Founder Institute Officially Opens its Second Canadian Chapter in Toronto
The Founder Institute, the world’s largest startup accelerator with over 1,100 graduate companies, announced today that it will officially launch its first chapter in Toronto.
After launching its first Canadian chapter in Montreal last month, the Founder Institute now operates in two Canadian cities, and aims to launch over 40 meaningful and enduring companies per year across the country.
The Silicon Valley-based Founder Institute decided to officially launch in Toronto after a successful trial period across the city in April drew over 150 interested applicants.
In order to celebrate the launch, the Toronto Founder Institute will host a “Pre-Curriculum” of free startup events for the general public. The first event, taking place on May 5th, includes a talk by Andrew D’Souza: President of Bionym, and former COO/ CRO of Top Hat.
“It is long overdue that we launch a chapter in Toronto, which is truly one of the best places in North America to launch a technology company,” says Adeo Ressi, Founder & CEO of the Founder Institute. “The Founder Institute aims to be complementary to the already robust startup ecosystem in Toronto and Waterloo, help entrepreneurs who are just starting out in the region build sustainable companies, and provide a link to our Silicon Valley and global startup network.”
Leading the Founder Institute’s efforts in Toronto is Kamal Hassan, the CEO of entrepreneurial management platform VentureLynx; Ilona Hassan, a fashion entrepreneur and communication specialist; and Sunil Sharma, the co-founder of Toronto-based Extreme Startups.
“We are excited to be launching Founder Institute here in Toronto given its massive international presence,” says Sunil Sharma, Co-Director of the Toronto Founder Institute. “With Toronto having the most diverse population in the world, and with the opportunity to attract the world’s best founders to Canada with the new Startup Visa Program, we are thrilled to be connecting into the Founder Institute’s world-class network.”
Other successful entrepreneurs who have signed on to mentor founders in the Toronto program include Tulip Retail’s Ali Asaria, Bionym’s Andrew D’Souza, Uken Games’ Chris Ye, ScribbleLive’s Michael De Monte, and Wattpad’s Allen Lau
Anyone interested in launching a technology company is welcome to apply to the Toronto Founder Institute here. The final application deadline is on June 15th, but those who apply by the early application deadline on May 25th are eligible for a variety of fellowships – including the Female Founder Fellowship, which is offered to the best overall female applicant.
