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Canada's startup ecosystem is rapidly growing, with significant activity in cities like Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal. As of 2023, Canada hosts around 10,000 startups, supported by a favorable business environment and government incentives such as the Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) tax credit. In 2022, Canadian startups attracted approximately CAD $10 billion in venture capital funding, underscoring the country's robust entrepreneurial landscape.
As of 2023, Canada's startup ecosystem comprises about 10,000 startups. The market has shown substantial growth, with venture capital investments reaching CAD $10 billion in 2022. This impressive financial influx highlights the ecosystem's capacity for expansion and innovation, attracting entrepreneurs and investors alike. The diverse range of industries represented within the Canadian startup landscape further enhances its market size and potential.
Canada's startup ecosystem is characterized by several key strengths, including a high quality of life, a diverse and skilled workforce, and robust support for innovation and research. The country excels in areas such as artificial intelligence (AI), clean technology, and biotechnology. These strengths are bolstered by world-class educational institutions and a strong emphasis on R&D, positioning Canada as a competitive player in the global startup arena.
Toronto, often dubbed 'Silicon Valley North,' is a major hub for tech startups, particularly in AI and fintech. Montreal boasts a vibrant AI research community, contributing significantly to advancements in machine learning and related fields. Vancouver is renowned for its expertise in software development and gaming. These cities collectively drive Canada's innovation, making substantial contributions to the country's economic growth and technological advancements.
Beyond the major cities, emerging hubs like Ottawa, Calgary, and Waterloo are gaining traction. Ottawa is noted for its strength in telecommunications and software, Calgary for its focus on energy and cleantech, and Waterloo for its burgeoning tech scene and strong ties to academic institutions. These emerging hubs are expanding Canada's startup ecosystem, providing new opportunities and attracting a diverse talent pool.
Canada's startup ecosystem benefits from a robust network of accelerators, incubators, and co-working spaces. Notable initiatives like the MaRS Discovery District in Toronto and the Creative Destruction Lab in various cities provide startups with mentorship, resources, and access to capital. This supportive infrastructure is crucial for nurturing early-stage companies and fostering a collaborative entrepreneurial environment.
Despite its strengths, the Canadian startup ecosystem faces challenges such as access to late-stage funding and a smaller market size compared to the U.S. Additionally, navigating regulatory frameworks and attracting international talent can be hurdles for startups. Addressing these challenges requires strategic investments and policy support to sustain growth and competitiveness in the global market.
Canada's strategic location and trade agreements offer startups significant opportunities for international expansion. The emphasis on sustainability and green technology drives innovation in sectors like clean energy and environmental solutions. Continued investment in AI, biotechnology, and other emerging technologies positions Canada for sustained growth. The future outlook for Canada's startup ecosystem is promising, with strong potential to play a pivotal role in the global innovation landscape.
The Canadian startup ecosystem demonstrates remarkable resilience and adaptability, essential for navigating global economic shifts and market dynamics. The country's multicultural society and diverse talent pool foster a rich environment for innovation. As Canada continues to invest in its entrepreneurial infrastructure and support systems, it is well-equipped to handle future challenges and capitalize on new opportunities, ensuring sustained growth and success.
Canada's startup ecosystem is supported by numerous influential angel investors who provide crucial early-stage funding and mentorship. Notable figures include Mike Volker, a prolific angel investor with investments in over 100 startups, and Dan Martell, known for his investments in tech and SaaS companies. These investors typically contribute between CAD $25,000 and CAD $500,000 per deal, offering not only capital but also strategic guidance and industry expertise, which are vital for the growth and development of nascent companies.
Leading venture capital firms in Canada play a critical role in driving the growth of startups. Firms such as BDC Capital, Real Ventures, and Inovia Capital are at the forefront, providing substantial funding to high-growth companies. BDC Capital, for instance, has invested in over 700 companies, supporting a wide range of sectors including cleantech, healthcare, and ICT. These firms typically engage in Series A to Series C funding rounds, with investment sizes ranging from CAD $1 million to CAD $50 million, facilitating significant scaling opportunities for startups.
