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OCI — Ready 4 Market (R4M)
Last Update: March 4, 2026
Ontario, Canada
Pre-seed co-investment for Ontario academic spinout technology start-ups
Grant and Funding
Overview
Ready 4 Market (R4M) is Ontario’s leading pre-seed and seed co-investment fund, providing up to $250,000 to early-stage, Ontario-based technology companies with strong IP and a minimum $100M addressable market. The program supports the commercialization and scaling of transformative technologies by co-investing alongside private investors in equity rounds totaling $500,000 to $2 million.
At a glance
Funding available
Financing goals
- Integrate new technologies
- Develop strategic partnerships
- Develop a new product
Eligible Funding
- Maximum amount : 250,000 $
- Minimum amount : 500,000 $
Timeline
- Open continuously
Eligible candidates
Eligible Industries
- Information and cultural industries
- Professional, scientific and technical services
- Health care and social assistance
Location
- Ontario
Legal structures
- For-profit business
Annual revenue
- All revenue ranges
Organisation size
- All organization sizes
Audience
- Startups
Activities funded
- Commercialization of innovative technologies that are close to market-ready, transforming academic or research-based intellectual property into scalable products or services.
- Growth and scaling of early-stage Ontario technology companies to attract additional private investment and expand into large addressable markets.
- Development and validation of technology solutions in sectors such as information technology, robotics, artificial intelligence, cleantech and advanced manufacturing to reach early market traction.
- Structuring and closing pre-seed or seed investment rounds for Ontario-based technology start-ups in partnership with accredited private investors.
Examples of admissible projects:
$ 250,000
Building an IoT-based smart irrigation system for urban farming
$ 250,000
Introducing a blockchain-based platform for supply chain transparency in the fashion industry
$ 250,000
Launching a software platform for remote telehealth consultations targeting elderly patients
$ 250,000
Developing AI technology to streamline logistics for ecommerce platforms
$ 250,000
Developing biodegradable packaging solutions for the agricultural sector
$ 250,000
Developing a virtual reality training program for healthcare professionals
Eligibility
- The company must be a for-profit corporation incorporated in Ontario or elsewhere in Canada for no more than five years.
- The company must be headquartered and primarily operating in Ontario, with more than 50% of its current employees located in Ontario.
- The company must be an early-stage technology business close to commercialization, ideally with a built product and some initial market traction.
- The company must have intellectual property originating from an Ontario-based academic institution, or be part of a campus incubator/accelerator at an academic institution, or be a university/college/research hospital spin-out.
- The company must have raised less than $1 million in third-party capital and be seeking a pre-seed or seed investment round between $500,000 and $2 million, with Ontario-based accredited investors participating.
Who is eligible?
- Ontario-based early-stage technology companies close to commercialization
- Academic-affiliated companies commercializing intellectual property from Ontario universities, colleges, or research hospitals
- Start-ups originating from campus incubators or accelerators at academic institutions in Ontario
- Companies developing transformative technologies in sectors such as IT, robotics, AI, cleantech, and advanced manufacturing
- Ontario-headquartered companies with the majority of their workforce located in Ontario
Who is not eligible
- Companies developing human health or life sciences technologies, as these sectors are explicitly excluded from this fund.
- Companies that are not headquartered and predominantly located in Ontario (i.e., less than 50% of current headcount based in Ontario).
- Companies that are not early-stage technology businesses close to commercialization (for example, ventures without a built product or any early market traction).
- Companies that have already received investment from the Life Sciences Innovation Fund (LSIF), as LSIF and R4M portfolio status are mutually exclusive.
Eligible expenses
Ready 4 Market supports early-stage companies in Ontario by co-investing in the commercialization of transformative technologies. Companies benefit from de-risking investment opportunities, strategic growth support, and access to further investments.
- Co-investment in early-stage start-ups focused on transformative technologies.
- Support for companies with strong intellectual property based in Ontario.
- Assistance in becoming investor and customer ready.
- Facilitation of scalable business growth in various technology sectors.
Eligible geographic areas
- Companies headquartered and predominantly located within the Province of Ontario, Canada.
Selection criteria
- Strength of the company’s long-term competitiveness in its target market.
- Quality and robustness of the company’s intellectual property.
- Clarity and uniqueness of the company’s value proposition.
- Capacity and readiness of the business to scale.
- Size of the addressable market (must be at least $100 million).
How to apply
1
Determine Eligibility
Review the fund guidelines to ensure your start-up qualifies based on the criteria provided.
2
Express Interest
- Complete the Interest Form available on the program's website to express your interest in the fund.
- Consider reaching out to an Investment Lead for preliminary discussions.
3
Prepare Application Materials
- Gather necessary documentation showcasing competitive IP, value proposition, market potential, and scalability.
- Ensure you have private sector co-investment lined up.
4
Contact Investment Lead
Email Mandhir Kalia or Sharon Sukhdeo for additional information or guidance on your application: mkalia(at)oc-innovation(dot)ca or ssukhdeo(at)oc-innovation(dot)ca.
5
Submit Application
Follow the specific instructions communicated during your engagement with the investment leads on how to submit your full application.
Additional information
- The fund is managed by the Ontario Centre of Innovation on behalf of the Government of Ontario.
- R4M is a competitive co-investment fund that typically closes around 20 investments per year from hundreds of companies considered.
- R4M is positioned as a pan-provincial fund serving start-ups across the entire province of Ontario.
- Portfolio companies of Ready 4 Market (R4M) and those of the Life Sciences Innovation Fund (LSIF) cannot receive investment from the other fund.
