New $100M in funding! Is your startup a good fit?
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! One of Toronto's oldest incubator and VC firms, Brightspark, recently closed its second Brightspark Canadian Opportunities Fund (BCOF II), having raised over $100M to put towards a planned portfolio of 12 to 18 companies.


While ten of those companies have yet to be selected, Toronto-based ForceN, with their force-sensing technology for robotic automation, has been fortunate enough to have already been chosen. Brightspark hopes to devote future investments to similar ventures tackling large problems like climate and supply chain challenges.


Brightspark has been a part of this city's startup ecosystem since the days when it could fit into a single university lecture hall. The firm's three other funds have made investments across Canada with its previous fund, BCOF I, having closed in 2020 at $66.5M.



See you next 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.



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!

Would a friend like this newsletter?

Like this newsletter? Share it!


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

16:30-19:00 ◦ Innovation OnBoard U of T Fall Workshop for Entrepreneurs


Ever struggled with team dynamics in a project? Curious about what makes a high-performing team in a startup environment? Want to unlock your innovation capacity and learn how to conduct a team SWOT analysis? Team building is often overlooked in entrepreneurship — many startups stumble due to poor team formation early on. Don’t leave your success to chance; build a team that can navigate challenges and realize your vision! Join us for workshop where you’ll learn the key principles of building strong, effective teams. No matter your stage, join us to learn essential principles of team building and equip yourself to avoid potential pitfalls.


18:00-21:00 ◦ TO Founders Brew Mixer


We are bringing together some of the most ambitious people in Toronto. ​Give a quick intro about what you're working on, meet your next co-founder or investor, and demo your latest work​​. ​No entry fees, no corporate agenda, just vibes — the perfect way to end the night. ​Look forward to seeing you there!

Tuesday

13:00-14:30 ◦ Recruitment the Right Way for Indigenous Entrepreneurs


Finding the talent you need can be a challenge, while factoring in the business needs, cost and current available labour workforce. This interactive and resource-filled webinar focuses on building a relationship with potential candidates from the first point of contact, to drive engagement, with an ideal goal of building the best possible team of happy, healthy and productive employees for your business. Looking at innovative ways to source candidates that doesn’t take significant time, capacity or finances, this webinar from Futurpreneur will include a number of take-away resources that can be immediately put into practice.


17:30-19:30 ◦ DMZ Masterclass: Cash Flow Strategies for Startups & Scaleups


Is your lack of understanding around your startup or scaleup cash flow leaving you uneasy? Discover metrics that matter most to help you make more informed business decisions and attract investors. Plus, learn actionable steps that you can take today to better understand, manage, and optimize your cash flow and attract investors.


18:00-20:00 ◦ YorkU YSpace Founder Fundamentals Workshop: The Funnel Is Dead; Meet the Flywheel


Interested in building your entrepreneurial skills to launch your startup? Founder Fundamentals is a twelve-week workshop series brought to you by YSpace and 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. The program also connects you with local resources for potential next steps as you progress in your entrepreneurial ventures.


18:00-22:00 ◦ Startup, Tech & Business Networking Toronto


We are organizing a networking and pitch event for startups and business professionals. If you are a company/startup founder, sales person, marketer, IT specialist, or are just willing to meet other business people, you are welcome on this event. At this networking event you'll meet other startup founders, VC and 7 individual investors, Google, Y Combinator and VC companies experts.

Wednesday

10:00-12:00 ◦ Early-Stage B2B SaaS VC/Founder Toronto Coffee Meetup


Join Forum Ventures in Toronto for a coffee meetup to chat about all things early-stage B2B SaaS-focused! ​As previous founders and operators themselves, the Forum team understands the founder's journey. Come join us and other founders, investors, and operators for a latte, or maybe a sweet treat and connect about the industry. This meetup is perfect for founders and investors focused on early-stage (pre-Series A) B2B SaaS, especially those who are under-represented in tech, which can include (but are not limited to): Black, brown, Latinx, LGBTQ+, female, and non-binary founders and funders.