- TechTO
- Posts
- Canada’s Next Billion-Dollar Startups Are Here... Who’s Taking Off?
Canada’s Next Billion-Dollar Startups Are Here... Who’s Taking Off?
A packed edition: Rocketships coast-to-coast recap, the City Hall finale, must-watch clips, top jobs, partner perks, and everything happening next in Canadian tech.
Alex at TechTO
November 25, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 11 minutes
You are receiving the Community Edition of today’s newsletter — upgrade to a Member to receive additional perks and experiences
Where Canada's Boldest Startups Take Center Stage: TechTO Canadian Rocketships 2025
On December 1st, Toronto City Hall becomes ground zero for the most ambitious gathering of Canadian tech talent this year
The journey began in Vancouver. It swept through Montreal, returned home to Toronto, conquered Ottawa on a moving bus, and now it is about to reach its crescendo under the soaring arches of Toronto City Hall.
This is the grand finale of TechTO’s Canadian Rocketships 2025 tour: a year long mission to prove that Canada’s next generation of billion dollar companies is not waiting for permission, they are already taking off.
Last spring, over 400 founders, investors, and tech ecosystem partners packed a Vancouver venue for what TechTO called “an incredible success”.
Co-hosted with Panache Ventures and N49P, this West Coast kickoff established the tour’s unique format: ten high-traction startups, each nominated by a leading VC who spotted their potential early.
Some of the startups who participated included:
PeerSupport.io - assistive technology for caregivers
Veritree - reforestation platform helping businesses drive climate action
Aeon Health - AI-driven medical records
Blossom Social - fintech social network
The audience was “all ears” as each founder made their case.
By the networking social, fuelled by sponsors like LaBarge Weinstein LLP, DoiT International, and Boast.ai, the optimistic tone for the national tour was set.
When the tour rolled into Montreal mid-July during Startupfest, the room was buzzing.
Eight Québec-based companies took the stage at Montréal's Old Port - Vieux port de Montréal, each nominated by a prominent venture fund.
Some of the startups who participated included:
Arvo AI - cloud automation via natural language chat
Puzzle Medical Devices - minimally invasive heart pump
Dessn - no-code platform for non-engineers
Flare - dark web cybersecurity monitoring
Founders and investors came together to spotlight high-momentum Montréal startups and the people helping them scale.
Gurulink even organized a charter "Startup Bus" to bring Toronto tech enthusiasts north for the occasion.
On August 11th, TechTO integrated Rocketships into Together Toronto at MaRS Discovery District.
A packed house watched eight Toronto-based companies pitch live, buzzing with curiosity about the “next big names”.
Some of the startups who participated included:
The crowd cheered these Toronto “rocketships” in the making.
Then Came the Wisdom. The event shifted into story-sharing mode with veteran entrepreneurs offering candid insights, from staying true to your mission through rejection, to building companies that attract acquisition, to learning from failure and bouncing back stronger.
This “two-for-one” format, pitches plus veteran insights, made the Toronto stop vibrant.
The final regional stop took place in Ottawa mid-November at SAAS NORTH, and TechTO literally brought the tour on the road.
A busload of Toronto founders traveled together with a live pitch competition en route. Sophie Jiang of MoVA Realities won that Highway 401 contest and earned her showcase spot proof that innovation waits for no one.
Some of the startups who participated included:
Bloks - AI relationship intelligence
LearnExperts - AI-streamlined training
Kahi - IoT asset tracking for disaster restoration
Frugal - fintech solutions
Advanced Symbolics - social media predictions
Solink - security video analytics
MoVA Realities - VR/AR learning experiences
In a city known for government and enterprise, the event spotlighted a new generation of Ottawa entrepreneurs aiming for the moon.
The Grand Finale: December 1st at City Hall
After months on the road, the tour concludes in Toronto with a grand finale at City Hall on December 1st.
This is the capstone of a year-long search for Canada’s most promising tech ventures. The best of the best from each regional stop, all under one roof.
What to expect? Founder presentations revealing lessons from scaling top tech companies and massive networking opportunities connecting the people shaping Canada's tech ecosystem in one place.
Founders from the Rocketships cohort will take the stage, including:
Michael Matta, CEO & Co-Founder at Solink
Maxwell Nicholson, CEO & Co-Founder at Blossom Social
Larry Hasson, Co-Founder at Remitian
Bringing a truly national roster to downtown Toronto.
