BDC Launches Mission AI and AI Studio
The Business Development Bank of Canada has launched two initiatives to help entrepreneurs put artificial intelligence to work in their businesses.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Artificial Intelligence
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BDC launched Mission AI and AI Studio on November 2, 2026, two entrepreneur-led initiatives aimed at helping business owners adopt artificial intelligence. Dominic Gagnon was named Managing Director of Mission AI and Raff Paquin was named lead of AI Studio.
Why it matters
Entrepreneurs want to use AI but need credible evidence that it will save time, solve a real problem or improve performance. Most Canadian small and medium-sized enterprises remain in the early stages of AI adoption, which the initiatives are designed to address.
Canadian SMEs using generative AI are 24% more productive than those that do not, and 30% of SMEs currently use it. The study does not establish whether the productivity difference is caused by AI use.
The players
Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC)
BDC is a Canadian Crown corporation that provides financing and advisory services to entrepreneurs and small and medium-sized businesses.
Dominic Gagnon
Gagnon served as BDC's first Entrepreneur-in-Residence for nine months before being named Managing Director of Mission AI.
Raff Paquin
Paquin previously held roles at Shopify, Lightspeed, Altitude Sports, Frank And Oak and Return Magic before leading AI Studio.
The details
Mission AI will source, validate and scale proven AI solutions tested by a panel of entrepreneurs in real businesses. AI Studio will build and deploy solutions designed to simplify BDC processes and speed entrepreneur financing.
Timeline
June 2026: BDC study found 30% of Canadian SMEs use generative AI.
September 2026: BDC reported investments in over 300 Canadian AI companies.
November 2, 2026: BDC launched Mission AI and AI Studio.
Market Landscape
Canadian SMEs lag behind the G7 average in AI adoption, with BDC's study showing 69% of Canadian SMEs as AI Novices compared with 76% across OECD-surveyed SMEs. The initiatives position BDC as an active participant in closing that gap while supporting domestic AI firms, in which it has invested nearly $800 million.
Small business owners considering AI tools can now access Mission AI's panel-tested solutions and AI Studio's streamlined BDC processes. The programs aim to help entrepreneurs judge whether a given AI tool will save time or improve performance before adopting it.
The takeaway
Adopting AI does not require guesswork when programs test tools in real businesses first. Entrepreneurs can look for validated solutions rather than relying on unproven claims.
Further reading
For more on the sector, explore Artificial Intelligence coverage on Wisevoter.
More information
Visit the BDC corporate website for details on Mission AI and AI Studio.
Live Poll
Do you think AI will improve how your small business operates?
