StartupNorth

Category: Events

  • Start Building Empires

    StartupEmpireJevon and I apparently picked a conference name that exists as a registered trademark. We have been informed by our lawyer that our usage of the name did not infringe on the existing trademark. Rather than start with a potential tenuous situation, we decided we would just rebrand the conference.

    StartupEmpire is the new name. Does it remind you of Star Wars? Or the British Empire? It is ostentatious. It is bold. It is intended to inspire entrepreneurs to start building empires. History remembers the legacy of successful entrepreneurs. JP Morgan. Andrew Carnegie. Howard Hughes. Henry Ford. Bill Gates. Steve Jobs. Jeff Bezos. Mark Cuban. Our goal is to provide the tools to help build the next generation of entrepreneurs build their empires.

    What: StartupEmpire
    When: Thursday, November 13th and 14th, 2008 (all day)
    Where: Diesel Playhouse 

    56 Blue Jays Way
    Toronto, Ontario M5V 2A2

    We are focused on practical, real-world advice from entrepreneurs, investors and industry experts that will help early-stage companies at different stages. How do you build a cashflow statement? What does a marketing plan and budget look like for a startup with no money? What tools and services are available to set up your development, testing and production environments? How important is source control and bug tracking? What does a product roadmap look like for a startup practicing agile development? What does a basic shareholders agreement look like? How do you avoid getting sued? What do you do when you get a cease-and-desist letter? What is a term sheet from an investor? How does a developer do business development?

    We?ll be announcing the next set of speakers in the next couple of days. We?re also interested in learning about what you would like to see at StartupEmpire. Drop me a note with what would make you attend StartupEmpire in an instant.

  • CVCA – Global Customers, Investors and Acquirers – October 15th, 2008

    I will be speaking at the Canadian Venture Capital Association’s upcoming professional development day on October 15th. I will be on a panel with Rob Lane, from Overlay.TV and Maggie Fox from Social Media Group.

    Our session description is

    ?Going global” is no longer an option for many companies. It is a necessity. This session will examine issues and strategies in building international networks that will lead to business opportunities and enhanced returns. Learn how to link into international networks of customers, partners, acquirers and investors to better position your companies for global success. The role that social technologies can play in fostering these global networks will also be discussed.

    Other sessions include “THE BIG PICTURE ? KEY STRATEGIES FOR CREATING ESSENTIAL INTERNATIONAL NETWORKS” with Jennifer Brooy,Vice President, EDC Equity and Rajiv Pancholy, Chairman and CEO, TenXC Wireless as well as “RELATIONSHIPS WITH GLOBAL SYNDICATE PARTNERS AND ACQUIRERS ? THE VIEW FROM HOME AND ABROAD”

    It looks like a good day and if it is typical of CVCA events, the biggest value will be in having a chance to hang out with some of the other attendees who tend to be other startups (the smart ones go to CVCA events when they can afford them) and funders.

    The half-day event is $299 for non-CVCA members if you attend in-person in Toronto, and $70 if you watch it from one of the simulcast locations in Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec City, Fredricton or Halifax.

  • StartupNorth, the Conference, is off to a great start!

    So, we’ve had a bit of a name change, so forgive some of the logos, etc as we make the switch. When you run a conference like your startup, you have to learn to iterate quickly! I am sure it is not the first change we will be making.

    Tickets sales have been going on steadily since yesterday, I am really excited about it and if we run out of early-bird tickets before the deadline, we will add some more at the early bird price up until the deadline.

    We’ve received a lot of feedback through comments, twitter, email and blogs and it has almost all been really constructive and helpful. If you have emailed us about leading a session or volunteering, we will have more information for you next week. Some really incredible people have stepped forward.

    There is still a lot of work to be done to make this a great conference. While it is in Toronto (which is purely logistical for us in doing our first conference), we are trying to make this as national as possible by bringing in more speakers from across the country.

    You can get your tickets over on the website and we will be posting more updates next week.

  • Announcing StartupNorth – Canada's Conference for Startups – November 13-14

    A lot of you have probably been wondering why we haven’t announced any events lately. That’s because we have been working on something really fun.

    I am happy to finally go public with StartupNorth, the Conference.

    David and I wanted to create something that would give us all a place to come together, connect, learn and that we would all walk away from feeling inspired.

    We will be making announcements here over the next few months as we get closer to the conference. We are still working on bringing on more great speakers and a day of pragmatic, hands-on, workshops.

    We are going all out to give you a world-class conference right here at home, and we will be asking you for your help, a lot. In the next few days and weeks we will taking your votes on what sessions and workshops you want to see and really need.

