Cohere has officially opened its first office in Ottawa, deepening the company’s footprint in Canada’s capital and reinforcing its commitment to the country’s expanding artificial intelligence ecosystem. The new workspace is located adjacent to Lansdowne Park in one of Ottawa’s most vibrant and well-connected urban districts. The move provides a dedicated home for Cohere’s growing regional team and creates new opportunities for collaboration with customers, partners, and public sector organizations.
Strategic Expansion in Canada’s Capital
Cohere was founded in Canada and continues to see the country as central to the future of artificial intelligence. The company identified Ottawa’s deep technical talent, strong research community, and long history of technology innovation as key factors in the decision. Currently, nearly 30 employees are based in the Ottawa region, with responsibilities spanning go-to-market, engineering, infrastructure, security, and sovereign AI functions.
A Dedicated Space for Collaboration
The new office sits within a lively and well-connected urban area, offering a dedicated environment for internal collaboration and external meetings. Cohere expects its Ottawa presence to grow as the city takes on a more prominent role in the company’s Canadian operations. The location will also help the company connect more closely with local businesses, institutions, and public sector organizations.
Leadership Welcomes the Expansion
Cohere Co-Founder and CEO Aidan Gomez emphasized that Canada is home for the company, from its founding to its talent base and long-term ambitions. He described Ottawa as an incredible technology community with a deep pool of technical talent, adding that the new office is an important investment in the team. Member of Parliament for Ottawa Centre Yasir Naqvi said the decision reaffirms Ottawa’s role as a point of collaboration between AI innovators and policy experts.
Ottawa’s Established Technology Ecosystem
Ottawa has long been recognized as a technology hub with strengths in telecommunications, cybersecurity, infrastructure, and advanced computing. Its leading research institutions, growing AI community, and unique mix of public and private sector organizations make the city a significant part of Canada’s technology landscape. For Cohere, establishing a home in Ottawa creates more opportunities to engage with the businesses, institutions, and public sector organizations adopting AI.
Building on Existing Community Investment
Earlier this year, Cohere announced a naming rights partnership with the city’s largest purpose-built convention and event facility, now known as the Cohere Centre. That partnership reflected the company’s long-term investment in Ottawa as a center for technology, business, and innovation. The new office builds on this momentum by giving the local team a permanent home and creating more ways to connect with people and organizations shaping the region.
Supporting Canada’s AI Leadership
Cohere’s investment in Ottawa is part of a broader commitment to building, deploying, and commercializing advanced AI from Canada while serving customers around the world. The company remains focused on investing in Canadian talent, strengthening the country’s AI ecosystem, and helping organizations adopt secure, sovereign AI. Canada helped shape the modern AI era, and Cohere says it is proud to keep building here with Ottawa playing an increasingly important role.
The opening of Cohere’s first Ottawa office reflects the company’s confidence in Canada’s capital as a hub for AI talent, policy, and innovation. It also positions the company to build closer relationships with government, industry, and research communities that are shaping the future of artificial intelligence. As Cohere continues to scale, Ottawa is expected to become a more central part of its Canadian operations and long-term growth strategy.