TrojAI, the Saint John maker of cybersecurity software for artificial intelligence systems, has become the only Atlantic Canadian startup to make the Toronto-based Vector Institute’s inaugural AI20 for 2023 -- a list of startups to watch next year.

TrojAI’s inclusion in the list deepens a relationship with the Vector Institute that began with the AI-focussed non-profit incorporating the company’s technology into its own infrastructure in September.

The 20 companies on the list were selected from a shortlist of about 150 startups that had achieved major growth milestones in 2021 or 2022. The winners were chosen with the help of the institute’s industry partners and were selected to reflect key areas of AI innovation in Canada, as well as for having diverse executive teams.

“Each honoree puts AI to work in interesting and potentially transformative ways,” said the Vector Institute’s Cameron Schuler in a statement. “Together, they illustrate a manifestation of the remarkable promise of Canada’s AI ecosystem — and show how AI can drive not only future innovation but also future prosperity.”

TrojAI’s software is designed to prevent cyberattacks hidden in the data used to train artificial intelligence programs. AI systems learn by being fed reams of information, such as photos, and searching for patterns, but sophisticated hackers can conceal malware in the same data. The company’s technology is meant to prevent both deliberate attacks and accidental damage caused by more organic edge cases -- a service intended primarily for large corporations already using AI for real-world business applications.

In May, the company was recognized as one of the 100 most promising AI startups in the world by New York startup intelligence group CB Insights, beating out a field of 7,000 competitors globally.

And in January, TrojAI closed a $3 million seed round led by Halifax’s Build Ventures and Seattle’s Flying Fish Ventures, which was co-founded by former Microsoft, Amazon and Getty Images execs. A year earlier, it had raised a $750,000 pre-seed round from such investors as Halifax-based Concrete Ventures and the New Brunswick Innovation Foundation.

At the time of its inclusion in the CB Insights list, TrojAI had 11 employees. LinkedIn data now shows it as having 14 staff.

The company has also expanded the possible use cases for its technology in response to changing market conditions this year. Its early versions focused solely on computer vision systems, but newer iterations include natural language and structured data models.