The investment size and scope in Canada's startup ecosystem vary widely, catering to different stages of business growth. Early-stage investments, often provided by angel investors, range from CAD $25,000 to CAD $2 million. For growth-stage companies, venture capital firms offer larger funding rounds, typically between CAD $5 million and CAD $50 million. The scope of these investments spans various sectors, including AI, biotechnology, fintech, and cleantech, reflecting the diverse and dynamic nature of Canada's entrepreneurial landscape.
Canada's venture capital and angel investment activity are robust, with a significant number of deals annually. In 2022, over 600 venture capital deals were recorded, amounting to approximately CAD $10 billion in investments. This high level of activity underscores the vibrancy of the Canadian startup ecosystem, with both angel investors and venture capital firms actively seeking out and funding promising startups across a broad spectrum of industries.
The future outlook for Canada's investment market is highly optimistic. With continued emphasis on innovation and technology, sectors such as AI, biotechnology, and clean technology are expected to drive substantial growth. Government support through initiatives like the SR&ED tax credit further bolsters the ecosystem. As global interest in sustainable and innovative solutions increases, Canada's startups are well-positioned to attract significant international investments, fostering an environment ripe for continued expansion and success.
Support and mentorship are critical components of Canada's startup ecosystem. Angel investors and venture capitalists often provide more than just financial backing; they offer strategic advice, industry connections, and operational support. Programs like MaRS Discovery District in Toronto and Creative Destruction Lab across various cities enhance this support, offering structured mentorship, resources, and access to capital. This comprehensive support system helps startups navigate early challenges and scale effectively.
The Canadian government and various institutions play a pivotal role in nurturing the startup ecosystem. Initiatives such as the SR&ED tax credit and the Canada Small Business Financing Program provide substantial financial support and incentives. Additionally, organizations like Innovate Canada and provincial programs offer grants, loans, and advisory services. This extensive support infrastructure is vital for fostering innovation, reducing financial barriers, and promoting sustainable growth within the startup community.
Canada's startup ecosystem is bolstered by top angel investors, leading venture capital firms, and extensive support systems. With a diverse range of investment sizes and scopes, the market is poised for significant growth. The future outlook remains positive, driven by innovation, government support, and a collaborative environment. As Canada continues to attract global investments and foster entrepreneurial talent, it stands to become a key player in the global startup landscape, contributing to advancements across various high-growth sectors.
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San Francisco Bay Area - California, U.S.A. - Canada
Software (Web Marketplace Saas..) • Media • Education • Businesses Solutions • FinTech (& Financials services) • Retail (& E-Commerce) • Gaming (& eSports) • Cloud Services (& Infrastructure) • Online Social • Consumer
Early-Stage Investor & Advisor in B2B Marketplaces
New York, U.S.A. - Canada
PropTech • BioTech • CleanTech • HealthTech (& Fitness) • Blockchain (& Cryptos) • Medical Devices (& Hospital Services) • Real Estate (& Construction) • DeepTech • Healthcare (& Wellness)
Most Interested In
I'm incredibly interested in real estate technology. Right now, I'm exploring the intersection of healthcare, wellness, digital technology and real estate.
Not Interested In
I just can't get excited about new brokerage models or pure fintech.
I'm a partner @tmc-group-1 (real estate) and its venture arm @tamarisc. I previously worked in vc at @morningside-group. Laser focused on real estate tech.
