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I'm going to be finishing my master's degree in computer science soon, and am interested in pursuing entrepreneurship. I'm currently based in Montreal, but for personal reasons, am considering moving to Toronto after I finish my degree. In Montreal, I know there are many resources to help young entrepreneurs, including the following:

  • Regular social events, such as Startup Drinks (there is a Startup Drinks for Toronto listed on the linked site, but the site hasn't been updated for awhile, so I'm not sure if it's active)
  • Sporadic social events such as hackathons and conferences
  • Blogs dedicated specifically to covering technology startups in Montreal
  • Angel investor groups
  • Co-working spaces (including free, shared spaces) such as RPM and Notman House

I'd appreciate it if someone could point me to similar resources in Toronto, if they exist. Any other useful information regarding pursuing entrepreneurship in Toronto would also be appreciated.

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5 Answers

up vote 5 down vote

hey there: there are lots of resources in Toronto.

StartupDrinks happens here every month as well: our last Toronto startup drinks just happened in June

Check out: http://startupnorth.ca/ for startup info about Toronto startups and events. Startupnorth also has a calendar of events

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up vote 4 down vote

DemoCamp started in Toronto, and while it's a bit less regular than it used to be, it's still the biggest more-than-annual gathering of tech/entrepreneur types in TO. The Entrepreneurship 101 course at MaRS should start up again in September; it's a great place to learn and network.

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up vote 2 down vote

Democamp is probably the best place to meet the most people in one evening. Start there and get some introductions. A few other suggestions...

Ryerson Digital Media Zone - http://digitalmediazone.ryerson.ca/ - open to more than just Ryerson students and alumni. They have space for promising projects.

http://www.Davidcrow.ca - read back through his blog posts and you will find just about everything that has happened or is happening here.

Advisory services at marsdd.com, venturelab.ca (Markham / York Region) and riccentre.ca (Mississauga) once you are past the idea stage. MaRS has posted a lot of their material from courses and events on-line.

Techvibes.com has reasonable coverage of Toronto events in addition to StartupNorth.ca as suggested.

Extreme U at Extreme Venture Partners extremevp.com/extreme-university-2011/

This blog has some interesting posts from time to time... wellingtonfund.com/blog/#axzz1RkYz1E4d

People in Toronto know people in Montreal, ask your network in Montreal for some introductions.

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up vote 1 down vote

There are lots of resources for entrepreneurs in Toronto. I won't repeat what others have written above but will add a few resources to the mix.

Blogs

Coworking

Events

Angel Groups & Venture Funds doing seed and early stage

Not based here but actively doing some deals

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up vote 1 down vote

Also make sure to take a look and get involved with the C100. They're a great group of people who have a lot to offer, and can help you find a mentor. On top of that, a lot of independents, both consultants and startup creators hang out at the following coffee shops:

Dark Horse, Spadina

Aroma, Bathurst and Bloor-ish

Linux cafe, Harbord and Grace

Finally, don't forget Betty's, on King Street, it's a great pub in the middle of a bustling Toronto tech area. People from Alias (now Autodesk), SAS, PlateSpin, Monster, VMLogix, Stars/DKP, and other smaller ventures hang out there - we have for years.

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