INNOVATE™ Toronto

WE ARE ON A MISSION TO BUILD THE INTERNET OUTSIDE OF EARTH Kepler Communications was founded in 2015 by a group of University of Toronto graduate students who met in the University of Toronto Aerospace Team, also known as UTAT. They noticed a massive renewal of interest and activity in...

The Ontario Mining Association is proud to represent an industry that provides the world with the building blocks of modern life and innovation. Minerals and metals are essential, irreplaceable components of everything from lifesaving medical devices to clean technologies, such as solar panels and EV batteries. We cannot have a...

The Michener Institute of Education at UHN is the only institution in Canada devoted exclusively to applied health sciences education, Michener is Canada’s first-ever merger between a hospital and a post-secondary health education institution and the only post-secondary institution devoted exclusively to specialized applied health education in the country.  ...

Portage Ventures (“Portage”) is a venture investor that partners with some of the world’s most innovative financial technology companies. Portage is the venture capital arm of multi-asset class alternative investment firm Sagard. It was cofounded in 2016 by Paul Desmarais III (Executive Chairman and CEO of Sagard) and Adam Felesky...

Venture for Canada is a national charity that fosters the entrepreneurial skills and mindset of young Canadians. We recruit, train, and support young people to work for innovative Canadian small businesses and startups. Participants develop the network, knowledge, and entrepreneurial skills to have more impactful careers through our programs. In...

Join the world’s leading community of ambitious people who are ready to build. We believe the world is missing out on the best potential founders, and we’re on a mission to change that.   Entrepreneur First (EF) is a global leader in cofounder matching, with a track record of 10+...

Tech is about more than just new tools. It is about unlocking opportunities and markets, supporting new approaches, and empowering more high-tech innovations. Microsoft has worked closely with Toronto and Canada’s venture capital community looking to bolster its investments in Canadian startups.   Toronto and Canada’s venture capitalists are innovation...

Docsie has one simple mission: helping businesses everywhere to write better documentation using reader insights, and removing barriers around web publishing and team collaboration.   Docsie brings product, support and development teams together, alongside their tools, in one AIpowered knowledge management system. Docsie breaks down silos and creates a fluid,...

OMERS Ventures has been backing early-stage technology companies for more than a decade.   Currently managing CAD$2 billion, with close to 60 investments in disruptive technology companies across North America and Europe, we are proud to support some of the world’s biggest thinkers and builders.   Spanning three countries, OMERS...

Owning one of Canada’s most successful Healthcare Recruiting Agencies, Workwolf’s Cofounder and CEO, Erik Simins, spent years working with enterprise companies to help establish more efficient ways to identify, attract and hire talent. Overseeing thousands of hiring cycles, one thing was very clear; resumes were the prominent source of data...

In the heart of Canada’s technology and innovation ecosystem, you’ll find LatAm Startups helping grow innovative entrepreneurs and their international technology companies in Canada.   As an accelerator that works exclusively with international companies and as a designated organization for Canada’s Start-up Visa Program, LatAm Startups has developed a special...

One notable development is the move from internal combustion engines (ICE) to electric vehicles (EVs). The lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries used in EVs are becoming more prevalent everywhere. These days, they are the go-to choice when it comes to powering everything from mobile phones to power tools, drones, EVs, and more....

A national, bilingual, not-for-profit organization, Mitacs empowers Canadian innovation through effective partnerships that deliver solutions to the world’s most pressing problems. This effort is supported by the Government of Canada, the Government of Ontario, and other provincial and territorial governments. By driving economic growth and productivity, Mitacs creates meaningful change...

Edesa Biotech, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on commercializing latestage, research-validated assets. In 2020, the Markham-based company positioned itself on the frontline of the Covid-19 treatment race when one of its leading drug candidates showed great promise as a “rescue therapy” for hospitalized patients with a life-threatening form of...

Amplify Capital is a Canadian-based investment fund that provides early-stage companies long-term equity solutions and strategic support to develop their business to solve challenges affecting our future. Led by veteran private equity executive Kathryn Wortsman, Amplify Capital invests exclusively in impact ventures that demonstrate significant, measurable impact alongside market-rate returns....

Cancer is not just one disease. Each tumour is unique, and each person will experience cancer differently, requiring tailored therapies matched to the unique drivers of their disease.   To address this tremendous challenge effectively, it takes a diverse range of people working together in multidisciplinary networks on innovations in...

Gatik, the market leader in autonomous middle mile logistics, focuses on B2B short-haul delivery, moving goods safely and efficiently using its fleet of medium duty trucks. Gatik’s autonomous vehicles (AVs) are commercially deployed in multiple markets including Ontario, Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana. Founded in 2017 by veterans of the autonomous...

Diabetes affects more than 422 million people worldwide, and according to the World Health Organization, the disease will be the seventh leading cause of death in 2030. Patients with insulin-dependent diabetes use insulin therapy to control hyperglycemia (high blood sugar levels). Unfortunately, the most significant side effect of insulin therapy...

The Foundation awards the annual Canada Gairdner Awards to leading scientists from around the world whose discoveries have had a major impact on scientific progress and human health. The awards are Canada’s only globally recognized international scientific prize. Since 1959, more than 400 scientists from 40 countries have received a...

OTI Lumionics develops advanced materials—by design—using quantum simulations, machine learning and in-house automated testing in pilot production. OTI works with the largest mobile device and display manufacturers in the world to enable materials for OLED displays used in next-generation consumer electronics and automotive applications. Their advanced electrode materials, and associated...

Real Ventures is one of Canada’s most active early-stage venture capital firms, dedicated to serving entrepreneurs and nurturing the communities in which they thrive. In 2007, we questioned why brilliant Canadian founders should have to fly to San Francisco to raise seed capital. Since then, we have dedicated ourselves to...

The key to innovation is seeing opportunity in unlikely places. For Antibe Therapeutics, the place is a cloud of noxious gas; the prize is a new generation of painkillers. In the wake of the opioid crisis, there is an urgent need for safer analgesics. Almost one-in-10 Canadians prescribed opioid medications...

As digital transformation accelerates across industries in Canada, companies are looking to build a much stronger digital foundation to fundamentally change the way their business works. Artificial Intelligence (AI), hybrid cloud and quantum computing are playing a significant part in helping private and public organizations further advance and contribute to...

Known for its diverse population and iconic skyline, Toronto is also the birthplace of the electron microscope, insulin, and pacemakers. And on a quiet side street south of the University of Toronto, one growing biotechnology company aims to contribute to the city’s entrepreneurial legacy. AmacaThera is a clinical-stage biotechnology company...