ventureLAB Strengthens AI Leadership by Appointing Garry Chan Head of AI Initiatives

MARKHAM, Ontario--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ventureLAB, a leading global founder community for hardware and enterprise software companies, is proud to announce Garry Chan, who joined ventureLAB in 2019, as its new Head of AI Initiatives. This key appointment reinforces ventureLAB’s mission of powering hardtech founders to build and scale globally competitive ventures that advance Canada’s knowledge-based economy. It is also a critical step in advancing ventureLAB’s three-pillar strategy to establish Canada’s leadership in Semiconductor, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Medical Technology (MedTech) sectors.

Through its Accelerate AI program, ventureLAB has already supported more than 40 AI companies in achieving product-market fit and scaling innovative solutions. Garry will now lead initiatives to expand key development and testing resources such as the AI Compute Lab and AI Commercialization Hub, driving ethical and responsible AI practices while helping founders navigate costly infrastructure and lengthy development timelines.

"As a nation of explorers and innovators, Canada is uniquely blessed with abundant natural resources, and an even greater pool of highly skilled, empathetic, resilient and bold entrepreneurs,” said Garry Chan, Head of AI Initiatives at ventureLAB. “As disruptive technologies are springing up across the globe, we believe we can help demonstrate what a vibrant hardtech startup ecosystem, coupled with strategic investments from public and private partners, can accomplish in scaling (from 1 to 100) innovative, groundbreaking AI startups right here in Canada. After all, it is in our DNA to do bold and innovative things! With ventureLAB’s focus on Semiconductor, MedTech and AI, Canadian innovators are turning big ideas into global leadership in AI and hardtech. I’m excited to be leading the AI pillar, together with our founders and partners, we will shape the next AI wave."

In December 2024, Garry represented ventureLAB at the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) Summit in Serbia. Garry’s participation highlighted ventureLAB’s leadership in advancing ethical AI development and its commitment to fostering global partnerships. After the GPAI Summit, ventureLAB also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Serbia’s Science and Technology Parks Belgrade, Niš, Čačak, and Novi Sad, marking a pivotal moment in fostering collaboration between Canada and Serbia to advance innovation in hardware technology and enterprise software.

As part of its three-pillar strategy, ventureLAB is addressing critical gaps in infrastructure, talent, and commercialization pathways to drive innovation across the Semiconductor, AI, and MedTech sectors. Chan’s leadership will accelerate this strategy, further enabling SMEs to scale AI-driven solutions through ventureLAB’s unique combination of cutting-edge resources, strategic mentorship, and global partnerships.

"Appointing Garry Chan as Head of AI Initiatives is an exciting step forward for ventureLAB," said Jane Gertner, Chief Growth Officer at ventureLAB. "AI is at the forefront of global innovation, and Garry’s wealth of experience and leadership will play a critical role in helping Canadian founders not only scale their AI-driven solutions but also ensure they’re developed ethically and responsibly. This appointment strengthens our commitment to driving AI innovation that will shape the future of industries worldwide, positioning Canada as a global leader in the sector."

Garry’s career spans over 30 years as a technology entrepreneur and leader including roles as CTO at AI Partnerships and founding Managing Partner at Procase Consulting. His extensive experience positions him to accelerate ventureLAB’s mission of scaling AI-driven solutions that align with societal values. Earlier this year, Garry led ventureLAB's comprehensive submission to the Canadian government's Consultations on AI Compute, where we advocated for the need for Canada to continue to build its own homegrown AI ecosystem.

By bridging hardware, AI, and entrepreneurship within Canada’s thriving innovation ecosystem, ventureLAB is empowering SMEs to deliver scalable, impactful solutions that address global challenges.

About ventureLAB

ventureLAB is a leading global founder community for hardware technology and enterprise software companies in Canada. Located at the heart of Ontario’s innovation corridor in York Region, ventureLAB is part of one of the biggest and most diverse tech communities in Canada. Our initiatives focused on raising capital, talent retention, commercializing technology and IP, and customer acquisition have enabled thousands of companies to create over 6,800 jobs and raise more than $420 million in investment capital. ventureLAB is powering hardtech founders to build and scale globally competitive ventures that advance Canada’s knowledge-based economy.