Kavodax Wins at Startup World Cup Ottawa Regional Competition
On June 18, 2026, Kavodax emerged victorious at the Startup World Cup Ottawa Regional Competition, securing a $25,000 share of a total $50,000 prize pool. Led by Founder and CEO Gharsa Amin, Kavodax focuses on developing next-generation infrastructure for cross-border payments, decentralized finance, and quantum computation. Their win enables them to represent Ottawa and the broader Eastern region at the prestigious Startup World Cup Grand Finale in San Francisco, where they will compete against startups globally for a $1 million USD investment prize.
The competition highlighted some of the National Capital Region's most promising startups. Kavodax was chosen as the champion by an expert panel of investors and ecosystem leaders, including notable figures such as 2025 winner Keira Frosst from mDETECT, Pierre Steiner of Innovobot Resonance Ventures, and others. The competition also recognized Celestra Health Systems, which took home $15,000 for second place, and CardiAxis Medical, which secured $10,000 as the third-place winner.
The Startup World Cup Ottawa Regional Competition served as the finale of AccelerateOTT 2026, which is part of Ottawa Innovation Week. This event saw hundreds of founders, investors, operators, and ecosystem leaders congregate to discuss the future of business development in the AI age. Keynote speakers included entrepreneur and author Alistair Croll, who discussed the evolving economics of company building, alongside Ashley Faus from Atlassian, who encouraged attendees to rethink concepts of trust and human connection in an automated world.
The event also featured discussions led by successful founders and operators, including Vanessa Galarneau from Pluvo and Mike Matta from Solink. Their insights focused on scaling innovative companies from Ottawa to international markets.
Invest Ottawa, the event’s organizer, emphasizes facilitating connections for founders to access capital and accelerate their growth. Hosting the Startup World Cup Ottawa Regional Competition reflects Invest Ottawa's broader mission to support local entrepreneurs.
About AccelerateOTT and Startup World Cup
AccelerateOTT is recognized as Ottawa's premier entrepreneurship event, designed to foster collaboration among entrepreneurs, investors, industry leaders, and ecosystem builders. Through a mix of keynote presentations, discussions, and networking opportunities, the event equips founders with essential knowledge and connections needed for success in a rapidly evolving marketplace.
The Startup World Cup, organized by Pegasus Tech Ventures, is a global event that unites leading startups, venture capitalists, and tech leaders. Each regional champion advances to the grand finale in San Francisco, where they vie for the substantial investment prize.
About Invest Ottawa
Invest Ottawa is the leading economic development agency focused on knowledge-based industries in Canada’s capital. Through its innovation ecosystem and various entrepreneurship initiatives, Invest Ottawa aids startups and companies in their journey from inception to successful scaling.
For more inquiries, contact Randy Gaudreau, Manager of Communications & Public Relations at Invest Ottawa.
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