Hosted by: Jason Goldlist and Marie Chevrier Schwartz
And here's the moment everyone's been waiting for: the main list of Rocketship finalists, the companies that stood out across every stop will be announced on December 1st.
After a year of pitches, nominations, and momentum building across the country, this is when we will discover which startups have earned their place on Canada's 2025 list of high potential ventures poised for explosive growth.
Why This Matters
Toronto City Hall, a civic landmark thrown open to the tech community, sends a clear message: innovation is central to Canada's identity.
For one night, the corridors of civic power fill with the energy of founders building the future.
Whether you're a founder, investor, operator, or aspiring entrepreneur, this finale celebrates and connects the people driving Canadian tech's next chapter.
Each stop from Vancouver to Ottawa added local fuel to the fire. Now the nation's tech community converges to see it burn brightest.
Join Us
Don't miss TechTO Canadian Rocketships 2025 finale on December 1st at Toronto City Hall.
Be there when the official Rocketship finalists are revealed, witness Canada's top startups in action, and perhaps find yourself inspired to board the next rocketship.
The journey traced Canadian innovation. The finale brings it all together. The finalists will be revealed. Be part of the launch.
CLIPS 📹️
🎥 Made in Montreal: From Bagels to Billion-Dollar Ideas
If you care about building, scaling, or storytelling in tech, you cannot skip this one.
Harley Finkelstein (Shopify) and David Segal (DAVIDsTEA, Firebelly Tea) get brutally honest about the early days, the near failures, the big bets, and the mindset shifts that took their Montreal born ideas global.
This is the kind of conversation founders bookmark, rewatch, and share with their teams, packed with lessons you will not hear anywhere else.
If you watch one TechTO talk this week, make it this one.
Watch the full conversation on our YouTube @TechTorontoOrg - and tell us in the comments what hit you the hardest.
💼 NEXT BIG GIGS
Check out the next big gigs in tech we think you’ll love:
Planned is hiring a Head of Customer Success (Montréal) to lead and elevate a 20-person CS team across global enterprise clients. You will unify processes, shape strategy with the CEO, and redefine how top brands experience Planned’s event-management platform.
Planned is looking for an Enterprise Account Manager (Montréal) to own and grow a $100M+ GMV portfolio. You will drive adoption, lead QBRs, expand enterprise relationships, and travel onsite to work directly with procurement leaders and end-users.
Backboard io is hiring a Senior Go-To-Market Leader (Hybrid/Remote) to own GTM end-to-end. You will craft the story, build developer + enterprise growth engines, launch campaigns, and position Backboard as the default AI memory infrastructure.
Looking to hire or get hired? Check out the TechTO Job Board to see 1,000+ opportunities and learn how to get your companies jobs featured.
📆 MARK YOUR CALENDARS
TechTO Canadian Rocketships 2025: Monday, December 1 @ 6:00pm - REGISTER HERE
YC Alumni Holiday Party 2025: Wednesday, December 3 @ 6:00pm - APPLY HERE
Together Toronto: Monday, January 12 @ 6:00pm - REGISTER HERE
Commerce Toronto: Wednesday, January 21 @ 5:30PM - EARLY-BIRD TICKETS HERE
Don’t forget to lock in your year of TechTO! Subscribe to our full events calendar
OPPORTUNITIES TO WATCH 👀
A must-see event for anyone curious about the future of AI, identity, and creativity:
🎬 Rotman Documentary Insights: Deepfaking Sam Altman
What happens when a filmmaker interviews an AI version of Sam Altman… instead of the real one?
Join director Adam Bhala Lough for an in-person screening + conversation on the ethics, creativity, and disruption behind AI-generated identity.
📅 Tuesday, December 10
📍 Innis Town Hall, 2 Sussex Ave, Toronto
🤝 GET MORE WITH TECHTO
If you’re looking for more ways to connect with the tech world, our TechTO Membership is a great way to interact with others building in the space.
Our membership program already supports hundreds of entrepreneurs and professionals building the next best companies in Canadian tech. Take advantage of exclusive members-only events, and opportunities to meet those who will inspire your next big idea. Learn more about our Membership options here.
Reply