Canada funds 3 anti auto theft technology projects
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The federal government announced on Wednesday, March 25, 2026, that it will provide 1.6 million dollars to support three Canadian projects developing new technologies aimed at preventing vehicle theft, placing homegrown innovation at the center of Ottawa’s response to a crime increasingly tied to organized networks. The announcement was made by Transport Minister and Government House Leader Steven MacKinnon under the Innovative Solutions Canada program.
According to the official release, the funding will support three Ontario based projects: a miniaturized device designed to disable vehicle components once a theft is detected, developed by Carmodity in Toronto; an AI powered steering wheel lock that monitors tampering, towing and alarms, developed by Steel Mirror in Toronto; and a smart automotive switch that blocks unauthorized starts by communicating with the driver’s phone, developed by Audesse Automotive in Kitchener.
Ottawa said the selected projects are now moving into prototype development and testing, meaning these tools are not yet commercially available. The government also made clear that once the prototypes are built, it will be up to the companies themselves to commercialize the products and bring them to market. From a service journalism angle, that matters: the announcement does not mean drivers can buy these solutions today, but it does show where federal prevention efforts are heading.
The funding is part of the Vehicle Theft Prevention challenge, tied to the broader federal push that followed the February 2024 National Summit on Combatting Auto Theft and the National Action Plan launched in May 2024. Ottawa also said the challenge received 88 submissions in phase one, narrowed them to eight, and has now selected three for this funded prototype stage.
