At Spark Centre, we are always proud to see our clients achieve major milestones, but every so often, a founder accomplishes something truly amazing and extraordinary.
That is exactly what recent Landing-Pad Accelerator Program (LPAP) graduate Gharsa Amin, Founder and CEO of Kavodax, achieved at AccelerateOTT 2026 in Ottawa recently. Competing in the Startup World Cup Ottawa Regional Competition, Gharsa emerged as the winning startup founder, securing a $25,000 cash prize and earning the opportunity to present on the global stage at the Startup World Cup Grand Finale in San Francisco, where she will compete for a US$1 million investment prize.
Hosted by Invest Ottawa as part of Ottawa Innovation Week, AccelerateOTT is one of Canada’s premier gatherings of entrepreneurs, investors, technology leaders, and innovators. The event showcases some of the country’s most promising startups while creating opportunities for founders to connect with investors, industry experts, and ecosystem partners who can help accelerate their growth.
For Gharsa and the Kavodax team, winning the competition represents a significant milestone in an already impressive entrepreneurial journey.
Kavodax is transforming how Canadian businesses move money across borders through its innovative cross-border B2B payments platform. Built to address the challenges of traditional international banking, the platform enables businesses to send payments globally in minutes rather than days, with transparent foreign exchange rates, upfront fees, and real-time transaction visibility. By leveraging blockchain technology and stablecoin infrastructure, Kavodax helps SMEs pay international suppliers, contractors, and vendors more efficiently while reducing the costs, delays, and complexity often associated with cross-border transactions. With support for more than 50 countries and a compliance-first approach, the company is helping businesses participate more confidently in the global economy.
Over the past several months, Gharsa has worked closely with Spark Centre through our Landing-Pad Accelerator Program, refining her business strategy, strengthening her market positioning, and preparing Kavodax for continued growth. Her success at AccelerateOTT reflects not only the strength of Kavodax’s technology and vision, but also the determination, resilience, and leadership she has demonstrated throughout her entrepreneurial journey.
Winning the Ottawa regional competition provides far more than recognition. It opens the door to global exposure, valuable investor connections, and the opportunity to compete alongside some of the world’s most innovative startups at the Startup World Cup Grand Finale in Silicon Valley. For any founder, it is a remarkable achievement. For a growing Canadian startup, it has the potential to be transformative.
At Spark Centre, we believe that supporting founders means helping them build the confidence, connections, and capabilities needed to seize opportunities when they arise. Seeing LPAP graduates like Gharsa continue to excel on larger stages is a powerful reminder of the impact that innovative entrepreneurs can have when given the right support and resources.
We are incredibly proud to celebrate this achievement with Gharsa and the entire Kavodax team. As a Spark Centre client and recent LPAP graduate, Gharsa’s success highlights the incredible innovation being developed within our community and the growing influence of Canadian startups in the global AI ecosystem.
Congratulations to Gharsa Amin and Kavodax on this well-deserved victory. We look forward to cheering her on as she heads to San Francisco to compete for the Startup World Cup championship and the opportunity to secure a $1 million investment prize.
About Spark Centre
Spark Centre is Durham Region’s leading technology and innovation business incubator. We offer accessible entrepreneurship support to early-stage and growing technology and innovation ventures through advisory services, mentorship, funding connections, co-working space, educational programs, and ecosystem-building activities. Click here to learn more about our various program options!