    What is it? Canada’s conference for Startups
    Who will be there? Students,?Entrepreneurs?and Funders
    When is it?? November 13th and 14th, 2008 in Toronto, Ontario
    Day 1: Practical hands-on workshops and speakers to help entrepreneurs learn how to get started or, for those with a startup, how to take it to the next level.?Workshops will include:
    ? Asessing your market opportunity ? Why should I use your product?
    Strategies for getting users
    ? Presentation skills for developers ? Legal pitfalls for startups
    ? Shaking the money tree ? Pricing Models
    ? Product Design ? First customers and other business development pitfalls?
    ?
    Day 2: Networking, speakers and in-depth panels with a focus on Canada’s role in the international startup ecosystem.
    ?
    Speakers include:

    Can’t wait to see you there, this is going to be fun!

  • Akoha Starter kits – get'em while they're hot

    Montreal based Akoha, who are going on stage tomorrow at the TechCrunch50. We have previously profiled their angel round and I have been watching their progress closely. 

    We can’t say much about what Akoha is, but what I can do is give you all an exclusive invitation to get a free starter kit. These kits, which will only be available until tomorrow, will be mailed out to you right away. 

    Head over here to the Akoha store (powered by Shopify.com) and sign up for the starter kit, and remember to tune in to to Akoha’s presentation tomorrow.

    I also came across a vote for who will be the most promising startup presenting at TechCrunch50. You can vote for Akoha, as they are neck and neck for 1st place.  

  • Introducing the StartupNorth Event Calendar

    We get emails just about everyday asking for a calendar of startup events across Canada. And it is a damn shame for entrepreneurs to miss a chance to meet up just because there is no event calendar. So without further ado, head on over and check it out. Right now, we just have Toronto events listed, but we’ll be adding Calendars for all the other great regions across Canada as soon as possible.

    We are using Google Calendar so people across the country can collaborate on this project. If you already use Google Calendar and would like to occasionally contribute by posting events, contact us and we?ll provide you with this super power.

    Updates: Edmonton is now onboard (thanks to Cam)! Montreal coming soon (thanks to Heri)! And Waterloo too (thanks to Thom)! Note: If you also live in these cities and are interested in contributing, please contact us as well!

    ___________________________

    Mea Culpa. I pulled the image that originally accompanied this post. Why? Well first off, I wasn’t particularly satisfied with it to begin with. While this Calendar Project is something we?ve been thinking about for a while now, the image to accompany the announcement was just something I rushed out this morning. Yes, of course it was just a joke. No, this was not my finest work with Photoshop. For those of you curious what all the hoopla is about, you can find the image posted here.

    My hope is for this Calendar Project to help get more people (men AND women) out to events and as a result working together building great companies. I?d hate for anyone to feel left out. Two of the many things I love about Canada are its inclusiveness and that people call things how they see them. I wouldn?t change either of these things for the world.

    I hope you find the calendar useful. See you at an upcoming event.

    Jonas

  • September: New Year's Resolutions and a few events

    The summer is usually a time when things go a little slower, a little less gets done and people are hard to get in touch with. I’m not sure what is in the water this year, but it seems like nothing has slowed down for the sunny weather. People are still scheming, startups are launching and I am still hearing a dozen new ideas a day. Love it.

    September is the January of the Startup world. If there was ever a time to restart, give it one last shot, or to set new goals, September is that time.

    Take some time and look back at what you’ve accomplished since this time last year. Did you get a failure under your belt? Did you start something, but didn’t take it all the way? Did you raise your first round? Did you get your first exit?

    A lot of people seemed to spend the last year just finding out about the Startup community in Canada. Connecting, learning and sharing. Now is the time to start to create something of your own. We’re all here, waiting to hear about it, and we want to help.

    With September about to swing in and kick our butts, there are a handful of great events already lined up.

    DemoCamp Edmonton 3 is on September 17th. There were over 100 people at the last DemoCamp in Edmonton. That is some of the best news this year. Cam Linke has been doing a great job organizing and promoting DC Edmonton. I can’t wait to get out to one.

    Launch Party Vancouver is the first one, taking place on September 18th. Launch Party is such a great name, and there are always incedible startups on the lineup.

    StartupCamp Waterloo is happening on October 8th at the Accelerator Center. I have said it before: This is the orignial and most community-focused StartupCamp.

    And then there is StartupCamp Montreal, on November 27th. Patrick Lor will be coming down from Calgary to talk about what he is up to and share about his experience at iStockPhoto. The guys at Embrase always run a fantastic event. Thanks again Phillipe and Vincent.

    What about Toronto you say? Oh, we have some great things planned. Founders and Funders, StartupCamp, DemoCamps, and even something a little bit secret. I say we kick it off with some beer, a patio and some big ideas. I’ll post details soon.

  • Founders and Funders Toronto Wrapup

    Founders and Funders Toronto took place this week and we had another sellout. We had just over 100 people who came out to hang out, pitch their startups and find fundable companies.

    A lot of food went cold however, as people could barely stay in their seats. The room was buzzing and so far the reviews have been great.

    Ali Asaria, from Well.ca, sent us a note that I think summed it up:

    “This was the first time we as a company were approached by investors, instead of us having to approach them. The atmosphere was relaxed, but at the same time there were always four simultaneous, deep discussions happening at our table on the subjects of investment, entrepreneurial stories, and industry trends.

