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! Scroll on down for opportunities and events to help make your startup dreams a reality.

Have a great week!

Ian Stevens ◦ ianstevens.ca ◦ @istevens

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.

June 30 - Access to Success Labs Accelerator

Running from August to November, this program is for startups building solutions to help people with disabilities, including hardware, software or service-based innovations. To be eligible, you must have a minimal viable product, must have validated the problem, and must demonstrate co-creation with the disability community. In addition to programming, participants will receive cash grants totalling over $50K, pro-bono support from scientists, lawyers and experts totalling over $100K, as well as access to a global network of disability organizations, healthcare ecosystems, corporate partners, and advisors.

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 - Parkdale Centre for Innovation Fall 2024 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 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.

13:00-14:00 ◦ Financial Resilience: Top 10 Money Mistakes, and How to Avoid Them

Entrepreneurs, are you making costly money mistakes without even realizing it? Building a business is exciting, but it can also be a financial rollercoaster. From cash flow crunches to tax surprises, the wrong money moves can sabotage your success, both in your business and personal life. Join us for an eye-opening session where we’ll reveal the ten most common money mistakes entrepreneurs make and how you can avoid them, with practical steps to help you protect your personal finances while scaling your business, stay ahead of taxes and avoid surprises, make smart investment decisions, stop cash flow chaos and plan for sustainable growth, create financial stability without sacrificing your dreams, and make your business investment-ready with a clear financial picture.

12:00-13:00 ◦ Corporate Organization: The Dos and Don’ts for Startup Success

This session will provide essential guidance on structuring your company, drafting key agreements, managing equity distribution, and safeguarding intellectual property. We will explore best practices for establishing a solid legal and operational framework, helping you navigate the complexities of startup growth while avoiding common pitfalls. Whether you’re in the early stages or scaling, this talk offers valuable insights to ensure your startup is positioned for long-term success. Please note this series is open to members of the University of Toronto, University of Toronto Entrepreneurship (UTE), IDEA Mississauga and Ontario Genomics BioCreate communities only.

18:00-20:00 ◦ Find a Founder

Are you someone with a great idea, but need team members to help make it happen? Pitch your project to a room full of eager entrepreneurials looking for opportunities to build their portfolio, volunteer for a cool startup, or hoping to join a great project as a founding team member. Hiring grants are available to eligible teams. Don’t have an idea yet, but know that the entrepreneurial spirit runs through your veins? Join us to learn about entrepreneurship and find out about new ways of getting involved in our community. Listen to founders pitch their ideas, and identify projects that resonate with you. Make connections, create opportunities for yourself, or even join a company as a founding member, all while obtaining a transcript notation!

12:00-13:00 ◦ Market Research Orientation for Startups

This brief orientation covers the key market research databases and other tools available to U of T startups via U of T Libraries. These secondary market research tools can assist startups in business planning and market sizing, as well as completing business model canvases and other milestones. This session is most appropriate for startups who are already working on an idea. Participants will familiarize themselves with the core research tools and databases available for market research, understand how to access e-resources from off-campus, and learn about other workshops and services the library provides for campus entrepreneurs.

12:00-13:00 ◦ Market Expansion Stories: Scale into Europe

Expanding into Europe? Learn from those who’ve done it. Join us with the experts as they break down what it takes to sell and scale in Europe alongside Brad Wing, former senior director at Heyday (acquired by Hootsuite), who’ll share real-world lessons from his own global journey. From market entry to value propositions and go-to-market strategies, you’ll walk away with insights to help you expand without the upfront cost of hiring a local team. We’ll dive into the size and scope of the European opportunity, where (and how) to launch your expansion, how to navigate technical and language barriers, direct vs. indirect expansion and what’s right for your business.