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Curated opportunities, talks, workshops, and events for those interested in creating a startup, growing one, or who want to connect with GTA startups.

Techstars Startup Digest Toronto

Locally curated opportunities, talks, workshops, and other events for those interested in creating a startup, growing one, or who want to connect with startups in the Greater Toronto Area.

Hello Toronto startups and entrepreneurs, and happy February! This past Monday, Garry Tan, Y Combinator's president and CEO, shared an article from The Logic bearing the headline "Y Combinator is no longer investing in Canadian startups". Later, it was confirmed that the global accelerator's website no longer lists Canada as a country in which it invests.


No reasons have been given for YC's change, but as there can be additional costs when investing in foreign companies, it could just as easily be explained as a move for more efficient operations. Canada is a small part of the YC portfolio, making up only 165 of their 6204 investments, 14 of which have gone on to Series B financing, while none have gone public.


If you're in the cleantech space, check out the most recent addition to the opportunities section below for the Accelerating Cleantech Innovation Competition. Led by the Clean Resource Innovation Network (CRIN) and coordinated by MaRS, its current focus is advancing cleantech deployment in Canada’s oil and gas industry. Applications are due by the 25th of February.


Not sure if your startup is a good fit for the Accelerating Cleantech Innovation Competition? Look to Tuesday's events below for an information webinar on the event.


Have a great week!



Ian Stevens ◦ ianstevens.ca@istevens

Community Opportunities

Promotion from Leapfunder

Pitch Deck Clinic (Online Workshop for Startup Founders)

Are you struggling with explaining your business proposition to investors? Leapfunder can help you build an effective "conclusion chain." Join their online Pitch Deck Clinic, rated 4.7/5, on February 9th. Register here!

Here are some upcoming deadlines for applying to accelerators, grants and funding, or other competitions and programs. Don’t miss out! If you know of others, please submit any application deadlines and I’ll post them if they’re relevant.


Feb 26 - Accelerating Cleantech Innovation Competition


The Accelerating Cleantech Innovation Competition is an initiative led by the Clean Resource Innovation Network and coordinated by MaRS. The intent is to advance cleantech deployment in Canada’s oil and gas industry to improve environmental performance, support economic growth and create high-value jobs, with a goal of broad adoption across Canada’s industrial sector. With a total of $12M available, this nationwide initiative will allocate up to $2M for selected late-stage technologies (TRL 6 to 9) that deliver measurable environmental and economic benefits within carbon capture, methane emissions reduction, land and wellsite reclamation, novel hydrocarbon extraction, cleaner fuels and products, water technology development, and digital oil and gas data and automation.


Apply now - MaRS Adaptech Accelerator


As climate shocks intensify, Canada must harness new tools and processes to better prepare for and respond to a changing world. With a comprehensive suite of services, MaRS’s Adaptech Accelerator is designed to help ventures speed up the development of climate change adaptation and resilience solutions. This accelerator aims to help build climate resilience in three key ways: attract and support eight to ten ventures helping Canadians prepare, prevent, recover or respond to the impacts of climate change; increase capital flows going toward adaptation and resilience solutions; and advance the adoption of Adaptech solutions across Canada. The Adaptech Accelerator will provide up to ten Canadian startups with tailored programming, market research, PR, advisory support, network building, as well as connections to capital, world-class labs, and industry partners and governments seeking resilience solutions. Through this program, we aim to bring adaptation technologies to the forefront of Canada’s climate economy, scale up solutions and accelerate the adoption of adaptech across the nation.


Apply now - Parkdale Centre for Innovation Programs


Parkdale Centre is an incubator and accelerator that supports entrepreneurs, with a focus on equity, accessibility, and inclusion for underrepresented people, namely women, Black, Indigenous, people of colour, and newcomers to Canada. The Centre is accepting applications for both its Women Founders stream, and Early Stage Startup stream. Both programs are intended for those looking to set and meet revenue and growth goals for their business over the next three to nine months, and willing to execute on the program’s short-term milestones, stay on track with consistent webinars and mentorship. The Women Founders stream focuses on providing accessible and inclusive leadership, business training and entrepreneurship skills to self-identifying woman and/or non-binary founders, while the Early Stage stream supports entrepreneurs with a focus on preparing for user growth, team growth, revenue growth, and fundraising.


Apply now - DMZ Incubator Program


DMZ formally onboards Incubator startups twice a year (fall and spring), with applications open year-round. Be one of the ten to fourteen companies — never one of hundreds — to scale alongside driven, battle-tested founders who know what it takes. Unlike traditional accelerators, DMZ’s Incubator is designed to meet you where you are, so you can scale faster on your terms. You'll get a custom growth plan, unlimited meetings with our experts for strategic guidance, fractional support and mentoring, as well as fundraising and investor access, global exposure and media opportunities, exclusive perks and partner benefits (including $1M+ in tech credits, discounts, and resources), and a top-tier workspace with a vibrant founder community.


