Al Vigier, founder and CEO of Caseway, pulled his Vancouver-based company from the AI Conference in San Francisco this week, saying political uncertainty tied to Trump makes pursuing U.S. defense work unethical and too risky. The move costs Caseway potential venture investment and the chance to pitch to collaborators in legal and defense markets, support that had been arranged through the Canadian Technology Accelerator.
Why Caseway withdrew from the AI conference
Vigier said the decision is both “an ethical decision in addition to a political decision.” He told reporters from the Ottawa airport, where he was on his way to Cyber and Digital Outlooks 2026, “We’re pulling out for the next few years until there’s some clarity or stability.” Vigier added, “Hey, I don’t find this is ethical.” He had planned to fly to San Francisco this week but instead remained in Ottawa.
Seven other companies in the same accelerator program were in San Francisco preparing for an onstage demo day and staffing booths — opportunities the consulate general of Canada in Palo Alto had guaranteed as part of the program.
Business impact and contracts
Caseway, which has legal and defense arms, will honor its existing contracts but has said it is no longer interested in pursuing new defense contracts with the U.S. government. One existing partnership with a large California-based company is intended to sell Caseway’s product to a state courts system; Vigier said that contract is large enough to allow the company to grow from 15 employees to 40. He said Caseway is still deciding whether to pursue additional legal contracts in the U.S.
Defense shift, funding and investor concerns
Caseway’s expansion into defense occurred less than a year ago and was prompted by a $75,000 grant from the Canadian government. Vigier has previously written that Canada is a hostile environment for early-stage startups compared with Silicon Valley, which he called the “mecca of tech.” He said software is “essentially tariff-proof,” but that the Trump issue adds a layer of political risk he is unwilling to accept.
Vigier said some investors accept startup volatility, while others have been seeking guarantees he cannot provide when “defense meets AI and political chaos.” He summarized his position to investors: “I just don’t know what’s going to happen. All I know is that we’re going to respond to things as they happen, and we’ll stay on top of it, and we’ll try and stay on the right side of things.” Caseway says it will instead focus its business on Canada, the EU and Taiwan.
