Cohere opens Ottawa office to expand federal government contracts

Toronto-based technology company Cohere announced on Oct. 8, 2026, that it is opening an office in Ottawa to expand its public sector business and work with the Canadian federal government. The location marks Cohere's third office in Canada, adding to existing sites in Toronto and Montreal.

The new office is located in The Glebe neighborhood next to Lansdowne Park. Cohere currently has nearly 30 employees in the Ottawa region working in go-to-market, engineering, infrastructure, and security roles who will use the space.

While the company did not disclose specific hiring targets, a spokesperson told BetaKit that Cohere plans to draw from local workers as it expands its footprint. Public job postings show open applications for forward-deployed engineers based in Ottawa.

Globally, Cohere employs more than 800 workers across North America, Europe, and Asia. In addition to its Canadian locations, the firm operates offices in New York, London, and San Francisco.

Government Contracts and Defence Partnerships

The Ottawa expansion aims to facilitate deeper engagement with public sector clients and accelerate sovereign technology deployments across regulated government agencies. The office will focus on tailored large language model implementations for government agencies, positioning Cohere to capitalize on federal data requirements and public sector digital transformation programs.

Cohere has pitched itself as a secure option for enterprise and government clients. The company signed a memorandum of understanding with the federal government last year to explore uses of large language models in the public service, and it holds a contract with Canada's Communications Security Establishment. Cohere also established a presence in the region by acquiring naming rights to Ottawa's Capital Exhibition Centre, now named the Cohere Centre.

Yasir Naqvi, Member of Parliament for Ottawa Centre, said in a statement that Ottawa connects domestic technology innovators with decision-makers and policy experts inside the federal government. Naqvi added that opening an office in the city will "reaffirm Ottawa's role as a point of collaboration."

Beyond federal administration, Ottawa is growing as a defence sector hub, opening further commercial opportunities for Cohere. This week, the company deepened its partnership with defence contractor Thales to deliver agentic technology to the Canadian Armed Forces for naval and maritime support operations.