Toronto is fast becoming one of the top startup hubs in Canada as many technology companies are setting up facilities in the city. This, in turn, has led to the mushrooming of start-up incubators and accelerators in Toronto. As a business owner, whether you are an early-stage entrepreneur or looking to scale up the operations of your existing start-up, you can easily find a start-up accelerator or incubator that suits your needs. Good events for start-ups will be sought after by budding entrepreneurs, as they will help them grow as top businessmen. That said, we have listed below a few of Toronto’s top accelerators and incubators for start-ups and entrepreneurs to help you quickly choose one that can help you achieve your business goals.
IdeaBoost
Among the startup incubators and accelerators in Toronto, IdeaBoost is one of the best for start-ups that want to offer tech-based entertainment and media products. IdeaBoost, a partnership initiative of Corus Entertainment and the Media Lab of the Canadian Film Center, focuses on this emerging niche field and nurtures start-ups with the potential to generate high revenues. IdeaBoost provides seed funding, network access, and mentorship, among other things, to promising start-ups. A few of the start-ups supported by IdeaBoost are Mondo Forma, Creatubbles, SlimCut Media, and Pinch VR.
NEXT Canada
NEXT Canada has one of the most dedicated entrepreneurial networks with more than 500 top founders and investors. It is an incubator that is dedicated to finding promising entrepreneurs. As one of the best startup accelerators in Toronto, NEXT has launched more than 750 entrepreneurs and funded over 250 ventures. The company has been instrumental in raising more than $1 billion in capital and creating over 3,000 jobs. Furthermore, NEXT offers dedicated incubator and accelerator programs for start-ups in different stages of growth. Start-ups supported by the accelerator include Chisel, Allset, SnapTravel, Validere, Atomwise, and Voiceflow, among many others.
FoundersBoost
FoundersBoost, previously StartupBoost, is one of the top start-up accelerators in Toronto. The global incubator, which has its headquarters in Toronto, identifies the best start-ups around the world and supports them with one-on-one mentorship, and helps them scale up their businesses. What differentiates FoundersBoost from other incubators is that it acts as a pre-accelerator incubator. It sets up start-up businesses to find potential accelerators. Since its inception in 2017, FoundersBoost has helped more than 300 start-ups find the accelerator programs that are best suited to their requirements and has raised funds of more than $85 million to date.
Creative Destruction Lab
Creative Destruction Lab (CDL), a non-profit organization, offers programs for seed-stage start-ups in the science and technology sectors that have the potential to scale up. CBL offers mentorship through a network of successful entrepreneurs who were once start-up business owners. The incubator which operates from 10 locations around the world, including Toronto, supports start-ups in 16 streams, which include AI, blockchain, fin-tech, health, and space. Some of the top companies supported by this start-up incubator include Deep Genomics, Bridgit, North, and Ecoation.
JLabs
JLabs, an incubator and accelerator that is expanding globally, is an initiative of Johnson & Johnson Innovation. The open innovation ecosystem network, one of the top start-up accelerators in Toronto, nurtures potential entrepreneurs across healthcare (pharmaceutical products, medical devices) and tech sectors. JLabs values great ideas and helps entrepreneurs overcome obstacles. Innovators and budding scientists can take advantage of access to different resources such as lab equipment, mentors, and investors.
UTEST
University of Toronto Early Stage Technology (UTEST) offers the best accelerator program to support start-ups and entrepreneurs who want to establish research-based companies. Participants are provided with mentorship, capital of $150,000 and follow-on funding of $500,000, incubation services, working space, business strategies, federal resources, marketing toolkit, resources for commercialization of business, etc. Some of UTEST’s portfolio companies are Deep Genomics, PhenoTips, Amaca Thera, and EBT Medical, among others.
The DMZ
The DMZ, one of the leading incubators in Canada, offers an accelerator program that helps tech start-ups grow their businesses. They provide participants with programs that are highly impactful and customizable, access to capital, world-class training, business strategies, support, financial advice, opportunities to expand operations to other countries, networking opportunities, access to market validation and traction programs, etc. Typically, they support businesses in niche areas such as AI, AR/VR, cloud computing, retail tech, life science, prop tech, IT, management, logistics, eSports, Ed-tech, food tech, fin-tech, insure-tech, health, fashion, robotics, automation, and more.
Highline Beta
The programs offered by Highline Beta, one of the leading business incubators in Canada, are for high-class business start-ups. It aims to connect participating start-ups with large companies and domain experts. Additionally, it provides capital, data, and other business services that will enable start-ups to achieve success. The two programs offered are:
Pilot accelerator program
Venture studio program
As part of these programs, the start-up accelerator offers investment to the tune of $300,000 to $1 million and $500,000 to $1 million, respectively, mentorship, 1:1 business coaching, etc.
Techstars
Techstars, one of the premier start-up accelerators, runs a three-month accelerator program that includes mentorship. Furthermore, it helps the participating start-ups from different industry verticals raise the required funding. Besides, Techstars has a team of mentors, investors, and corporate partners, who conduct workshops, provide curated resources and innumerable experiences, organize fund-raising opportunities, and support the building of a successful company.
Founder Institute
Founder Institute, a pre-seed accelerator program, has successfully launched more than 5,000 companies worldwide. They work closely with early-stage start-ups and help them set up successful companies. It invests up to $200,000 in the start-up idea and provides mentorship.
Zartek Canada - Top Mobile App Development Company in Toronto
Zartek, a leading mobile app development agency in Toronto, designs and develops web and mobile apps that help startups, SMEs, and enterprises grow their businesses. Zartek is committed to helping start-ups scale up their businesses efficiently by providing top-class tech support. Over the past 5 years, we have helped more than 100 clients from the world over by delivering world-class solutions.
