TorontoStarts / A field guide for founders
Find the resources that fit the business you’re building.
Toronto’s startup ecosystem connects funding, programs, people and practical knowledge. TorontoStarts brings those starting points together so you can decide where to go next.
Whether you are exploring an idea, preparing to raise money or building your team, begin with the question in front of you. Follow a focused route, then go deeper into the directories, guides and conversations that matter to your stage.
New here? Start with the overview.
Get your bearings, understand the main routes and choose a useful first step.
First, choose what you want to move forward.
Choose your starting point
What are you trying to do right now?
Pick the goal closest to your current challenge. Your choice shapes the three suggested next steps at the end of this page. You can change it whenever you need.
Explore the chapters below, or take the general starting route.
See my next steps →Your starting point connects to a wider ecosystem.
See how it connects
One goal can open several useful routes.
Funding, community, accelerators, education and the tools to build work together. Explore the route that answers your immediate question, and return to the others as the business develops.
Funding & investment
Compare sources of capital, prepare your pitch and explore the investor directory.
Community & events
Find founder groups, meetups and rooms where useful introductions can happen.
Accelerators & incubators
Compare structured support and decide which programs fit your stage and goals.
Education & coaching
Build the skills to make decisions and work through the next challenge.
Startups & building
Explore who is building in the ecosystem and find context for your own next move.
Start with the capital options and the preparation behind them.
Funding & investment
Match the capital to the company.
Grants, loans, angels, venture capital and crowdfunding serve different needs. Consider your stage, sector, use of funds and expectations before deciding which route to pursue.
Explore funding sources
Look at eligibility, application requirements and the kind of business each funding source supports.
Find relevant investors
Compare firms, angel groups and individual investors by geography, stage and investment focus.
Prepare the conversation
Work on the problem, customer evidence, business model and funding ask that belong in your pitch.
A relevant introduction often begins in the right room.
Community & connections
Rooms where relationships actually form.
Some conversations begin at a pitch night. Others grow through a founder group you return to every month. Choose the format that gives you room to ask questions, share what you are building and meet people with useful experience.
Find an upcoming event
Explore meetups, pitch nights and workshops, with dates and registration links.
Find your ongoing community
Look for founder groups and networks where you can keep the conversation going.
Meet the community. Capture the moment.
Get your cameras ready for a Snaptique selfie with your favourite new founder, investor or community friend. Remember to tag @TorontoStarts on Instagram.
Take what you learn in the room back into the business.
Education, coaching & practical tools
Turn a useful idea into something you can use.
Build your knowledge around the decision in front of you. Use a guide to understand the topic, a checklist to prepare, or a conversation with another founder to see how the work looks in practice.
Explore learning and coaching
Find structured support for building skills and working through business challenges.
Read the guides and articles
Explore startup and technology topics, and follow the subjects that matter to your work.
Listen to the conversations
Find Startup Talk founder interviews and Silicon Scoop technology coverage, with recordings and available transcripts.
Bring the pieces together into a clear next step.
Your next steps
Your route through TorontoStarts.
Start with the overview, compare funding options and connect with the community. Or choose a goal above for a more focused route.
Change my goal ↑Start here ↗
The shortest orientation to the whole ecosystem.
Funding ↗
Compare the capital options for your next stage.
Community & events ↗
Find people and rooms that can help you move forward.
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