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 enablers. This community has created a thriving ecosystem of tech entrepreneurs and leaders driving innovation. Across the city, there are over 70 incubators, accelerators and co-working spaces that offer programs to support startups.
Microsoft’s partnerships with local governments, investors, and startup enabling organizations directly engage with Toronto’s VC and startup communities. Not to be forgotten is Microsoft’s participation in growing Canada’s tech community since 1985.
The staggering growth in the number of startups in Toronto has led to it being the third-largest tech hub in North America, behind New York and Silicon Valley. Microsoft Canada covers all startup stages and uses its different startup programs. It has invested over C$570-million in recent years through support programs for VCs to enable digital transformation with Microsoft Azure Cloud products.
Microsoft’s aim is to scale the best-in-class startups in Toronto and Canada to enhance enterprise innovation at scale. Its mission is headed by Adam Nanjee, Managing Director of Venture Capital and Private Equity for Canada at Microsoft.
Microsoft for Startups (MFS) program was launched to help accelerators, incubators, and VCs with marketing, technical support, and co-selling programs that allow startups to benefit from Microsoft’s existing sales force. This program helps startups build and scale their companies and facilitate access to technical and business resources that often exceed the reach of early-stage companies. High-growth firms with innovative technical solutions enable entrepreneurs to leverage Microsoft’s cloud services, enterprise sales team, and partner ecosystem to help market their solutions globally.
Bolstering VCs enables Microsoft to empower startups and entrepreneurs and build integrated communities. One such partnership is with the MaRS Centre, one of the world’s largest urban innovation hubs. Microsoft has created a campus within MaRS’s Discovery District building, the Microsoft Reactor, as a dedicated space bringing together founders, developers, and business leaders for high quality technical, business and community events.
Another partnership yielding excellent levels of growth is OneEleven. This partnership brings technology expertise to more than 50 tech startups in Toronto, offering up to $120,000 in Microsoft Azure Cloud credits, technical support and development tools.
This investment in Canada’s venture capital community accounts for more than 60,000 jobs (in the expanded Microsoft Canada ecosystem, including employees and partners), with a total of 3,700 employees and 14,000 partners.
In nearly 40 years of operation in Canada, Microsoft has played a pivotal role in fuelling the prosperity of Canada’s technology ecosystem. With nearly 5,000 employees and an ecosystem of over 15,000 partners, Microsoft has helped build a sustainable community of businesses partnering with VCs and the startup ecosystem for long-term success. Empowering VCs enables Microsoft to guide the direction of innovation to benefit the tech community in Toronto and Canada.
