BDC Launches $200M Fund II to Power Canada’s Next Wave of Industrial Innovation
August 22, 2025 By Manufacturing AUTOMATION
Aug. 22, 2025, Montreal — As the global economy undergoes a profound industrial transformation driven by automation and digitalization, BDC is doubling down on Canada’s industrial future with the launch of Industrial Innovation Venture Fund II (I2VF II).
This new $200 million commitment is designed to help Canadian entrepreneurs developing next-generation technologies that will drive productivity and resilience across key industrial sectors.
Building on the success of its first fund launched in 2019, I2VF II will invest in early-stage, high growth companies developing transformative solutions in advanced manufacturing, ag-tech, food-tech, extractive industries and now with an expanded focus on critical minerals, a sector increasingly recognized as vital to Canada’s economic sovereignty and national ambitions.
“Canada’s productivity gap is especially acute in sectors like manufacturing, mining, and agriculture,” said Geneviève Bouthillier, executive vice president, BDC Capital, in a media release. “With Fund II, we’re doubling down our commitment to entrepreneurs building practical, scalable technologies that are highly needed across these industries. The growing demand for critical minerals makes this investment more important than ever.”
Fund I addressed a critical funding gap, backing over 20 early-stage companies and demonstrating the strong potential of industrial innovation to boost productivity and global competitiveness.
Notable impacts from Fund I portfolio companies include:
- Acerta Analytics stated that it helped a manufacturing facility slash scrap rates by double digits.
- MineSense Technologies announced that deploying a system using X-ray fluorescence resulted in an 18.1 per cent increase in ore production at a mine in British Columbia.
“Fund II will target companies that are developing transformative solutions in areas such as robotics, automation, applied AI and industrial software” said Bouthillier in a press statement. “We believe these technologies are key to helping industrial enterprises improve efficiency, reduce waste, and remain competitive in a rapidly evolving global market.”