San Francisco Bay Area - Austin - Texas, U.S.A. - Canada
Software (Web Marketplace Saas..) • Education • BioTech • Businesses Solutions • FinTech (& Financials services) • Retail (& E-Commerce) • HealthTech (& Fitness) • Medical Devices (& Hospital Services) • Healthcare (& Wellness) • Online Social • Consumer
partner @formation-8. Claremont McKenna graduate. Originally from Iowa City, IA
San Francisco Bay Area - California, U.S.A. - Canada
BioTech • Blockchain (& Cryptos) • Autonomous vehicles (& Cars) • Cloud Services (& Infrastructure) • Nanotechnology • Consumer
Most Interested In
Deep Tech/Hard Science, Developer Tools, E-Commerce, Education, Enterprise, Entertainment, Fintech, Future of Work, Gaming, Government Technology, Health and Wellness, Healthcare/Medtech, Industrial, Internet and Mobile, IoT, Life Sciences, Marketplace, Productivity, Proptech/Real Estate, Robotics, SaaS, Social, Supply Chain/Logistics, Transportation, Travel/Hospitality
Chicago - Atlanta - San Francisco Bay Area - New York - Toronto (Ontario) - Boston / New - Massachusetts, U.S.A. - Canada
BioTech • Businesses Solutions • IoT (& Wearables) • CleanTech • A.I. (& Big Data) • Blockchain (& Cryptos) • Cloud Services (& Infrastructure) • Logistics (& Distribution) • Woman Focused
Most Interested In
New computing technologies (ML/AI, decentralization, sensor fusion, ...) applied to "traditional" industries, computational bio, decentralized services and governance.
Not Interested In
Consumer, gaming, startups not in the US and Canada.
San Francisco Bay Area - Los Angeles - Boston - New York - California, U.S.A. - Canada
Software (Web Marketplace Saas..) • Businesses Solutions • Hardware (& Manufacturing) • A.I. (& Big Data) • HealthTech (& Fitness) • Cloud Services (& Infrastructure) • Developer tools • DeepTech
Ilya Sukhar serves as a General Partner at Matrix Partners. He also serves as Advisor at Xenon Ventures. He was a Board Member at Open Listings. Prior to joining Matrix in 2016, he worked on three startups, all of which were acquired. Most recently, he was the co-founder and CEO of Parse, a cloud platform for mobile developers that was acquired by Facebook in 2013. In addition to running Parse as a semi-independent subsidiary, Ilya led the teams responsible for all of Facebook's developer-facing products and worked on Messenger. He's an active angel investor and was a part-time partner at Y Combinator. He holds bachelor's and master's degrees in Computer Science from Cornell University. He invests across a variety of sectors, but is particularly interested in products that leverage hard technical underpinnings to become indispensable to consumers or developers. He's excited to work with hackers who are building mission-driven and engineering-centric companies.
Palo Alto - California, U.S.A. - Global: U.S.A., Australia, Canada, Germany, U.K., Israel, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Denmark, Finland, Luxembourg, Malta, Iceland
Software (Web Marketplace Saas..) • PropTech • Businesses Solutions • FinTech (& Financials services) • A.I. (& Big Data) • HealthTech (& Fitness) • Medical Devices (& Hospital Services) • Real Estate (& Construction) • Healthcare (& Wellness) • Mobility • Consumer
Anand Rajaraman serves as Co-Founding Partner & Vice President at Cambrian Ventures. Rajaraman also serves as Co-Founding Partner at Rocketship.vc. He also serves as Special Partner at Neotribe Ventures. He serves as Founding Partner at Cambrian Ventures. He also serves as a Co-Founding Partner at Milliways Ventures. He is a Founding Partner of @WalmartLabs and has served as a Senior Vice President. Prior to founding the firm in 2000, he was the Director of Technology at Amazon.com and was responsible for technology strategy and advanced technology initiatives. He helped launch the transformation of Amazon.com from a retailer into a retail platform, enabling third-party retailers to sell on Amazon.com's website. He came to Amazon.com in 1998 through the $250 million acquisition of Junglee that he co-founded. As the Chief Technology Officer, he played a key role in developing Junglee's award-winning Virtual Database technology. He has research and development experience at Stanford University, AT&T Bell Labs and Xerox PARC. He serves as a Consulting Assistant Professor at Stanford University's Computer Science Department. He has numerous publications, patents and awards at leading academic and industry foru He has been featured in articles in Business Week, the San Francisco Chronicle and other leading national publications. He obtained M.S. and Ph.D. in Computer Science from Stanford University and a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science and Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, where he won the President of India Gold Medal for graduating at the top of his class. He served as an Adviso and Board Member at ClearStory Data and is a board member at Gradiance. He serves as the board member at Transformic. He is also an Angel Investor.