    In one single night I was able to talk directly with five different VCs, and we had the time to talk about details of our business, without the “what’s your pitch?” awkwardness. I had the chance to sit next to some of Canada’s most successful entrepreneurs from whom I learned so many lessons. What a great event — it’s the next day now and I return to my desk energized!”

    A big thank you to our sponsors

     

    Founders and Funders Vancouver

    Boris has announced Founders and Funders Vancouver for June 17th. If you would like to attend the dinner, please fill out the following form and let us know who you are.

    As with the Montreal and Toronto dinners, Microsoft was gracious enough to sponsor Vancouver as well. These dinners really would not have been possible without them taking the lead and having a vision to help Canadian early-stage companies.

  • Third Tuesday NB: Venture Capital, Startups and Social Media

    I am heading to Moncton next week to hang out and give a quick talk on the state of Venture Capital in Canada and what that means for Startups. The meetup is on Tuesday, June 17, 2008 at 6:30 PM.

    I am looking forward to meeting as many startups as I can while I am in Moncton, so if you are going to be around, please drop me a line. I will be getting in early in the day on June 17th.

    I will have some new data in hand about what is going on with VC and Angel financing in Canada, where startups fit in to the picture and my argument for why Social Media is the savior of us all.

    See you in Moncton!

  • StartupCamp Waterloo 3 Recap

    This is a guest post by Mic Berman, one of the instigators of StartupCamp Waterloo. Thanks Mic!

    We had great turn out and interesting crowd, lots of new startups first time demonstrating in a public forum. The event was sponsored by TechCapital, WatStart, CommuniTech and SunStartup – thanks to those folks for supporting the community.

    We tried something different and hosted a panel at the start made up of Iain Klugman , Larry Borsato, Ali Asaria, Melanie Baker, Sandra MacDonald, and Gary Will. The basic question was “why, why do a startup?” The answers varied from why not to do one to a very philosophical approach by Ali that centred around passion and drive.

    The start ups that got to present (based on audience voting and time available) were:

    Semacode (on StartupIndex) – Simon showed off his technology for the first time. A fully integrated viral marketing based service integrated into FaceBook as a great way to manage events and conduct mobile marketing campaigns. The issues that came up in discussion were privacy (how does the user control information that is captured in their barcode/name tag), which target market they should go after (i.e., advertising/marketing/event type companies or the end user/enterprise running the event). Simon has partnered with SuitedMedia Inc to help them sell the service.

    Navarra run by Avery Pennarun was a somewhat controversial concept for outsourcing development of your founder ideas. The concept being they would charge a flat rate to develop against particular specifications provided by the “business founder”. Avery figures lots of business people/founders with great ideas need a good development shop to develop out their ideas. Issues that came up were: “are you mad?”, “that will never work”, and ” how will you ensure specifications are crystal?”. Maybe they are on to something (as is typically the case when faced with great controversy)?

    Clutterme presented by Mark Molckovsky & Alex Curelea was a totally fun demo of a cool technology that enables you as a user to instantly create a webpage that effectively becomes your “cork board” online. Great job to whomever did their brand and logo, as it so clearly defines what they’re up to. Their key questions of the audience were “what’s your business model?, how will you make money?”, usability issues, and how to get the word out there. They’ve asked for community support on testing their beta about to be released in 2 to 3 weeks. Check them out 🙂

    UbietyLab – Developed by local Waterloo professor, Todd Veldhuizen, demonstrated some very powerful visualization technology that quite frankly the audience was very impressed by with folks throwing out many many applications for its use. Hence the professor’s problem. What market with what offering, considering “I’m really doing this in my spare time and not really as a business person?”

    AdvertisingShowdown.com – I’m sorry guys, I missed this one because I was in conversation at the time (oops). The just is a powerful new online advertising metrics application. You can check out the recording of the presentation on www.spaetzel.com

    Let’sCube (which is currently a Firefox plug-in you can download) is an instant sharing technology for cool sites you want to share with your friends and for which you can receive results as the owner of the site that’s being shared. Differences between StunbleUpon, Digg, Twittr, etc and their service is they aggregate your interests into your own let’s cube page – so it pulls for you and filters by your friends. Does it go both ways? Can you share and pull? That was the biggest issue posed by the audience and yes, it does. Lots of other ideas about how to leverage the Firefox plug in to test additional features.

    IndigoFire presented by Karim Shaehata is solving the problem of website registration and sharing among friends real, business and otherwise. His product is not yet live (powerpoint presentation). Solving the problem of how you create differentiation among your usage across community sites like Facebook, Flickr, etc. for the people you want to share with and the public at large. Good questions and may be interesting technology yet to come 🙂 Kareem’s basic question was what are the potential business models for which the audience offered several alternatives e.g., server side, small user charge, middleware approach, etc. and would you use it?

    The audience participation rocked, thanks everyone who came and asked and offered great questions, suggestions and comments. You can check out a recording of the event on spaetzel.com