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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! Last week I mentioned that YCombinator was no longer investing in Canadian startups. After some complaints — and acceptance — from leaders within the Canadian startup ecosystem, the global accelerator confirmed its commitment to Canada, with CEO Garry Tan announcing that they will "once again" invest in our country. That is great news for anyone looking to join YC, though the accelerator has yet to say why it backed away from Canadian startups in the first place.


Have a great week!



Ian Stevens ◦ ianstevens.ca@istevens

Community Opportunities

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

13:00-14:00 ◦ Learn about Futurpreneur's Black Entrepreneur Startup Program


Ready to start your entrepreneurial journey? Black entrepreneurs, ages 18-39, can benefit from startup loan financing and up to two years of mentorship, along with access to resources and networking. Futurpreneur is there to guide you every step of the way. With the Black Entrepreneur Startup Program, you can access flexible financing, along with expert mentoring and other resources to help kickstart your business and make it thrive. Join` Futurpreneur and learn about our program.

Tuesday

10:00-12:00 ◦ Visual Identity 101: Crafting Your Logo and Website


Your logo and website are often the first impressions of your business, make them count. In this workshop, you’ll learn the fundamentals of creating a strong visual identity that reflects your brand’s personality and builds trust with your audience. Explore design principles, branding tools, and practical steps to refine your logo, choose your colours and fonts, and create a cohesive online presence that stands out and attracts customers.


12:00-13:30 ◦ Data Resources for Entrepreneurs


Preparing a business pitch and developing a business idea requires you to have data on your target market. You need data to inform decisions on your business plan, data on your competitors, and if you want to be innovative in your industry you need data to tell you a story on performance and opportunity. Data literacy for entrepreneurs is essential. This session will help you identify your data needs, find relevant data using specialized library resources, and evaluate and synthesize data using critical thinking.


18:00-20:00 ◦ YSpace Founder Fundamentals Workshop Series: Getting Your First Ten Customers


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 Business Centre (MSBC) designed to help you kickstart your entrepreneurial career. Whether you are a professional services company, brick and mortar or technology startup, the program aims to equip you with the essential skills and knowledge needed to succeed. Spanning across topics such as business plan writing, bootstrapping, and setting up a Shopify store, this program provides a wide range of learning. The program also connects you with local resources for potential next steps as you progress in your entrepreneurial ventures.

Wednesday

11:00-15:00 ◦ Ask EDGE Mentor Pop-up Session


Join Sheridan's EDGE and connect one-on-one with an experienced mentor who’s here to support your entrepreneurship journey. Our mentor will help you level up in whatever stage you’re at, from exploring entrepreneurship to refining your business model or scaling your venture. You’ll get personalized guidance tailored to your level of support, including learning and development, career readiness, idea development, business planning, and growth strategies. No experience needed, just bring your questions and walk away with clarity. All Sheridan students are welcome.


13:00-16:30 ◦ 2026 Hult Prize Qualifiers Competition at U of T


Join the Centre for Entrepreneurship to watch as student teams pitch their groundbreaking solutions to global challenges on their journey towards the $1M USD Hult Prize.


17:00-20:00 ◦ Black Excellence Pitch Night


In honour of Black History Month, Innovation Factory and Empowerment Squared invite you celebrate and connect with Black entrepreneurs from across our regional innovation ecosystem. This event showcases a mix of tech-driven and "main street" businesses, providing them a platform to share their vision with industry experts and the broader community. Whether you're an investor looking for the next big idea, an ecosystem partner, or a startup enthusiast, this gathering offers a unique window into the diverse ventures thriving in the Hamilton and Halton regions. You'll have the chance to witness live five-minute pitches delivered to a panel of industry experts, providing a front-row seat to the entrepreneurial journey.


18:00-19:30 ◦ Indigenous Founders Circle: Dream It


An impending economic slowdown may appear daunting for young, aspiring entrepreneurs. With the right approach one can create space for innovative ideas and find opportunities to fill gaps in the market with niche products and services. Are you an aspiring Indigenous entrepreneur looking to transform your idea into a thriving business or grow your newly launched small business? Register today for the free, virtual, three-part Indigenous Founders workshop series, presented by Futurpreneur. The series provides you with the tools to develop your idea, formalize your business plan and create a viable cashflow, all while connecting you with aspiring and fellow Indigenous entrepreneurs across Canada.


18:30-19:30 ◦ How to Apply to Futurpreneur’s Indigenous Entrepreneur Startup Program


Are you ready to launch your business? Join our business development manager's webinar that will guide you through our application process. During this webinar you'll learn about the eligibility criteria for Futurpreneur's Indigenous Entrepreneur Startup Program and the next steps to move your application forward, connect with the business development manager in your region