Toronto is becoming one of the best places to build a startup, but most of the early-stage entrepreneurs we speak to aren't aware of the local tech resources that are available to help them.

With applications for the Toronto Founder Institute now open, we're excited to release the Toronto Startup Resource Guide, which is currently in Draft v3 below! It was developed by the Toronto Founder Institute and local leaders: Ignacio Castro (MD, Founder Institute Boston), Jai Mansukhani, Jai Mansukhani (Co-Director of Programs, Founder Institute), Sunil Sharma (MD, Techstars Canada)

This is just a draft, and while we spent many hours on this research, more input is needed. Please leave your comments on this collaborative Google document to help us complete the list. There are definitely omissions on this current version. 

Are you looking to build a startup in Toronto? Then apply to the Toronto Founder Institute today!

Text version included below, for ease of searching:

Startup Stages

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There is no one right way to build a technology company, but for the sake of simplicity we have outlined a basic, common, sequential framework.

1. Idea Stage

This is where new entrepreneurs get inspired, learn best practices, develop skills, validate ideas, and begin to build their team and product.

A. Inspire

• Toronto Startup Media: Centralized local information, listings, and news. (i.e. startup blogs/ publications/ lists/ FB groups/ newsletters)

1. BetaKit
2. Financial Post
3. Globe and Mail - Report on Business
4. MaRS Events
5. SocialFinance.ca
6. StartupCFO
7. Startup Digest Toronto
8. StartupHere Toronto
9. Startup North
10. TechVibes
11. The Logic

• Inspirational Toronto Startup Events: Open, inclusive startup events that often focus on ideation. (i.e. Startup Weekend, idea fairs, and inspirational meetups)

1. Amazon Web Services
2. CIX
3. Collision
4. IEEE N3XT
5. Girl Geeks Toronto
6. Girls in Tech
7. Nspire
8. Startup Founder 101 (Founder Institute) 
9. StartupTech Unleashed
10. Startup Toronto
11. TakeOver (Tribalscale) 
12. Techstars
13. Tech Toronto
14. We Are Wearables

B. Educate

• Best Practices: Beginner knowledge-sharing tech events. (i.e. beginner events that serve to educate more than inspire).

1. Entrepreneurship 101
2. Enterprise Toronto
3. Lean Coffee Toronto
4. OPN
5. Startup Founder 101 Toronto
6. Startup Grind Toronto

• Training & Feedback: Skill & Idea development events and startup bootcamps for entrepeneurs. (Includes comprehensive training programs, like Founder Institute, General Assembly, Lean Startup Machine, code camps, etc)

1. Accela Tech Meetup
2. Bitmaker Labs
3. Brain Station
4. Cryptochicks
5. Decentral
6. DMZ Sandbox
7. Founder Institute Toronto
8. HackerYou
9. Ladies Learning Code
10. Lighthouse Labs
11. Next Canada

C. Validate

• Team Formation: Events for Finding Co-founders in Toronto.  (i.e. tech networking events or other resources that facilitate early-stage recruitment and cofounder matching)

1. DevTO 
2. FounderDating
3. Ten Thousand Coffees

• Build First Product: Hackathons & product events in Toronto.

1. AngelHack Toronto
2. Canadian Open Data Experience
3. CivicTech Toronto
4. Hack the 6ix
5. HackerNest Toronto
6. Hacking Health Toronto
7. Hackworks
8. Pakathon
9. Space Apps Toronto
10. UofT Hacks
11. WearHacks Toronto

2. Launch Stage

In this stage, entrepreneurs establish and formalize the company, develop the product, get feedback from customers, and prepare for the next step.

A. Start

• Establish: Toronto law firms & banks for startups

1. Aird & Berlis
2. Alterna
3. Bennett Jones
4. Blakes
5. BMO
6. Caravel Law
7. CIBC
8. CIBC Innovation Banking
9. Cobalt
10. Conduit Law
11. Dentons
12. Fasken Martineau
13. Goodmans
14. Gowlings
15. LaBarge Weinstein
16. McCarthy Tetrault
17. Norton Rose Fulbright
18. Osler
19. RBC Royal Bank
20. SabetaIP
21. ScotiaBank
22. Silicon Valley Bank
23. Stikeman Elliott
24. TD Canada Trust
25. Torys
26. Wires Law
27. WeirFoulds

• Toronto Workspaces: Co-working and flexible workspaces for startups in Toronto.