Menlo Park - San Francisco Bay Area - California, U.S.A. - Global: U.S.A., Australia, Canada, Germany, U.K., Israel, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Denmark, Finland, Luxembourg, Malta, Iceland
Businesses Solutions • Consumer
Partner at Sequoia Capital
Salt Lake City - New York - Toronto (Ontario) - Toronto (), Canada - U.S.A.
FinTech (& Financials services) • Payments
Fintech VC - that’s it. Super boring.
Fintech VC- that’s it. Super boring.
Most Interested In
Companies disrupting all aspects of financial services with technology (fintech)
Not Interested In
Anything that is not fintech
Christian Lassonde is the Founder and serves as Managing Partner at Impression Ventures. He serves as a Board member of Finaeo. Lassonde is a tech founder and CEO, having built and sold Virtual Greats, a luxury online IP rights broker, and Millions of Us, a digital agency. He has also taught high-growth technology entrepreneurship at The Next 36 to over 30 companies. Those companies have gone on to build successful products and raise millions of dollars in follow-on financing. Christian spent a decade in San Francisco selling and building software for Second Life, LucasArts and Electronic Arts to customers Sony, Nike, Warner Brothers, General Motors, Coke, Intel and many more Fortune 500 companies. He holds an MBA from the USF, a BESc in computer engineering and a BSc in computer science from Western. Christian is currently Vice-Chair of SickKids Foundation, Chair of the TFS Foundation, serves on the Fintech Advisory Council for the Ontario Securities Commission, and a former Governor of the Board of Western University.
Colombia - Chile - San Francisco Bay Area - California, U.S.A. - Mexico - Canada
Software (Web Marketplace Saas..) • Hospitality (& Events) • Businesses Solutions • FinTech (& Financials services) • Retail (& E-Commerce) • Future Of Work • Payments • LegalTech • Consumer • Woman Focused
Sports | Entertainment | Tech | Atty @ MoFo PA. Founder MAG Sports. Rep/ WS MVP, Olympic Gold Mdlsts, 1st Rd NFLers. Marketing Visa, P&G, AT&T, Gatorade, MSFT.
San Francisco Bay Area, U.S.A. - Global: U.S.A., Australia, Canada, Germany, U.K., Israel, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Denmark, Finland, Luxembourg, Malta, Iceland
BioTech • Businesses Solutions • A.I. (& Big Data) • DeepTech
Daniel Gross the founder of Greplin, a search engine. Greplin operated by linking together various online accounts into one search experience. For example, a customer could search their Facebook, Gmail and Dropbox accounts from one unified service without check each individually. In 2011, Greplin raised $4 million in funding from venture capital firm Sequoia Capital. Gross was one of Sequoia's youngest founders at the time. They introduced a premium offering at $5 a month, which allowed customers to link enterprise-facing services like Salesforce. In 2012 the company renamed itself to “Cue” and launched an additional predictive search features. In addition to search, Cue offered customers an automatic and intelligent agenda of their day. This included files, emails, addresses, phone numbers and more that were deemed algorithmically relevant. Cue was a similar product to Google Now. He is Y-Combinator's first Israeli.
San Francisco Bay Area, U.S.A. - Global: U.S.A., Australia, Canada, Germany, U.K., Israel, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Denmark, Finland, Luxembourg, Malta, Iceland
Blockchain (& Cryptos) • Woman Focused
Most Interested In
I love creating something from nothing. Health and Wellness Productivity
