Toronto-based artificial-intelligence company Cohere has announced it is opening a new office in Ottawa, located near Lansdowne Park, though the company has not specified an opening date.
Cohere, which develops large language models and software tools for businesses, already employs close to 30 people in the National Capital Region across go-to-market, engineering, infrastructure, security and sovereign AI roles. In a news release, the company said the region’s technical talent, research community and history of technology innovation make it a natural place to grow, adding that it expects to keep expanding its presence there.
CEO Aidan Gomez said in a statement that Canada is home for Cohere, noting that it is where the company was founded, where much of its talent comes from, and where it intends to keep building long-term. He said establishing the firm’s first office in Ottawa marks an important step in investing in its team and in the company’s future.
New Platform Release
The office announcement follows closely on the heels of Cohere unveiling a new version of its North platform, which the company says will let AI agents handle more complex tasks such as financial analysis and coding.
Company Background and Growth
Founded in 2019, Cohere has raised more than $1.5 billion from investors including Nvidia and Salesforce Ventures. Its customer base includes Bell Canada and Dell, and the company agreed earlier this year to merge with German AI firm Aleph Alpha. According to CNBC, Cohere’s recurring revenues exceeded US$240 million in 2025.
Cohere currently operates offices in Montreal, New York City, San Francisco, London, Paris and Seoul, in addition to its Toronto headquarters. The company’s ties to Ottawa date back to last spring, when it acquired the naming rights to the city’s largest convention and meeting centre, a 200,000-square-foot facility near Ottawa Airport that was previously known as the EY Centre.
What It Means for Ottawa’s Tech Sector
The planned office adds to Cohere’s existing footprint in the capital region, where the company says it intends to continue growing its team as part of its broader Canadian operations.
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