MONTRÉAL, Dec. 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) is introducing its new Defence Platform to support Canadian companies working in defence and national security.

Through this platform, BDC will deploy up to $4 billion in financing, advice, and investment solutions to help businesses in the sector innovate and grow. The platform will also help attract additional private and allied country investment into Canada's defence ecosystem.

The platform is intended to deliver a target of:

$3.5 billion in financing and advisory services to help Canadian businesses scale, diversify, and participate in the value chains of major defence contracts and national projects focused on sovereignty. These efforts will support SME capacity building and the production of defence goods.

$500 million in investments to accelerate defence innovation and strengthen the broader innovation ecosystem. The $500 million will be delivered through three streams:

StrongNorth Fund: a new venture capital fund focused on deep technologies with dual-use applications

Catalyst Innovation Fund: a second fund intended to serve as an innovation catalyst for the sector's start up ecosystem

Targeted indirect investments in private funds aligned with Canada's defence and sovereignty priorities

BDC's Defence Platform will contribute to the government's commitment to reach NATO's target of spending 5% of GDP on defence by ...