- Recipient: Miovision
- Region: Southern Ontario
Miovision's portable data collection device.
Waterloo, Ontario, is the heart of Canada’s tech corridor, an ecosystem where university labs, incubators, and startups continuously push the boundaries of innovation. It’s here that Miovision, founded in 2005 by Kurtis McBride and two fellow University of Waterloo graduates, transformed a university project into a global leader in intelligent transportation systems. What began as an idea to use raw data to tackle congestion has grown into a company with 112,000 connected intersections deployed across 65 countries, proving what’s possible when Canadian innovation receives the right support at the right time.
The company’s mission is simple but ambitious: to help cities get more out of their road networks. Using computer vision, artificial intelligence, and advanced analytics, Miovision’s platform enables municipalities to modernize traffic management, reduce congestion and improve road safety. Their technology powers smart intersections that adapt in real time to traffic conditions, helping cities reduce emissions, prioritize emergency vehicles, and make streets safer for everyone, from drivers to cyclists to pedestrians.
The company’s early success led to a strategic FedDev Ontario investment in 2010 that helped Miovision develop and market new traffic planning tools, laying the groundwork for future growth during a period of scarce risk capital. Over the years, FedDev Ontario has continued to support Miovision through two additional rounds of funding, including a transformative $8.4-million investment in 2022 that enabled the company to scale operations and exceed its sales targets.
As Miovision reached a pivotal point in its growth, the company turned to strategic acquisitions as a way to expand its capabilities and maintain its competitive edge while maintaining its Canadian roots and independence. Under McBride’s leadership, the company acquired several key players in the traffic technology space, including Traffop Inc., Rapid Flow Technologies Inc., and MicroTraffic Inc. A 2024 acquisition of Traffic Technology Services (TTS) brought insights from over 80,000 intersections worldwide into Miovision’s platform, strengthening Miovision’s V2X and Traffic Light Information capabilities and laying the foundation for groundbreaking in-car applications like Audi’s Traffic Light Information system.
Miovision’s impact isn’t just economic. Its technology is helping cities reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve emergency response times, and make streets safer for all users. In Peterborough, Ontario, a pilot project using Miovision’s Surtrac adaptive traffic signal system demonstrated how real-time traffic optimization can reduce delays and emissions, delivering both environmental and quality-of-life benefits. These kinds of outcomes are increasingly important as cities around the world grapple with the challenges of urbanization, climate change, and aging infrastructure.
Throughout Miovision’s journey, FedDev Ontario has remained a consistent and strategic partner. Early investments helped validate the company’s vision and attract private capital, and subsequent funding supported product development, job creation, and strategic repositioning, allowing Miovision to pivot and scale at critical moments. The Agency’s support has been instrumental in helping Miovision build momentum and stay ahead in a rapidly evolving market.
Kurtis McBride, CEO, Miovision
“[FedDev Ontario funding] has been critically important to us. It helped extend a runway and let us do more with the limited investment capital we had, like hiring developers and building out our manufacturing facility.”
Miovision’s success under McBride’s leadership has been impressive, but his vision extends beyond the company itself. In 2015, McBride co-founded Catalyst137, a 475,000-square-foot innovation hub in Kitchener designed to support growth-oriented, globally focused firms. By co-locating with other firms and services, tenants can scale their vision for the future. McBride is also a vocal advocate for building and scaling companies in Canada. Through Catalyst137 and his involvement in the local tech community, he’s helping other entrepreneurs grow without having to leave the country or give up control of their businesses. His story is proof that you can build a global company in Canada, and that doing so can strengthen the entire innovation ecosystem.
Miovision’s story is a powerful example of what’s possible when Canadian innovation is nurtured and supported. It’s a story of vision, resilience, and impact, of a company that started with a simple idea and grew into a global leader in smart city technology. The story continues to unfold, with Miovision shaping the future of transportation and proving that you can build, scale, and thrive right here in Canada.
Learn more about FedDev Ontario's funding recipients by visiting our impact stories page.