1. Acme Works
2. Agile Offices
3. Bento Miso
4. BrightLane
5. Centre for Social Innovation
6. Co-lab
7. DevHub
8. East Room
9. Foundery
10. GizmoLabs
11. Hacklab
12. iQ Office Suites
13. LabTO
14. Make Lemonade
15. MakeWorks
16. NorthSpace
17. Project:SPACES
18. Regus
19. Spaces
20. Startuptive
21. The Fueling Station
22. WeWork
23. Women on the Move
24. Workhaus
25. Workplace One

B. Develop

• Formalize: Toronto accounting, development and HR tools for early-stage startups.  

1. AVAJ
2. BDO
3. Bennett Gold
4. Blanclabs
5. Boast AI
6. Brightlights Inc
7. Climax Media
8. Collins Barrow
9. Deloitte
10. Design Co-Founders
11. DevDec
12. Extreme Innovations
13. Fasken
14. FireStitch
15. Found
16. Full Stack HR Inc  
17. Functional Imperative
18. Jaxx
19. Kinetic Cafe
20. KPMG
21. Linkus
22. Peak Performance HR
23. Richter LLP
24. Source Code Staffing 
25. The App Labb
26. The Working Group
27. TribalScale
28. Welch LLP
29. Xen Accounting

• Toronto Incubators: Groups that prepare companies for seed investment and provide advanced mentorship. (i.e. advanced knowledge sharing, later stage events and resources)

1. Accel 
2. CDMN
3. DMZ
4. George Brown Digital Media and Gaming Incubator
5. HumberLaunch
6. Impact Centre at U of T
7. RIC Centre
8. Ryerson Zones
9. The Hatchery
10. Treefrog Accelerator
11. ventureLAB
12. YEDinstitute

C. Launch

• Toronto Seed Accelerators: Seed funding mentor programs (Techstars-style programs that provide funding)

1. Creative Destruction Lab
2. Extreme Accelerator
3. Highline
4. IDEABOOST Canadian Film Centre
5. JLabs
6. UTEST

• Pitch & Demo Events: Tech events that showcase Toronto startups for investment.

1. Brightlane Entrepreneur Awards
2. Funding Roadshow
3. Product Hunt Toronto
4. Spin Master Innovation Fund
5. Startupfest
6. Up-Start!

3. Growth Stage

Here, a startup proves their utility, receives recognition, and scales up. This usually requires funding, angels, VCs, and ways to connect them to startups.

A. Recognition

• Toronto Investor Networking:  Events and groups that connect professional investors with founders.

1. China Canada Angels Alliance
2. Cranson Capital
3. Girls Raising
4. GreenSky Capital
5. Keiretsu Forum
6. MaRS Centre for Impact Investing
7. National Angel Capital Organization
8. Network of Angel Organizations
9. SheEO
10. Toronto Investors, Entrepreneurs & Mentors Network

• Major Media: Mainstream local business press that often showcase local startups.

1. Bloomberg
2. BNN
3. Canadian Business
4. CBC News
5. CityNews
6. CTV News
7. Global News
8. National Post
9. Toronto Star
10. Toronto Sun

B. Funding

• Toronto Angel Investors: Seed-stage investors and micro-vcs.

1. 500 Startups Canada
2. Angel One
3. Benjamin Yoskovitz
4. Canadian Media Fund
5. Daniel Debow 
6. Extreme Venture Partners
7. Female Funders
8. Freycinet Investments
9. Futurpreneur
10. Golden Triangle Angel Network
11. GreenSky Accelerator Fund
12. GreenSky President’s Club Angel Network
13. Jennifer Lum
14. Jevon MacDonald
15. Ken Nickerson
16. Maple Leaf Angels
17. MaRS Investment Accelerator Fund
18. Nigel Stokes
19. RBC Generator Fund
20. Ryerson Futures
21. Spark Angels
22. Todd Finch
23. Two Small Fish Ventures 
24. Wonderment Ventures
25. York Angels

• Toronto Venture Capitalists: Series A and beyond

1. ArcTern Ventures
2. BEST Funds
3. Blockchain Founders Fund
4. Brightspark Ventures
5. BDC Capital
6. Emerald Technology Ventures
7. EnerTech Capital
8. Espresso Capital
9. Genesys Capital
10. Georgian Partners
11. Gibraltar Ventures
12. Globalive
13. Golden Venture Partners
14. Hedgewood
15. iGan Partners
16. iNovia Capital
17. Impression Ventures
18. Information Venture Partners
19. Investeco
20. Klass Capital  
21. Mantella Venture Partnersl
22. McRock Capital
23. OMERS Ventures
24. Plaza Ventures
25. Real Ventures
26. Relay Ventures
27. Rho Canada Ventures
28. Rogers Ventures
29. Round13 Capital
30. Tandem Expansion Fund
31. Trellis Capital
32. TSX Venture Exchange
33. Wellington Financial
34. Whitecap Venture Partners
35. XDL Capital

