startups?
Yes. On the TechTO stage (2025-11-23, 18:46) OCI's Feiran Zhou said the organization runs two investment funds alongside its granting programs and joined Gotcare's seed round. Its Life Sciences Innovation Fund page describes initial venture capital of up to $500,000 for Ontario health companies raising $1M to $5M, invested alongside angels.
Who from OCI has spoken at TechTO?
Feiran Zhou, who interviewed Gotcare's Chenny Xia in the VC Meets Founder fireside at Health Toronto by TechTO, published 2025-11-23.