Together Toronto - March 2 @ MaRS

Four founders. Four completely different paths. But last night at MaRS, we kept noticing the same thing underneath all of it. Every single one of them had a moment where they chose the harder option.

What We Took Away from Yesterday

‣ ​​​Sukhpal Saini (Founder & CEO, Engyne) sold his last company, then started over. This time with one rule: sell the product before you write the code. He also got Will.i.am to invest.

‣ ​Lee Silverstone (Co-Founder & CEO, zofiQ - acquired by ConnectWise) built in a space most people called too early - and exited to a Thoma Bravo-backed company.

‣ ​​​​Mahbod Moe Sabbaghi (Co-Founder & COO, The Intelligent Search Company (TISC)) picked a market so specific it looked small - until it didn't.

‣ ​Ben Vinegar (Co-Founder & CEO, Modem) was employee #2 at a Silicon Valley unicorn. He chose Toronto to build his own company and offered the most grounded take on why building here makes sense.

All four talks are dropping on YouTube this week. → Subscribe so you don't miss them

🏆 Want more founder stories?

Best Of TechTO. One night. Canada's best builders on one stage.

700+ founders who have shaped Canada's tech ecosystem have stood at this mic. This April 13th, the next wave takes their place - in front of 400+ of the most active founders, operators, and investors in the country.

Expect live demos, real stories, and the energy that only happens at TechTO events.

📅 Monday, April 13 · 6:00-8:30 PM 📍 Toronto City Hall, 100 Queen St W

Early Bird tickets are $35 - available until March 30. After that, prices go up.

Taipei Hard Tech Accelerator - Canadian Technology Accelerator

⏰ Application deadline: March 9

Canada's Trade Commissioner Service is sending a hard tech cohort to Taiwan for 3 months (April–June). The program ends with a showcase at COMPUTEX & InnoVEX - one of the world's biggest ICT trade shows.

What's in it for you:
‣ Direct B2B intros to Taiwanese buyers, partners & investors
‣ Pitch at CTA Demo Day + media feature with Digital Yellow Page
‣ 4-5 days on the ground in Taipei in June
‣ Pilot projects, POC deals & corporate VC access

Best fit: Canadian companies in robotics, semiconductors, aerospace, cybersecurity, 6G & satellites

Time ask: ~1 hour/week virtually + one in-market trip in June.

NSERC Idea to Innovation (I2I) Grants - Up to $350K

⏰ Next deadline: March 30

NSERC funds the gap between university research and a real Canadian company. If you have a technology ready to move out of the lab, this covers prototyping, IP strategy, beta trials, and commercialization costs.

Best fit: University or college researchers at TRL 4+ with a clear path to commercialization.

⚠️ Note: Market Assessment projects are currently paused. Phase I and II are open.

Remaining 2026 deadlines: March 30, June 22, September 21

CIX Summit Afterparty by TechTO - same night, March 25 

Summit ends at 5:30. We keep it going. Drinks, music, and the same room full of Canada's best founders and investors.

Free for CIX Summit badge holder (limited to 150 spots) | Early Bird $20 | Free for TechTO Members

Don’t forget to lock in your year of TechTO! Subscribe to our full events calendar

Members get:
• Free tickets to all Together events
• Quarterly exclusive socials with founders and leaders
• Private Slack with instant answers from active founders
• Vote on podcast guests and future speakers

Annual: $249/year | Founding: $1,199 One-time payment, lifetime access

JOIN 1000+ MEMBERS