- RT @bmann: Beers with @bfeld on April 22nd in Vancouver, first 50 tickets are available now: http://tr.im/hK9r #
- CoolIT Systems, based in Calgary, secures a $6.2M follow on round led by iNovia Capital – http://tinyurl.com/dg2cdu #
- A great overview of SR&ED for startups: http://tinyurl.com/c8p2x7 #
- BlackBerry Partners Fund invests in Xobni – http://tinyurl.com/c5tf7z #
Month: March 2009
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Weekend Reading
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OCE Elevator Pitch contest at Discovery 09
The Ontario Centres for Excellence is hosting an Elevator Pitch contest on May 12, 2009 at Discovery 09 event. First place prize is Cdn$5000 and second place is Cdn$2000. Not shabby for a 700 word entry.
Step into OCE’s Elevator Pitch contest – 12 May 2009
Metro Convention Centre, TorontoVenture capitalists and angel investors can spot a good business pitch in roughly the time it takes to ride an elevator. Test your pitch by getting in on the Elevator Pitch at Discovery 09. Go one-on-one, face-to-face with leading VCs and angel investors and deliver a compelling overview of your tech-based business idea in five minutes or less. Capture their attention, advice, and a chance to win cash prizes for best pitch.
To enter, visit www.ocediscovery.com/elevatorpitch2009.aspx.
Startups need to submit a 700 word maximum submission that covers the following:
- Describe the product or service and its underlying technology
- What is the market need – what is the value proposition to your intended customers?
- What is the sustainable competitive advantage of your product or service?
- Describe the market and market size.
- What is your market entry strategy?
Submissions are due by April 16, 2009.
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MeshU/StartupNorth party – April 6 2009
We are slowly emerging from our cave, and finally setting a date. On April 6th, MeshU, the startup and developer conference that runs the day before the Mesh Conference, will be having a social. It is a chance to hang out and talk startups.
There really haven’t been many events in Toronto lately, so this is a chance to start things up again after a successful Democamp last month.
Here are the details. See you there?
meshUp
The beer o’clock at the Drake Hotel brought to you by meshU and StartupNorthTime: 6 p.m. to close
Where: The Lounge & Dining Room
Drake Hotel, 1150 Queen St. WestEveryone is welcome. Space is limited. There is no charge for this event.
Thanks to our hospitality sponsor and host: Drake Hotel
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Weekend Reading – 2009-03-22
- The right way to do bonuses: http://tinyurl.com/cc8w82 #
- TeamPages scores a second round: http://tinyurl.com/cpghvl #
- Ontario Government as VC? – http://tinyurl.com/cap7jh #
- Quebec comes out swinging with big numbers and bigger ambitions: http://tinyurl.com/dzcors click on Budget Plan #qcbudget hat tip @rayluk #
- iNovia’s Chris Arsenault on the $825M Quebec Gov VC Fund of Funds – http://tinyurl.com/dgqg4f #
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Porn Shops and Tech – Toronto's Silicon Valley
Startup activity in Canada stalling? VC investment dying?
Well folks, problem solved.
It’s hard to know what to say about efforts like this. I guess that where I believe physical clusters are a sign of success, government officials and universities believe that they are a precursor to success. To that end, more money is being spent building the new Silicon Valley North, this time it is smack in the middle of the porn shop and peepshow strip in Toronto.
Pun intended?
What frustrates me the most about things like this, and other projects is that I know there are smart people working within government who understand what technology, software and web startups need, but as those people plug away trying to help startups, programs and projects like this are announced that undermine everything the smart folks have done.
Everyone wants to go big right away. To hit a grand-slam home-run if only we can just build the right building, or create the right program. There is no evidence however that any of this stuff has ever worked before.
If beaurocrats and politicians want to have an impact here, then the reality of what needs to be done will be a lot less glamorous. It means Democamp’s at the Imperial Pub and StartupEmpire‘s at cheap nightclubs.
The only good part of this announcement is that Ryerson is in on the action. I think that school is great and a place that turns out hard workers and great entrepreneurs.
In the end, it doesn’t matter, Toronto’s tech community (for whom I am not the voice, but just one voice) has long given up on government programs and venture capital. We have focused on getting really good at finding the winners early on, and we are going to start capitalizing on that skill soon. We have to.
So, the next time you walk up Yonge Street looking for a Kabab or a fake ID, take a look around and imagine, for just one second, what an office on the top floor of Zanzibar would be like.
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Weekend Reading – 2009-03-07
- Overlay.tv launches iJustine for SXSW win a Wii contest, hilarity ensues: http://ijustine.overlay.tv/ #
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Friday Night Byte – FileMobile
This week Byte Club serves up FileMobile whose white label community platform is being used across the web.