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Modern defence and transportation operations depend on many moving parts working in sync. From dockyards and ship maintenance to training environments and border operations, government teams must manage complex systems, anticipate issues, and make decisions in real time.
Yet many organizations still rely on fragmented tools and static documents that limit visibility and slow response. Datifex set out to change that by making complex operational environments easier to see, understand, and act on.
Industrial metaverses built for real-world operations
Datifex is a Canadian software company founded by experienced entrepreneur Chris Erickson. The company develops interactive 3D applications on its DATIVerse 3D™ software platform that bring real-world operations into shared visually immersive industrial metaverse environments. Industrial metaverses are living virtual spaces for operating, simulating, optimizing, and planning real-world systems. These metaverses combine digital twins, IoT, video recognition, AI, LLM, AR/VR and more into easy-to-understand immersive real-time 3D environments. All that is needed is a smart browser.
As Chris explains, "These environments tackle the core problem that users struggle to see and understand data from different sources. By pulling everything into a single pane of glass, users can make better decisions, faster."
From early capability to operational impact
Datifex developed its core visual application platform, and later applied the technology to increasingly complex federal environments with support from Innovative Solutions Canada and its predecessor, the Build in Canada Innovation Program
Working directly with federal partners helped Datifex move beyond static 3D visualization toward interactive environments that support real operational workflows. Within the Royal Canadian Navy ecosystem, the platform grew into a suite of SeaReady© applications supporting training, maintenance, and harbour and dockyard operations.
Turning testing into traction through ISC
For Datifex, Innovative Solutions Canada became a pathway to validation, credibility, and long-term growth.
Through ISC, Datifex completed over 9 testing and follow-on contracts worth over $9.6M with federal departments including the Royal Canadian Navy, Transport Canada, the National Research Council, and the Canada Border Services Agency. These projects provided direct access to operational feedback and helped refine the technology in real-world conditions.
"The funding is important, but it's really about taking the testing results and the reputation you build and leveraging that," says Chris.
Building capacity and Canadian growth
The momentum generated through ISC translated into tangible company growth. Datifex expanded from a small founding team into a multidisciplinary workforce distributed across several Canadian cities, including Toronto, Halifax, and Truro.
Alongside team growth, the company strengthened its intellectual property portfolio and established a presence at the Port Innovation, Engagement and Research (The PIER) centre in Halifax, reflecting its growing role in maritime and port-related digitalization initiatives.
Designing what comes next
Datifex is becoming a strategic SME in Canada's sovereign defence efforts and is advancing toward a broader platform vision that integrates real-time data, sensors, and artificial intelligence with their new DATAVision AI™ LLM capability. These capabilities will allow their industrial metaverses to become more predictive, adapt to changing conditions, and visually flag potential issues before they disrupt operations.
The company is also expanding through Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) partnerships, embedding its technology within larger defence and logistics ecosystems. Their work has also led to important opportunities, including selection for the NATO DIANA's 2026 innovation program—1 of 150 companies chosen from 3,600 applicants globally. They now report monthly for the first 6-month phase of the program to their innovation hub in Tallinn, Estonia near to Narva at the Russian front line. With growing international interest, Datifex is positioning Canadian-developed innovation for use in mission-critical environments at home and beyond.
For Canada's defence and transportation community, the message is clear: when forward-looking procurement is paired with agile innovation, it can deliver practical tools that strengthen readiness today and into the future.