C. Growth

• Infrastructure: Office space, HR, local business insurance. (i.e. office space/ HR/ insurance providers for capital-rich companies to grow and scale)

1. Aviva Canada
2. Colliers
3. Cushman Wakefield
4. Full Stack HR Inc
5. GuruLink
6. Hallmark Insurance Brokers 
7. Hays
8. Highcourt Partners
9. Hired
10. Intact Insurance
11. Randstad
12. SpaceList
13. Spencer Stuart
14. TelSec

• Expansion: Toronto Growth accelerators and consultants. (i.e. programs and business consultants for capital-rich companies to grow and scale)

1. MaRS Discovery District
2. One Eleven
3. Q1Capital
4. Surepath Capital

4. Toronto Startup Success Stories

Successful homegrown companies that have raised significant institutional funding, employ a large workforce, or have achieved liquidity.

1. 360 Insights
2. Achievers
3. Aion
4. Borrowell
5. CareGuide
6. Ecobee
7. Eventmobi
8. Figure1
9. Flipp
10. Freshbooks
11. Hubba
12. Influitive
13. LEAGUE
14. Muse (Interaxon)
15. Nymi
16. Polar
17. Pressly
18. SecureKey
19. Top Hat
20. Tulip Retail
21. WattPad
22. Wave
23. WealthSimple
24. Well.ca

Supporters

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To facilitate the steps, every ecosystem needs strong supporters.

1. Toronto Startup Leaders

Successful local founders who lead the ecosystem & frequently mentor newbies.

1. Allen Lau
2. Andrew D’Souza
3. Anthony Lacavera
4. April Dunford
5. Arati Sharma
6. Ben Stacey
7. Ben Yoskovitz
8. Ben Zifkin
9. Brice Scheschuk
10. Bruce Croxon
11. Dan Debow
12. Dean Hopkins
13. Farhan Thawar
14. Iain Klugman
15. Janet Bannister 
16. John Philip Green
17. John Ruffolo
18. Jordan Banks
19. Karl Martin
20. Kirk Simpson
21. Matt Golden
22. Michael Hyatt
23. Michael Serbinis
24. Michele Romanow
25. Mike Katchen
26. Mike Silagadze
27. Paul Slaby
28. Richard Hyatt
29. Ryan Micheletti
30. Salim Teja 
31. Sheldon Levy
32. Somen Mondal
33. Sue Britton
34. Sunil Sharma
35. Tami Zuckerman
36. Tom Emrich
37. Yung Wu

2. Toronto Government Startup Resources

Public organizations that facilitate local economic development

1. Business Development Bank of Canada
2. Canadian Trade Commissioners
3. City of Brampton
4. City of Innisfil
5. Digital Finance Institute
6. Enterprise Toronto
7. Export Development Canada
8. FedDev Ontario
9. Finance Montreal
10. IRAP
11. Ministry of Research and Innovation (Ontario)
12. Ministry of Innovation, Science and Economic Development (Canada)
13. Ontario Centres of Excellence
14. Sustainable Development Technology Canada
15. Toronto Global
16. Toronto Financial International

3. Talent

Major local business or tech universities and employers that attract and retain local talent.

• Local Toronto Tech Universities (universities with prominent technical or business programs)

1. Centennial College
2. Climate Ventures
3. Durham College
4. George Brown College
5. Humber College
6. OCAD University
7. Ontario Brain Institute
8. Ryerson University
9. Seneca College
10. Sheridan College
11. University of Ontario Institute of Technology
12. University of Toronto
13. York University

• Toronto Tech Employers

1. Amazon
2. Apple
3. Autodesk
4. Bell
5. Blackberry
6. CGI
7. Cisco
8. Constellation Software
9. Dell
10. eBay
11. Facebook
12. Google
13. GMP Securities
14. HP Canada
15. LG Electronics
16. Microsoft
17. Motorola
18. Paypal
19. Rogers
20. SAP
21. Samsung Electronics
22. Shopify
23. Siemens
24. Sony
25. Telus
26. Xerox

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Learn more about the Startup Ecosystem Canvas here, and leave us your thoughts on the Toronto Canvas on this collaborative Google document (This is just a draft, and more input is needed!)

Are you looking to build a startup in Toronto? Then apply to the Toronto Founder Institute today