Apply now - YSpace Tech Incubator


This YSpace incubator membership aims to support early-stage entrepreneurs developing innovative technology-based startups with a unique network and support system of mentors, subject-matter expertise, and workshops designed to elevate their entrepreneurial journey. Participants will develop and strengthen their knowledge through virtual webinars and educational workshops, and engage with program advisors, entrepreneurs-in-residence, and industry experts to build strategic direction and drive tactical execution of their company goals. Come join a network of like-minded individuals and discuss business challenges in peer-to-peer circles. This program has an open intake throughout the year


Apply now - YSpace Women in Tech JumpSTART Incubator


The Women in Tech JumpSTART Incubator program is a bespoke and flexible membership program supporting Ontario-based women-led tech ventures to scale and grow. This program is offered in partnership with YSpace, Schulich School of Business and Treefrog Accelerator and was created with generous funding through the York Region Innovation Fund. With a network of industry experts, entrepreneurs, and advisors, the membership is designed to help founders to navigate the growth journey beyond the launch. Participants will develop and strengthen their knowledge through virtual webinars and educational workshops, and engage with program advisors and industry experts to build the strategic direction and drive the tactical execution of their company goals. Come join a network of like-minded women tech founders and discuss business challenges in peer-to-peer sessions. Applications are open year round, with selected ventures incubated for six months.


Apply now - DMZ Pre-Incubator Program


The DMZ’s Pre-Incubator program helps turn your vision into reality, validate your business idea, establish a minimum viable product, and secure customers for your venture. Participants receive over twelve hours of curated on-demand content, hands-on support, including regular 1:1s with in-house experts, relevant workshops, and progress check-ins, and are eligible for over $470K in perks from 80+ partners, exclusive invites, and the opportunity to proceed to DMZ Incubator's program, with up to $10K in grant funding, and over 18 months of additional support, office space, and more. Applications and program intake occurs on a rolling basis, with new startups joining the program at the beginning of each month.


Apply now - Brampton BHive Startup Incubator


BHive is an initiative powered by the City of Brampton with a goal to empower the next generation of innovators, accelerate their journey, and create a positive impact for the entrepreneur, economy, and community as a whole. The program has been strategically designed to ensure startups have everything they need to scale and grow. Successful applicants will have access to an unrivaled ecosystem and expertise to support exceptional founders in building successful companies. Our integrated approach involves thoughtfully designed programs, one-to-one mentorships, and access to our entire portfolio of service.


Apply now - Futurpreneur Canada Black Entrepreneur Startup Program


This program, delivered by Futurpreneur, will provide young, Black entrepreneurs age 18-39 across Canada with a comprehensive offering of $5,000–$60,000 in startup loan financing, as well as up to two years of mentorship, opportunities to engage with a national network of Black entrepreneurs, leaders and community organizations at a range of entrepreneurship events, and a variety of relevant tools and resources. Participants who are keen to scale their businesses even further will also be eligible for up to $40,000 in follow-on financing funded by RBC, based on the first two years of successful business performance.


Join - Science Discovery Zone at TMU


At the Science Discovery Zone (SDZ) we help people take evidence-based approaches to test big ideas and discover new ventures. We aim to serve as a model for strong collaboration across all disciplines (not just the science ones) that fuels innovation and entrepreneurial discovery. What makes the SDZ stand out amongst other incubators are the unique services and opportunities we create for our community, which are geared towards fostering your goals and success!

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I write this newsletter each week to encourage those with an idea for a tech product or service to take it to the next level, with the help of the many startup resources Toronto has to offer. If you know someone who could use a nudge towards that first step on their startup journey, get them to subscribe. They might thank you for it.


Events this week

Monday

18:00-21:00 ◦ TechTO Together Y Combinator


​Together Toronto brings the city’s tech community together for an evening of connection, inspiration, and learning. ​For this edition, Together Toronto will feature a YC-focused lens, with speakers and conversations centered on building high-growth companies and navigating the path toward top global accelerators like Y Combinator. ​This event is about more than just listening, it is about connecting. You will be in a room full of founders, investors, operators, and future collaborators who believe in the power of community. It is a chance to meet the people building what is next, share ideas, and be part of something bigger than yourself.

Tuesday

10:00-12:00 ◦ Learn your Obligations - CRA Tax Session for Sole Proprietors


This is a free seminar for individuals and students thinking of starting their own business or who are already in business. During this seminar, a Canada Revenue Association (CRA) Liaison Officer will answer questions and address general tax-related concerns, explain common tax errors and demonstrate how to use financial benchmarking, provide information on various tools and services offered by the CRA, and explain general bookkeeping concepts and best practices.


11:00-12:00 ◦ Accelerating Cleantech Innovation Competition: Informational Webinar


​The Accelerating Cleantech Innovation Competition is an initiative led by Clean Resource Innovation Network and coordinated by MaRS. This nationwide initiative will allocate up to $2 million for selected late-stage technologies that deliver measurable environmental and economic benefits across Canada’s oil and gas sector and other hard-to-abate industries. ​​​This informational webinar is your chance to learn about the competition requirements and receive tips on creating successful submissions.


18:00-20:00 ◦ YSpace Founder Fundamentals Workshop Series: Preparing Your Business for Tax Season


Interested in building your entrepreneurial skills to launch your startup? Founder Fundamentals is a twelve-week workshop series brought to you by YSpace and powered by the Markham Small